Selling To Women - Selling To Men - It Isn't
SameNow let's not fall into old style car salesman's trap of believing that men are interested in what goes on under bonnet and women are only interested in what colours you can get and whether it has a vanity mirror. Believe me, and I speak as an ex mechanical engineer, I couldn't give a toot what goes on under bonnet. I'm much more interested in driving a car that matches rest of my accessories. You know-silver car - silver watch - silver hair. Mind you, I draw line at one of those little four-wheel drive jobs with yellow wheels and pink upholstery. I've seen a lot of men driving these fluffy little things and don't tell me they all belong to wife or girlfriend. "Four-wheel drive off roaders"-they probably couldn't pull you out of bed.
Anyway we all have male and female customers and clients and they do need different handling. If you want to be successful at selling or negotiating with someone of opposite sex then please be aware of differences. Firstly, be you male or female, you've got to look part. Women will look you all over, men won't. Women will notice whether you have shiny shoes and clean fingernails, men won't notice if you have on one brown shoe and one black or if your fingernails are bitten up to elbow.
I once interviewed a lady for a job and I didn't notice she had different shoes on. Turns out that, in her rush to get to interview she slipped on two black but certainly different shoes. However my female colleague noticed right away and thought whole thing quite amusing.
If you are a man negotiating with a woman, be very aware of what you say because women listen much better than men, they pick up on emotions. They will pick up much better on whether you really believe what you are saying. Also, make sure you keep talking, don't stop just because woman starts examining product or reading literature. Women can multi-track, they'll be listening to you even although they're taking product apart or writing something in their diary.
A warning to a woman selling or negotiating with a man, he can't multi-track. If man starts doing something else, stop speaking until he's finished. If you don't believe any of this then just consider a time when you've watched TV with your partner. Men stare at television giving their whole concentration to programme while women read a book, paint their toenails and watch programme. Men haven't foggiest idea how women can do this.
It can be difficult for a woman negotiating with a man because men don't listen well. They listen like statues and it's difficult to tell whether you're getting through. They probably are listening; it's just that they don't show it. Women on other hand tend to display their emotions so you have much more chance of understanding whether they are happy with what you're saying or not.
