The Art of How NOT to Sell to Women
Where some women may feel nervous approaching their doctor at their annual appointment or feel apprehensive in a car showroom, I start feeling unworthy when I walk into an art gallery. I’m sure Perfect Looking Gallery Gal will give me that negative once-over, without even bothering to look up. Funny, because I love beautiful things and have started to collect local Pennsylvania landscapes.
I can deal with being overlooked. But I don’t expect to be unsold. Recently, a nearby gallery posted a “Meet the Artist” sign. I was struck with two conflicting thoughts: I’ll be pressured to seem enthralled by her light/shadow technique. Or, maybe the artist will tell me why she painted something I like and I’ll have a good story to tell.
My guard up, I shook the artist’s hand and started to wander around. But she growled after me, “What do you do?” so I told her I listened to women to figure out how to sell to them. “What do women tell you?” she demanded. “That they don’t feel listened to,” I answered. Her response? “The problem with women is that they whine. They should be more like men.” Great warm up to get me to shell out a thousand bucks for a painting that I decided I didn’t really like anymore.
When they shop for most everything, women make personal assessments. Who am I buying from? What am I buying into? I was no different. I only wish I hadn’t decided, prior to shopping, to change out of my T-shirt that says “It’s not all about you.” As a message to her, it said it all. As a guide to any company selling anything to women, priceless.
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