You’ve just made a fabulous presentation to a potential customer. And then comes the dreaded, “I’ll have to think about it.” You’ve lost the sale, right?

Not necessarily. If the potential customer is a woman, chances are she means exactly what she said. And that’s not a bad thing. “Thinking about it” entails doing more research, discussing it with family and friends and gaining their support for her decision. When they’ve bought in, she’s ready to buy.

Too many salesmen, however, might well misread the situation and fail to stay in touch with the potential customer, assuming she’s blowing him off. Ironically, that lack of communication will often have the opposite effect and make her feel unappreciated – which is likely to drive her away.

This is just one example of how gender misunderstandings get in the way of business success. In her book Why She Buys, author Bridget Brennan looks at the ways female consumers are often alienated by marketers and salespeople, and provides recommendations on the right ways to appeal to them in order to secure more sales.

Her book is based in part on the latest scientific research on brain differences between men and women, as well as the differences in how men and women are socialized, and what matters most to them.

Brennan acknowledges that talking about gender differences, especially in business, has been considered politically incorrect. However, she also maintains that without trying to understand and cater specifically to women – the largest consumer group out there – marketers are making a big mistake.

Studies show that in females, the limbic system – the emotional brain – tends to be larger than in men. One result of this, along with socialization, is that women measure their self worth by the quality of their relationships, and evaluate purchases by the impact they will have on family and/or friends.

Additionally, partly because of their brain structure, women proactively seek help and input from others, especially when they feel the heat is on to make a major decision like a kitchen or bath project or replacement product. Hence, the “I’ll think about it.”

HELPING WOMEN BUY

Here are Brennan’s recommendations on helping women buy more readily.

“The most important thing to remember when selling to women is this: No matter what your product or service, you’re really only selling one thing, and that’s help,” Brennan stresses.