THIS ISN’T A WOMEN’S ISSUE—IT’S A STRATEGIC ISSUE

THIS ISN’T A WOMEN’S ISSUE—IT’S A STRATEGIC ISSUE 

Now that we have our language squared away, let’s set the stage for our discussion.

 The economic opportunity with women buyers is often viewed as a “women’s issue” and not a business issue. This is a mistake. I’ve seen many companies—and sales professionals— limit their growth potential by thinking this way.

 Hosting an event for International Women’s Day, for example, is laudable and important, but it’s not a substitute for a long-term growth strategy. That requires a longer view, and the tools and techniques in this book are designed to help you get there. You’ll find:

• Practical strategies to increase your customers’ emotional engagement

 • The Four Motivators Framework for creating experiences that appeal to women customers

 • Communication “watch-outs” to avoid

 • Best practices from leading brands, businesses, and sales professionals 

• A road map of the biggest trends driving women’s buying patterns 

• Activities at the end of every chapter to help jump-start your growth (also included as an appendix)

• A Monday Morning Action Plan to create a long-term strategy for your business Winning women’s business is about creating inclusive customer experiences that incorporate the perspectives of the people who WinningHerBusiness_content.indd drive most of the buying. Our world is changing fast, but one thing remains constant: women’s domination of consumer spending. That fact alone provides a valuable compass for navigating, and winning, the future.

 So as we move forward, keep in mind that this is not simply a women’s issue—it’s a strategic issue, and it’s huge. Let’s get started. 

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THE “G” WORD

                                       THE “G” WORD

 Gender is a topic we don’t discuss in the context of sales and customer experiences very often, so allow me to take a moment to clarify how we’ll talk about it. All women—and men—are individuals, and should be treated as such. Women are not all the same, just as men are not all the same. Yet, each of us is born into a society that recognizes two primary gender “cultures”: the male culture and the female culture. The gender culture in which we grow up impacts how we’re socialized and interact with the world, including the communication styles we use.
2 The descriptions in this book should be viewed as tendencies, not absolutes, that are based on the aspects of female culture that can affect women’s perceptions of sales interactions.

WinningHerBusiness_content.indd 17 12/18/18 12:10 PM xviii INTRODUCTION Here’s an analogy for gender culture: Imagine you were planning a vacation to Italy and decided to learn everything you could about Italian culture.

You study Italian history and modern society; you practice helpful tourist phrases in Italian; you learn expectations for customs such as tipping and hailing a cab. You’re happy to put in the work because you know the knowledge will enrich your experience. And yet, when your plane touches down in Rome, you would never expect every Italian to behave the same way. After all, it’s a nation of 60 million personalities. However, your preparation has provided you with a valuable foundation that allows you to communicate more easily, confidently, and ultimately, successfully. That’s the spirit in which this book is written.

It’s a guide to the cultural conditions of modern women that will help you exceed their expectations as customers. But it bears repeating: every customer is an individual, first and foremost, and should be treated as such. Let me also clarify the language I’ll be using so we’re on the same page. I use the term sales professional to describe all of us who work with customers for a living.

 I recognize that few people use that title in real life. However, whether you manage a sales team, run a dude ranch, work in retail, or are an independent business owner, your success depends on customers agreeing to pay for your products and services.

 Hence, we’re all sales professionals. For the sake of simplicity, I will use the word customer to refer to women consumers in general, though depending on your industry, you may call them guests, patients, clients, community members, fans, or something else altogether.

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