WOMEN COUNT: PERCEPTIONS OF FORECASTING IN SALES

This study identifies sales managers’ perceptions of sales forecasting. We surveyed about 400 business-to-business sales managers, split about equally by gender, and drew conclusions about forecasting-related preferences, beliefs, and desires. We compared attitudes, behaviors, and demographics for women to those of men, and identified two important differences. First, women are less likely than men to rely solely on judgmental forecasting. This is important because there is substantial evidence that quantitative (objective) forecast methods are more accurate than qualitative (judgmental) forecasts. Second, women are less likely to believe that their forecasts are taken seriously by others in their organizations than are men, despite the fact that they typically use a superior forecasting approach. The paper concludes with organizational recommendations and implications for firms with respect to hiring practices, forecasting tool selection, training and development, and the use of an employee resource group.<br> <br>KEY WORDS: Business-to-Business Sales; Forecasting; Women, Sales Managers