What is the best way to sell to women?

George

The best way to sell to women is DONT.

In case Jaxi wasn't clear - your question is fundamentally flawed. No offense, but I'm put off by any question that starts with "what's the best way to sell to (insert stereotype here)"

I don't know anyone who enjoys being "sold to." People don't want to be grouped, managed or thought of as just like anybody else. We'd much rather be heard, understood and valued as the unique people we are. Sales people who get that honor us with the best, well-thought-out approach they can muster and if it truly moves us closer to where we want to be, we buy.

Maybe I'm supposed to be offended by this question, but I'm not...yet. It depends what you're trying to sell, but women may have different concerns than men, so the pitch may, in fact be different. My objections may be different than a man if I'm trying to buy razors. That's why they have packaging for women vs men. In Chunky Soup commercials, they try to appeal to both men and women in a funny way. Men want to eat it to be tough like football players, and they sort of appeal to women by including his mom.

I agree that all women may not react to the same messaging, but it's something to be aware of. In the B2B world, however, I'm not sure how your approach would change for a woman vs man. You'll have to gather information on your prospect no matter what and find out things like:

1. Is this person technical? I've met plenty of non-technical men, so this is not necessarily a female stereotype.
2. Is this person the decision maker?
3. Any other BANT criteria?
4. What are their concerns? Objections?

Long story, short - in the consumer space, the question seems to make more sense. It's going to depend on the product. But for the business side, you could be getting into dangerous territory.

George
You have a lot to learn about sales, business and building relationships. you don't need to have a high end product/service to approach sales the excellent way Don informed and reminded us all. You can do it if you have a $5 item. It's all how you decide to run your business. By the way I see you are going, not sure you are keeping an open mind to the new way things have been for the past decade - seems you are still living 20th century.

I have also noticed you aren't interested in telling us anything about you or your company or showing your picture, unlike the majority on here. It's the best way to build trust, and it shows respect for this platform - that you took the few minutes to build a proper profile.

Hi George

It's unfortunate that you feel slighted. Far be it from me to discount your abilities. Nonetheless, this is a forum for sharing opinions, good or bad. My opinion is that past accomplishments are only a benefit if they prepare us for future endeavors. I think we could all account things we have done that we're proud of, but that has little bearing on the fact that your question smacked of a side of sales most of us don't wish to be associated with in 2011.

I have respect for you as a person, and in that spirit thought you would appreciate knowing that your question is one that would strike many as sleazy, chauvinistic and demeaning. Even now, you're pointing a finger and trying to run us down for trying to help you see the difference. This is a forum for growing and shared learning and I'm sorry you took our opinions personally. I hope you'll continue to share with us from the wealth of your experience.

BTW- I drive a 98 Toyota Corolla with 178,000 gentle miles! I plan to trade it in a 250,000.

I happen to know one woman who definitely believes that "marketing" to women is different than marketing to men. She even wrote an entire book on the subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Eveolution-Eight-Truths-Marketing-Women/dp/0786865237

I can't believe that people don't think there is a difference in the way men and women consume products and services. If you are going to segment on personality, wouldn't sex be one of the easiest segment to begin with? As sex is a big determinant in one's personality.

After all... Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.

better question:
why should you sell any differently to women than men?
find this question offensive - sexist.
we don't need to be babied. perhaps you need to stop categorizing us as a 'different' group.

Does Oreo have a different 2 different packages on the supermarket shelves that says:
"if you are a man, read/pick this package" "if you are a woman, read/pick this package"
NO.

Does Time magazine have 2 different covers for each edition they publish, one for a male, one for a female? NO.

Does Caterpillar refrain from marketing to females because they still think construction is a 'man's industry/job? NO.

Just logical examples to allow you to see this from a business perspective more.

Check out www.womencertified.com!

Sorry Charley but se are being blasted daily with sales info. It is non-stop in our society from infomercials to direct mail, telemarkers and spam! It is also proven that the best, most effective sales people are persistant and agressive! Did you ever run a sales operation? The only way you can get sales with your suggested approach is high end products and services that require time and developing relationships! Those are the realities of selling!

George

Really! By the way, what kind of car do you drive and how much money are your worth! What is the total revenue your company brings in each year and what is your net profit. I have run a very successful Internet business for over fourteen years and have a broadcast radio show in over thirty five markets! I bring in business and have thousands of happy customers all over the world. I am semi-retired and working on some big projects. I just wanted to test this system with my intial question and all I got back were some responses from "holier than thou" people like you and Don!

I can only endorse what has already been clearly stated.

Why would you ever consider altering your approach? I think it is patently obvious that women are no different to men when it comes to their commercial outlook.

Over a career spanning forty years, I can honestly say that I have never once thought to differentiate.

Work on the assumption that everyone is different, and design your approach to match the personality, not the sex, is the best advice I can give you.

Jonathan