This Working Life

The future of sales is female: why the sector needs a rebrand

Although the role of sales has changed, some of the old cliches remain and the industry has one of the worst gender gaps of all. Companies need to do more to encourage female talent and to shed any ‘hard sell’ image

Companies need to find creative ways to bring more female talent into the sales pipeline

Jana Metz is a senior sales leader at ClickUp, the productivity platform.

What springs to mind when you think of a salesperson? Is it a fast-talking hotshot in a shiny suit, or maybe someone who speaks in buzzwords and jargon, and who would do anything to get you to sign on the dotted line?

Unfortunately, it seems like some of the stubborn old clichés remain even though the role has changed beyond all recognition. Nowadays ...