Page 81 - Social Media Marketing

Catering to Marketplace Diversity 61

wrong in the way he treated the couple and he eventually settled
the matter with the couple out of court, paying them about $10,000.
Thanks to that money, which the couple used as a down payment,
they were now able to afford their dream home instead of settling
for something in a lower price range.

The take-home message here is that green should be the only color
you see when you're selling. If your goal is to maximize your profit,
what difference does it make who buys your product or service? If
someone wants what you are selling, offers you the right price for
it, and is intent on closing the transaction, why would you not grab
that deal?

Breaking the Gender Barrier

In about 60 percent of male-female relationships, the woman is the
decision maker. More and more women are becoming the primary
wage earners and heads of household, while more and more men
are becoming work-at-home dads. As this gender shift has gathered
steam, many salespeople have completely missed it. They meet a
woman and instantly ask to deal with her husband, as if she were a
second-class citizen.

You can usually tell who the decision maker is by asking a ques-
tion and then observing who answers it. In most cases, the person
who is not the decision maker looks at the decision maker, and you
can immediately see who's in charge. In rare cases, both partners
have a fairly equal say in the decision-making process.

If you are a salesman selling to a woman, keep the following
general guidelines in mind:

• Find out how she plans to use the product before pointing out
features. A man is more likely to buy a car based on engine
size, horsepower, and miles per gallon, while a woman may be
more interested in style, color, and whether the car has enough
storage room. Don't, however, automatically assume that a
woman is not interested in such practical matters as reliability
and miles per gallon.