 Forget
The Pink! - 6 "Critical C's" to Marketing To Women
By Mara Osis of Action International Every day
more businesses are waking up to the fact that female customers, whether
they are consumers, purchasing agents, investors or business owners, wield
up to 85% of the influence in our economy’s purchasing practices. But these
businesses are often bewildered at their lack of success in marketing to
women. That’s because females often respond to sales and marketing
differently than their male counterparts. Understanding the fundamentals of
women’s psyches and buying behaviour is an absolutely critical piece of your
sales and marketing toolkit. “Pink packaging” is not enough!
Even women can use a refresher course on marketing to their own gender! Why?
Since our business culture is often male-driven, women unconsciously adapt
to the prevailing marketing rules - made by men, assuming male mindsets and
predicting male buying behaviour. We can all benefit from re-thinking our
approach to this most powerful of customers. So, here we go with seven
“Critical C’s” for working effectively with your female prospects and
clients:
Women Believe in COLLABORATION More Than Competition - Positioning
your product as something that will make a woman “better” than her sisters
or put her “ahead” of everyone else won’t resonate with her. She’s more
interested in how your offering will help her in her relationships with
others. That’s why she’s more interested in the comfort, storage and safety
features of her vehicle than in it’s performance specs.
She is also very willing to give you input on your product or service. Women
are hard-wired to want to help others do better, and they feel most powerful
when others come to them for help. So, conduct surveys often and consider
developing a female customer advisory group. What a great opportunity for
you to co-create your product/brand with your best customers!
Collaboration Leads Naturally to CONNECTION - Whereas men may
tend to be more task- and results-driven, relationships are paramount to
women. Find a way to connect your customers to each other, and they will
connect with your business and your brand. Special events, interactive web
applications and newsletters are just a few ways you can create a customer
community.
Human bonding and relationship building has to be built in to your
processes. Be sure your marketing taps into a woman’s feelings, experience
and emotional memory. During the sales process, make sure there is time to
exchange stories and personal details. In your advertising copy or during
your sales process, help her “twig” how to relate your offering to her own
life - and that leads us to the next point.
Know the CONTEXT of Your Customer’s Situation - This is true
of all customers, but women particularly respond to your marketing when it
acknowledges where she is at in her life. Is she a single student,
bride-to-be, recently divorced, soccer mom, empty nester or caregiver? She
wants to know whether choosing your product or service identifies her with
her peer group or sisterhood - with women who are going through exactly what
she is. If your marketing shows women in similar situations benefiting from
your product, your prospect is likely to say: “She’s just like me. That
means this will work for me, too!”
CONVENIENCE is #1 - Women are natural multi-taskers so help
them be even better at it. A woman wants time to do what she wants, but not
at the expense of taking care of others. Any business that considers what
restless kids and bored husbands can do while she’s shopping already knows
this.
How can you streamline her decision-making, shopping, payment, delivery,
set-up and product maintenance to create more “free” time for her? How many
different ways are there for you to (1) go to her, or (2) provide her with
options in buying from you?
Show COMPASSION Just Like She Does - This simply means showing
her you understand what makes her tick. For example, women value intuition
in themselves and others - she’s more likely to hint at what she wants
rather than to come out and say it. If you can show her you “get it”, that
she doesn’t need to ask for a certain feature or service, you demonstrate
your compassion and create a bond of loyalty with her.
She’s also more likely to become your raving fan if you tap into her
compassion for others. Women want to make the world a better place, to make
others feel better and succeed. If you can show her that your business
operates the same way, she’s more likely to support you. Bring forward your
charitable and community involvement, show her your people-focused culture,
and don’t be afraid to wear your values on your sleeve!
Make Your Solution COMPLETE - She won’t be happy settling for
something “good enough” - she wants your product or service to be the
PERFECT answer for her. If you’ve paid attention to the previous C’s, you’re
on your way.
She wants her questions answered, so provide lots of information to reassure
her she’s making the best decision. She wants a relationship, not just a
transaction, so get personal and create emotional experiences and bonds.
She has “peripheral vision” which looks far beyond your product and service.
That means everything about your product and company matters from
convenience to corporate identity to community involvement. She engages both
left- and right-brain thinking when making purchase decisions. Balance the
logical and emotional appeal of what you offer her.
Use these six C’s and you’ll prosper with your female customers and clients.
Mara Osis works with business owners & professionals
who want MORE LIFE for themselves & their businesses! For your FREE subscription to
Mara’ e-newsletter, “Focus "ON" Your Business”, contact Mara at
403.225.0906 or e-mail maraosis@action-international.com
|
