Women make more sales than men, according to new research
New research has revealed the most successful names in the sales industry, with the data showing that women are up to 20% more likely to generate leads than men.
Success in sales outreach is based on multiple factors, including the quality of your pitch, contact list, and timing of approach – but this new research suggests that even your name could play a part in determining your success.
The sales engagement experts at Sopro analysed a list of the most popular traditional male and female names in English-speaking countries to reveal how different prospect names and genders can impact lead rates.
Lead rates by name and gender:
| Female Prospect Names | Lead Rate | Male Prospect Names | Lead Rate |
| Jane | 3.50% | Peter | 2.82% |
| Linda | 3.27% | Paul | 2.75% |
| Helen | 3.13% | Ian | 2.71% |
| Janet | 3.08% | Thomas | 2.68% |
| Karen | 3.07% | Richard | 2.65% |
| Julie | 2.89% | Mark | 2.64% |
| Emma | 2.88% | Stephen | 2.62% |
| Patricia | 2.87% | James | 2.54% |
| Susan | 2.86% | David | 2.48% |
| Sarah | 2.70% | Robert | 2.46% |
| Christine | 2.69% | Michael | 2.45% |
| Mary | 2.60% | Andrew | 2.44% |
| Jean | 2.51% | Steven | 2.44% |
| Elizabeth | 2.26% | John | 2.43% |
| Margaret | 2.21% | Christopher | 2.31% |
Female prospects are up to 20% more likely to be more receptive to prospecting than their male counterparts, with the most successful female name generating a 3.5% lead rate compared to just 2.82% for the most successful male name.
The male names have an average of 178,179 individual prospects per name, whereas the female names have 40,965 prospects per name.
Whatever your name or gender, Steve Harlow, chief sales officer at Sopro, comments on the key skills every successful salesperson should have and how to implement them for the best results:
“Social prospecting: Using social networks as a strategic tool, social prospecting allows sellers to establish connections and relationships with potential customers. You can do this by finding relevant keywords or phrases for your sector, sharing content that can attract, engage and help convert prospects, and finding contact information for social prospects.
“Buyer Research: A key skill for every salesperson is buyer research. Effective selling starts with understanding the buyer, but this goes beyond simply knowing who the customer is. One of the best ways to conduct buyer research is by creating an ideal customer profile (ICP).
“An ICP is a description of an imaginary company that would make your perfect client. You should define your ideal consumer profile using quantitative and qualitative data rather than active imagination. The best way to start is to look at your current customers and see who generates the most value.
“Adaptability: A salesperson must be able to adjust to the ever-changing landscape of the sales industry, get out of their comfort zone and experiment with new tactics and resources to determine what works best.
“A salesperson is never done learning, whether it’s about market prices, sales techniques, or engagement methods. The most skilled salespeople are aware of the new challenges and trends in a constantly evolving industry.”
