The Secrets of Selling to Women from the Top Sales Training Programs
As I discuss in my forthcoming book, Close Deals Faster: The 15 Shortcuts of the Asher Sales Methodselling to women requires a slight shift in tactics when compared with selling to men. This is true not only in the consumer world, where many women still occupy traditional roles such as keeping house and raising children, but also in the B2B world, where there has been great equalization among the sexes as far as title, pay, and authority. Each still buys differently.
Top sales training programs recognize this and teach some best practices when it comes to closing deals with women buyers. I go into more depth on the differences between the sexes in Chapter 5 of my book, but here are a few pointers all top sales training programs should be teaching.
Avoid interruptions
This might seem obvious, and of course you should be polite and avoid interrupting men as well, but according to my studies women are almost THREE TIMES as likely to be interrupted by both males and females when talking. This can lead to a great deal of frustration on a day-to-day basis, let alone when you are doing a needs discovery with her and she isn’t given the chance to express herself completely.
If you do interrupt a woman, you may silence her cold. That’s one way to kiss your sale goodbye.
So, when selling to female B2B buyers, top sales training programs should stress the importance of hearing them out completely rather than cutting them short by offering a solution prematurely. This is something which many salespeople have trouble with, so be aware of it if you are a dominant or impatient type.
Focus on feelings rather than cold hard facts
With few exceptions, females tend to emphasize the emotional satisfaction from settling a deal rather than strictly the bottom line.
Avoid becoming robotic or combative when selling to a female and instead focus on the social harmony which will result from a mutually beneficial transaction. Top sales training programs teach that a collaborative spirit is key when selling products or services to women.
Keep it brief
Women are interested in how a product or service applies to their specific needs. While you do not want to be brusque, you also do not want to tell long-winded stories which show how smart you are or illustrate past successes. Men respond to that style of selling better, but it tends to turn women off based on experience and research. So lay off telling too many personal anecdotes or jokes.
I don’t mean to stereotype all women into a fixed set of behaviors. These are generalizations, but they are observable in so many cases that one can just about bet on them holding true when selling to the majority of women. The top sales training programs teach this information, and you can use it to close more sales!
My book, Close Deals Faster: The 15 Shortcuts of the Asher Sales Methodis published by IdeaPress and will be available in October, 2017. Pre-order it here today.
