Diverse sales teams support business growth and profitability
A diverse sales team provides multiple perspectives and experiences. When your team is built around diversity, it understands your client base better. It approaches problem-solving with more creativity and innovation. Most importantly, it closes deals more effectively. On an internal level, diversity also helps your sales team to grow and improve both as individuals and as a group.
Prioritizing diversity isn't just important from a social justice perspective — although that aspect is critical. It can also make a significant impact on your organization's bottom line. Here's an overview of the ways a diverse sales team can drive progress in your business.
Increased profitability.
The numbers don't lie — diverse companies perform better. A 2018 McKinsey report on organizational diversity notes that companies with gender diversity are 15% more likely to have above-average profits. When you throw ethnic and cultural diversity into the mix, these companies are 35% more likely to perform above average.
Improved customer connections.
A monolithic sales team cannot connect with a diverse client base. Prospects are more relaxed and open when they're talking with someone from a similar background. The reverse is also true; sales reps understand their customers better when they share commonalities.
Understanding the needs, wants, and challenges of the person in front of you is critical if you want to close the deal. However, this doesn't mean that you need to match sales prospects to salespeople who look, sound, or act like them. Instead, allow this to play out organically.
By fostering diversity in your sales team, you give your salespeople the ability to make stronger more meaningful connections with potential and existing customers. Because your team works alongside different people every day, they develop a wider perspective about the world. Then, they can leverage their perspectives to improve the customer experience.
Stronger sales teams
A diverse sales team isn't just about racial, ethnic, and social diversity. It's also about filling your team with people who have different levels of sales experience and who approach challenges differently.
When people are different, they can learn from each other. They can see how their teammates tackle challenges. Then, they can adopt successful behaviors that they may have never discovered on their own or when surrounded by overly similar people.
More problem-solving creativity
Problem-solving requires creativity, and diversity can drive creativity. If you're trying to tap into a new market, develop responses for common objections, or handle other aspects of the sales process, you need diversity.
If groupthink permeates your sales processes, you will struggle to come up with innovative solutions for problems. You will become mired in the status quo. To move forward, you need fresh ideas. You need creative approaches. That comes from diversity.
Commitment to growth
A lack of diversity can cause your company to stagnate. This is true whether you're talking about the tech team developing your app or the leadership team writing your company's code of conduct. It's especially true, however, when you look at the sales team that promotes your products and service.
Your sales team directly engages your client base. They turn leads into clients. They turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans. And they turn existing clients into promoters of the company. Your sales team is responsible for your company's growth in numerous ways.
When you have a diverse sales team, they learn from each other. If they want to be successful, they have no other choice. Their constant learning fuels the constant growth of your company. If the members of your sales team are all the same, you stop this process from happening.
Expanded inclusivity
Diversity on its own cannot drive success. Curating a diverse sales team is just the first step, and while taking that step, you need to ensure that you don't engage in tokenism. Filling your sales team with people who aren't white, college-educated males from white-collar suburban backgrounds won't necessarily bring your organization all of the benefits of diversity.
In addition to moving forward on diverse representation, ensure you create initiatives that embed sustainable inclusivity into your sales team. An inclusive workplace makes everyone feel valued. People speak up and share their ideas when they're in an inclusive and supportive environment.
Better recruitment potential
When you leverage diversity to improve the strength of your sales team, your organization becomes more compelling to strong candidates. Top performers want to work with companies that have a successful track record.
As your business becomes more attractive, your hiring process becomes more effective. The cream of the crop wants to work for you; you can choose a stronger team. Employees don't just choose organizations for pay and benefits. They also consider the experience of working for the company.
Diversity is critical for a successful sales team, but it's not the only element needed for growth. To harness innate potential, develop new skills, and work together, your team needs proper training. They need coaching that optimizes their natural skills and supports commitment to constant improvement.
Develop your sales team with MetaGrowth
At MetaGrowth, we want to see you succeed. We work with businesses to help them recruit, train, and develop powerhouse sales teams that drive growth and profitability. Is your company’s founder still handling sales? Ready to expand, but not sure where to start? Want to see your sales team optimize its potential? Contact us today.
Written by
Joe Arioto