Selling to Women Is Different Than Selling to a Man
Do you sell the same way to men as you do to women? If you do, you may be in for some disappointments. Women buy differently. When 95% of your business is successfully selling to women, you make note of the differences so you can continue your success. Here’s what the differences are.
Getting to Know You. I spoke with a financial advisor whose successful practice targeting women has earned her membership in the exclusive Million Dollar Round Table, an achievement attained by only 6% of Advisors worldwide. Selling to women starts with a different sales strategy. She approaches woman more casually. Selling is more about rapport building, friendship and building the connection with women. Trust is especially important. Think of it like dating where you get to know the person before you ask them on a date. It will be a longer sales cycle because of the time it takes to build the trusting relationship.
Some men think that compliments will build the relationship quicker. This advisor finds that “phony compliments” don’t work. A safe way to be complimentary is to say something positive about what a woman does, not how she looks. Instead of “You look lovely,” it’s better to say “That’s a good decision.” Remember, even with the best deal, a woman won’t buy unless she likes you.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. One quick way to destroy a sales relationship with a female customer is to make a woman feel stupid. Use a questioning strategy that gives a woman credit for her being able to think. You can start the sales call by asking, “What do you want to accomplish with our time today?” That lets women take control of the conversation which is more respectful of them.
It will help you sell. The question allows women to answer by talking about what’s important to them. Don’t do what some salespeople do. They ask women, “What are you interested in—life insurance, retirement, or something else?” Women don’t want to be presented with a limited number of options. Think of your selling to women as an essay question, not multiple choice.
Using the word “time” in the question demonstrates respect for women’s time. Women are the ones juggling families and work. Even if they are homemakers, they are CEOs of their home. Even with their limited time, don’t offer a solution too quickly. That doesn’t allow a woman time to think about what she wants. Men are often too quick to pitch solutions.
Serve, Serve, Serve. Women’s lack of time increases their need for good service. Women are willing to pay more for good service. That’s because the bottom line for women includes how much time it’s going to take them to fix a potential problem. Instead of focusing on a low price to sell, sales professionals need to emphasize how excellent their service is. The good news is that when you earn a woman’s business, you also tend to keep it. Women are more loyal.
Perhaps you’ve already noticed that women buy differently than men. If you have missed these buying differences, you may have been missing some sales, too.
Maura Schreier-Fleming is a sales strategist and founder of Best@Selling, a sales training and consulting company. She wrote Monday Morning Sales Tips and works with sales professionals who want to sell more and get more business.
