Editor’s note: Just as it’s true that more women are succeeding in B2B sales positions, a larger percentage of women also are playing a role in making buying decisions across all B2B industries. In their new book, “Selling to Women: Today’s Greatest Economic Engine,” authors Doug Dvorak, Christine Corelli and Robert B. Faught Jr., explore the importance and effective strategies for reaching these influential decision makers. Although the book focuses largely on the consumer goods market, the authors’ insights are useful in a B2B world. Here is an excerpt on differences between the genders that impact how to sell to them.
Women think differently.
Men want to make decisions quickly.
Women want to make the right decision.
Men decide more on price, availability and need.
Women decide based on trust, knowledge and understanding why a specific decision works best.
Men feel they can make the best decisions with little information. Women need the information laid out clearly to ensure they understand all available options.
Women are more relational than men.
All human beings require some level of trust in making a purchasing decision. Men are willing to risk short-term trust and make quicker decisions with less knowledge. Women are more relational. They want to feel a connection to you and your business. When selling to women, trust and rapport should precede any sales activity.
Women communicate differently.
Women tend to talk a lot more. Let them. They ask questions — many questions. They need more information and details before they will agree to buy.
When listening, men want facts and figures. Women want the complete story. Women also watch your body language much closer than men do. This is an inherent quality they naturally have, to validate and confirm that what they are hearing matches what they are seeing. Based on this, you will see a female customer communicate in the following ways:
• They listen with their eyes and ears.
• They nod as they are listening to let you know they are interested.
• They nod more to let you know they want to hear more.
One thing to always remember is that no matter how long you have been a professional in your field, you can always learn more in your conversations with women. Why? Because when women communicate, their comments and questions will be far different from those posed by most men, and they will cause you to dig deeper and find answers to issues you may never have had to previously address.
Knowledge is power, and a women’s demand for more information and details will cause you to gain a broader knowledge base that can only help you in the future. Embrace the differences in how women communicate. What seems to be unbelievable demands for a great deal of information will make you more knowledgeable and make it possible for you to interact better with all of your customers.
