- 15,319
This would be much more valuable and interesting if there was a poll.
Rick
Rick
Why is Sales Such a Male Dominated Profession?
- Thread starter joe90
- Start date
- 2,758
I'm so tired, that wasn't the first type of pole that was in my head, but Ok
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You really weren't one of the guys I was thinking of, but if the shoe fits....
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I resemble that remark!
You really weren't one of the guys I was thinking of, but if the shoe fits....
I'm so tired, that wasn't the first type of pole that was in my head, but Ok
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You really weren't one of the guys I was thinking of, but if the shoe fits....
Fits so tight it pinches.
trustandadvice
Expert
- 91
I wouldn't ask that question here. Almost all men in these forums. Sales is a volunteer sport, no one is drafted. Ask your lady friends why sales is male dominated. (I know many ladies in sales and they're good people who do a good job).
Why? The ratio here isn't any different than in the field. About 90-10.
I think one of his points is to ask the females why they aren't entering into sales fields. There are no restrictions on their being hired and if more of them chose to become sales reps, then it would not be male dominated. There is no great conspiracy to keep women out.
Oh...I can answer that.
Lack of Confidence.
Lack of public speaking skills
Women aren't risk takers
Less "control". Women want the pantry filled and the bills paid. Not knowing how much you are going to make each month can be overwhelming. It goes against the grain for women.
Before anyone starts throwing anything at me, remember that I am a girl. I'm not being critical, just my thoughts based on what women have said to me about being a single mom and owning my own business.
And women are not kept out. If anything, a woman has a much greater advantage when she walks in for an interview at a P&C company or NYL, NWM, etc.
Lack of Confidence.
Lack of public speaking skills
Women aren't risk takers
Less "control". Women want the pantry filled and the bills paid. Not knowing how much you are going to make each month can be overwhelming. It goes against the grain for women.
Before anyone starts throwing anything at me, remember that I am a girl. I'm not being critical, just my thoughts based on what women have said to me about being a single mom and owning my own business.
And women are not kept out. If anything, a woman has a much greater advantage when she walks in for an interview at a P&C company or NYL, NWM, etc.
They are welcomed with open arms in the career sales division of AGLA. However, it seemed that women bailed out at an even higher rate than the men. Or, perhaps it just appeared that way because the women bailed quicker.. It seemed that of the agents that did not last more than two years, the average for men was about a year but for women it was 6 months. Just a personal observation of one district, may not be the case industry or even company wide.
My two cents. I am a woman! I also have a B.S. in Clinical Psych from U of M...with a heavy concentration on cognitive psych...how we process, retain, and remember info basically (which consequently works out great for being in sales), but I also took specific seminar classes on gender differences... just for shits and giggles when the research got monotonous.
My biggest thought and the main thought I will add here on gender differences, since it's too broad of a category without writing a book is: There are more men in this field than women simply because many women cannot handle REJECTION as well as men. This is a generalization, but the research does point to this in a heavy way.
All of us know insurance sales people get disgusting rates of rejection daily. I don't think most women, due to the estrogen levels and hormone differences can digest the rejection as easily as a testosterone-filled, peacock feather spreader, chest thumping man can. At least, the man is less likely to cry over it when they are on their menstrual cycle...hahaha. And, a man is less likely to let it show when they get their "feelings hurt".
With that said, I've tried my hand at training sales people....only five women and two men early on in my career and I have to say, it was easier to train the men....the excuses from women ranged from "OMG, it's a bad week because mars is in retrograde, to I can't make calls today because my period is so bad I can't sit up at a desk."---Today, two of those women and both men are still in the biz.
Women are better communicators, given that women, according to research speak at least 2000 more words per day than men, we are also able to empathize more than just sympathize, and we are better at "parroting and mirroring" clients...just for starters. That's research from years ago...lol...I've been out of college for many years...
It takes a mentally strong person to stay in the biz long and make it a career, regardless of gender. Or maybe ya just have to be a masochistic freak to deal with the daily rejection...lol.
Bottom line answer for me is the rejection deal...women hate it more than men...and they stew and brew and cry over it...lol...yep generalization. Sorry to the women who this might offend, which I doubt is many here, bc it does take a woman who could care much less about being offended to even be in a forum on selling insurance.
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And for this from KGmom, I think who wrote it: Most women in sales are very Type A and can be on the aggressive side. rofl and smh....
I prefer to think of myself as "assertive". And, type A I am not, although I wish I was...I hire a woman to do "skirt work" and help keep me organized from time to time...well, in a way I am, in regard to how I try to match myself to a client, what I am going to wear to an appointment, right down to color, how I will present, i.e., intonation, educating on info by being more visual, more textual, tactical, etc. Depends on each client, each one is different...I pick all that up just by the words they use on the phone...so that way, I am EXTREMELY type A. lol
Just sayin...
My biggest thought and the main thought I will add here on gender differences, since it's too broad of a category without writing a book is: There are more men in this field than women simply because many women cannot handle REJECTION as well as men. This is a generalization, but the research does point to this in a heavy way.
All of us know insurance sales people get disgusting rates of rejection daily. I don't think most women, due to the estrogen levels and hormone differences can digest the rejection as easily as a testosterone-filled, peacock feather spreader, chest thumping man can. At least, the man is less likely to cry over it when they are on their menstrual cycle...hahaha. And, a man is less likely to let it show when they get their "feelings hurt".
With that said, I've tried my hand at training sales people....only five women and two men early on in my career and I have to say, it was easier to train the men....the excuses from women ranged from "OMG, it's a bad week because mars is in retrograde, to I can't make calls today because my period is so bad I can't sit up at a desk."---Today, two of those women and both men are still in the biz.
Women are better communicators, given that women, according to research speak at least 2000 more words per day than men, we are also able to empathize more than just sympathize, and we are better at "parroting and mirroring" clients...just for starters. That's research from years ago...lol...I've been out of college for many years...
It takes a mentally strong person to stay in the biz long and make it a career, regardless of gender. Or maybe ya just have to be a masochistic freak to deal with the daily rejection...lol.
Bottom line answer for me is the rejection deal...women hate it more than men...and they stew and brew and cry over it...lol...yep generalization. Sorry to the women who this might offend, which I doubt is many here, bc it does take a woman who could care much less about being offended to even be in a forum on selling insurance.
----------
And for this from KGmom, I think who wrote it: Most women in sales are very Type A and can be on the aggressive side. rofl and smh....
I prefer to think of myself as "assertive". And, type A I am not, although I wish I was...I hire a woman to do "skirt work" and help keep me organized from time to time...well, in a way I am, in regard to how I try to match myself to a client, what I am going to wear to an appointment, right down to color, how I will present, i.e., intonation, educating on info by being more visual, more textual, tactical, etc. Depends on each client, each one is different...I pick all that up just by the words they use on the phone...so that way, I am EXTREMELY type A. lol
Just sayin...
Last edited:
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