TO SELL TO A WOMAN, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE WOMAN
Since Women Control Most of the Country's Purchases, It's Important to Understand Their Needs, Desires and Buying Habits.
By Lisa Lake
The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. Truer words have never been spoken, especially when we consider the progress that women have made in society. Their hands no longer stick to rocking the cradle, but they still rule the world.
If you are to succeed in marketing a product or service, you must remember that women control 85 percent of all purchases. Marketers need to consider that there are certain innate differences between men and women.
Keep the following ideas in mind when targeting women in your marketing strategies:
1. Buying Habits--Women spend a higher percentage of time thinking about others, whether it be their children or their boyfriend. Women will agonize over the perfect gift. Women buy toys and school clothes for the kids. Where men do their Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, women may start as early as September.Why do women go to all this trouble? Because they love to buy the right thing. Let them know that you have the right thing.
2. What Women Want--Because women are doing the buying, for themselves as well as others, you have to figure out what women want. Mel Gibson had to learn that lesson the hard way, but it isn't too complicated.
One thing to consider is that women will usually purchase the more attractive product if the quality is as high as a competitor's product. Women have a keen design sense and often value form as much as function.
3. How Women Work--A woman's work day does not start at nine and end at five. Many women finish the traditional work day with family, shopping and household responsibilities still ahead of them. In women's complicated lives, they are often too busy to respond to products that are overly complicated, or advertising that requires too much time and attention. In short, simplify, simplify, simplify.
4. Be Realistic--Women are too smart to fall for advertising that features a mother of three who looks like a supermodel. They're too smart to watch teenage girls with porcelain smooth skin complain about how bad their acne is. Don't try to fool them. They're onto you.
5. Ask a Woman--If all else fails, ask a woman. If you want to know how to make your product more visually appealing, ask a woman. If you want to know if your advertising makes offensive generalizations, ask a woman. Contrary to popular belief, women do know what they want. If you want to know too, ask them.
Lisa Lake has created a list of top promotional methods on her MyAdBlaster.com web site. Lisa also writes ad copy that sells for DrNunley's InternetWriters.com
You may reach her at (801) 328-9006 or email her: lisa@myadblaster.com
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