Does gender impact closing rates? According to Chelsea Irwin, Director of Marketing, Branding & Content Creation for Golden Web Marketing & Golden Mailer, it does. She recently posted a message in LinkedIn which said:
“As a Marketing Director, I use a program that records incoming calls and allows me to listen to the sales reps speaking to leads interested in our services (this is limited to calls generated by marketing material with tracking numbers). There is a HUGE difference in how female account managers close a deal vs. their male counterparts. Our service is equally attractive to both genders. But the sales numbers reflect a very different story. The women dramatically out sale the males. After listening to calls for months, I noticed the female will quickly determine what the customer wants to hear and how they need to be sold. Women can change tone, aggressiveness, and her overall persona within 30 seconds of speaking with the potential client. Males seem to stick to what has worked in the past. They don’t seem to listen or ask as many questions as females do at the beginning of the call.” [emphasis added]
Her observations were based on telephone calls. Would the same phenomenon exist face to face?
As professional salespeople, it’s vital to listen to what the customer is communicating, not just the content but also underlying messages. Listen carefully and customers tell us how to “sell” them.
Research has shown that there are 4 buying styles. At the same time, there are also 4 selling styles. Most people sell using their preferred buying style. As a result, they match only one out of every four times. No wonder it takes a lot of no’s to get a yes!
The Word of Mouth Marketing Association states that the best salespeople outsell the average 57:1. They have figured out how to present their information in a manner that duplicates the one their customer prefers. They easily and often unconsciously shift into their prospect’s mode. As a result, they build rapport and close the deal.
Learn how to diagnose your prospect’s buying style, duplicate it, downplay or discard what doesn’t match, and men and women will both be a sales success.
