Diversity, or lack thereof, in Sales.
Submitted by Dave Sweeney in April 2024.
Dave is currently Sales Enablement Exec at Leyton UK as well as our Social Co-Chair here at the Squad. He’s been in Enablement for almost four years and has a particular interest in all things sales process and methodology as well as being passionate about enabling sellers to make their outreach more human and more effective. You can find him on LinkedIn here.
overview
Sales lacks diversity. There’s no getting away from it. It just does.
Some companies are likely doing better than others. But on the whole, sales is straight, white, male, middle class and millennial. We’ve all seen the gatherings of 30-something white men in brown brogues and gilets right (that’s Vest and Vejas for those of you in North America)?
In fact, according to a 2022 McKinsey & Co study, only 38% of entry level sales roles are occupied by women. And that number decreases as you move up the ranks. A similar study into the demographics of sales teams by LinkedIn and Forrester found that white people made up as much as 88% of the sales workforce in 2021.
We could dwell for an age about why this might be. Perhaps it stems from the now ageing stereotype of what being in sales entailed. Whilst the job of B2B sales has certainly changed, those stereotypically masculine traits are still heavily embedded in sales culture. Just think about how many sport based analogies you’ve heard or read today alone?
But study and after study demonstrates that diverse sales teams perform better. So what gives?
Well change is hard. First we have to recognise that it is needed…as a community AND as individuals. As Enablers we are in a unique position to advocate for that change and drive it forward.
So what steps can we take as Enablers?
Accessibility
Our training and programs should be accessible to all. But what do we mean by accessibility? Ultimately, it’s the principle that any seller can understand and take part in our training with no perceivable disadvantage. This one is particularly important given that 15-20% of the working population in both the UK and the US are neurodivergent and as many as 25% have a physical disability.
For Enablers, that means we must present information in a way ALL our sellers can access it. ALL sellers must be able to engage with content and materials. ALL sellers but be able to actively understand what is expected of them and, where possible, ALL sellers must be able to use technology to assist them, eg. screen readers.
Importantly, nothing we do to make our programs more accessible will be a detriment to their overall quality. In fact, it’ll more likely help improve engagement. Afterall, we hear about how simple is best all the time.
Inclusion & Psychological Safety
According to McKinsey & Co, psychological safety means “feeling safe to take interpersonal risks, to speak up, to disagree openly, to surface concerns without fear of negative repercussions”.
That means more than creating an environment where ideas can be openly challenged. It also means creating an environment where diversity and difference is championed. There’s nothing worse than being “the only one” in a group setting and feeling left out. Intentionally or otherwise.
Think about the examples and anecdotes you use. Be actively listening for your audience’s interests and try to adapt your approach to be relevant and accessible based on what you hear. Sports and battle analogies aren’t always the right option and in some cases might be damaging to the success of your programs. So think about what else you can relate to sales like music, theatre or other performing arts. Build a list of analogies or stories you can use to support your programs depending on the audience that’s in front of you.
Make your audience “feel seen”.
So what now?
Things are changing for the better. But we’re not there quite yet. None of this will happen overnight. But by leading from the front we can be agents of the change we want to see.
If the goal of Enablement is to support sales teams in achieving their goals and diverse sales teams perform better…then surely that’s a goal we can all work towards. It’s the right thing to do after all.
