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You probably figured out that men and women are completely different
when you were still a kid. Once you started dating, that little bit of
information probably became clearer. Now that you are a business owner,
those differences just became more profound.
As a general rule, when you are trying to sell something to a woman,
you cannot use the same approach that worked with male customers, and
vice versa. Men and women think very differently. You can have a man
and a woman read the exact same page, but when asked what the page
said, you will get two different answers.
Back before the 1960's, it was believed that men were the hardest sex
to make a sale to. It was believed that women were only concerned with
"pretty things" and couldn't possibly understand the "technical jargon"
that salesmen used. That wasn't true then, and it isn't true now.
Studies have shown that women are actually the hardest customers to win
over.
While men are not necessarily smarter than women, and women are not
necessarily smarter than men, they do approach everything in different
ways, and therefore, they must be approached in different ways.
DivaDesignWorld understands the differences that are involved in
selling to a man or selling to a woman. We lead our clients through the
process to ensure that they make sales to both sexes. We offer these
useful tips:
1. If you are a man, selling to a woman, do not assume that
because she is a woman, she couldn't possibly understand what you are
saying. Talk to her like she is a grown person, not a child. Do not be
patronizing, and do not flirt - this won't get you the sale. A woman
selling to a man works the same way. Do not assume that he doesn't
understand what you are saying, even if what he is buying is geared
more towards women. Again, do not patronize him, or flirt with him. Be
professional, however, it is okay to compliment both men and women - as
long as it won't be perceived as flirting.
2. Female customers really are not as concerned with "how it
looks" or "how it matches" as much as you may think, but they do pay
close attention to the detail of how something looks - including the
salesman. Make sure that you are dressed appropriately for the job that
you are doing. If your socks don't match, she will notice. Also, while
it won't close the sale, women are greatly influenced by colors and
scents. Remember, they notice everything, but most will not make a
purchase based on looks. They look at quality.
3. Female customers will hear everything you say, and there will
be a pop quiz. Don't say one thing, then say something completely
different five minutes later. She absolutely will remember what you
said before, and you will be questioned and scrutinized.
4. Remember that women really do have a sixth sense. They can
tell if you are being honest or not. They will pick up on false
compliments as well.
5. Women and men see things differently in their minds. Women
statistically imagine things in two dimensions, while men imagine
things more easily in three dimensions. Women want to see the product.
Men are satisfied with a picture.
6. Women can do more than one thing at a time. This is called
multi-tasking, and it is something that most men do not do well. When
selling to a man, make sure that his attention is on you. If he is
doing something else, he is most likely not hearing what you are
saying. Women on the other hand can do several things at one time, and
hear every word you say, and then there will still be a pop quiz.
7. Women usually hear and retain the entire sales pitch the first
time around. Men may need to hear it again. This doesn't mean that men
are slower than women. It just means that women tend to absorb things
faster. Further more, men don't show their emotions as well as women
do. This makes it hard to tell whether your sales pitch is making an
impact or not.
8. Men and women see sales copy differently. Make sure that it
appeals to both sexes, without offending, or turning away, one or the
other. This can be difficult.
About the Author: Monique Danielle owns Portland Marketing Agency DivaDesignWorld.com,
a full service firm that offers web development, graphic design,
consulting, and a wide variety of creative services. She is also
the founder of divadirectories.com,
a free online resource designed to promote the growth and development
of female business owners throughout Oregon, Washington, and the
Northwest.
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