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June 2012 Connect with Jane on    |
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Greetings!
Welcome to my June 2012 issue! I decided to address Selling To Women again, as the topic is increasingly in demand. Last week I spoke at MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table), the global conference for top-performing financial advisors.
My room was set for 1,000 participants. All seats were full and people lined the walls. A few dozen were turned away because of fire laws. Both men and women are clamoring for this information! And rightly so, considering the women's market is NOT a niche...it is the future, and will soon dictate the level of success many organizations will be able to reach.
For those of you not in Sales specifically, these strategies work just as well for recruiting, retaining, and managing women!
Enjoy!
Warm regards,
Jane Sanders |
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How to Sell to Women
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|  | Six Strategies for Communicating Successfully To Women
Why target women? Because they make or influence nearly 85% of all purchases, and have strong veto power. But women don't buy the same way men do. They have different styles, motivators, reasons, and approaches. There are exceptions, but the tips below (just a few of many!) provide a brief outline and will apply to most women and help you increase sales to this huge and growing market.
1. Understand How Men and Women Are Wired Differently - For survival reasons stemming back to the origin of our species, men and women are very different biologically and behaviorally. Every physiological system in the human body varies between men and women, especially the brain. Men are built and wired for independence, status, competition, and superiority. Women are wired for consensus, collaboration, connection, and harmony. We view and approach the world and our interactions, including sales transactions, through these widely different lenses. It's important to understand what these biological and social differences are and how they impact our dealings with each other.
2. Respect Her and Her Time - Take her questions and concerns seriously. Be courteous, say please and thank you, and don't give her any patronizing compliments. Validate her stress and desire for convenience, and make buying from you easy for her. Be aware she has likely done considerable research before approaching you...she may know more than you, or more than you think she knows, about your product and/or competition. Always be professional in every way.
3. Focus On the Relationship, Not the Sale - She needs to feel valued and important, connected, that you care about what's best for her. She's in it for the long-term, hopefully not just the one transaction. Partner with her, don't 'sell' her. Build rapport with her, make her laugh. Focus on making a friend first, and establish the trust she needs to feel safe with you as her business partner.
4. Communicate With Her Style - Everything about your communication ... content, facial expressions, and body language...should indicate that you are interested (professionally), engaged, friendly, sincere, respectful, and there to help. She is watching for reasons to trust or mistrust you, to connect with you or to walk away. Give her the details she asks for, whether or not you think they are necessary. (This module of my Selling to Women program is the most comprehensive with dozens of specific how-to's.)
5. Honor Her Decision-Making Style - In most cases, she has done some homework, and will often keep her knowledge to herself and compare it to what you tell her. She is looking for honesty so she can develop trust. She is looking for the best possible option or solution, and will often take longer than men to make a final decision. She wants to get educated about her options, and she wants to build connection and trust first whether she realizes it or not. She is looking for a collaborative partner. If she says she is just looking, or needs to think about it, she means it. Don't rush her.
6. Provide Stellar Service - Women are networkers and tell many people about their experiences, both good and bad. Be on their good list. Give them great service to talk about. Exceed their expectations. Make buying from you an experience, not a transaction. Follow up. Examine every single aspect of your process, product, facility, and staff and make them all women-worthy...worthy of earning lifelong loyalty and referrals to her friends (which include other women in a checkout line who happen to mention dissatisfaction with their resource - she will tell them about you!)
Again, these are a few of my many tips to help increase your sales to the vast and fast-growing women's market. Please call at 618-204-5540 or email me to explore how my Selling To Women program can increase your confidence, your revenues, and your success!
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Yes It's More Work...But Worth It!
Taking the time to learn how to sell to women, and to develop a successful working relationship with them, are definitely worth it for two primary reasons. First, doing so will help ALL of your sales efforts, those with men as well. It will help all of your existing relationships too, at work and at home. Second, women generally are more loyal than men and give more referrals...two to four times as many. The effort you put in, the investment of your time and learning, often will come back in spades as your web of women clients grows in all directions.
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| Quotes Of The Month |
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."
Plato
"A man on foot ain't no man at all. Unless of course, his horse is named Foot."
David Stevenson in his book Cowboy Wisdom
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You are welcome to reprint any part of this newsletter as long as you include "By Jane Sanders, GenderSmart® Solutions, 618-204-5540. http://www.janesanders.com."
Contact Information
Phone: 618-204-5540
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