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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

Learned on women

Women make 85% of all consumer decisions, which is why it's incredible how many businesses still drop the ball when it comes to targeting female consumers. Andrea Learned's blog and her book, Don't Think Pink, offer insight you can't afford to miss.

We thought a recent Learned on Women (blog.learnedonwomen.com/ ) blog made a significant point about how women are often treated by businesses, so we're reprinting part of it below.

"A recent Consumerist post (consumerist.com/ ) included a letter from a woman had written to Apple regarding a recent, not good, experience she'd had in one of their stores. Here's just a tidbit from it ("Bill" is the name of the Apple store "genius" she spoke with):

"Well, first of all, Bill DID NOT LOOK AT ME. He did not greet me. He greeted my husband, introduced himself, and shook his hand ... and completely ignored me. He didn't ask my name, what we were there to buy, or who the new computer was for. He did not make eye contact. He simply behaved as though I were not there, and steered my husband through the crowded store -- ignoring me and leaving me behind.

"For all the guys reading this (and it is worth reading that whole letter on the Consumerist blog (consumerist.com/ 362418/ hey-apple-women-buy-computers-too) for the full effect), how would you feel if your wife, or, say, newly career-aged daughter was in the letter-writer's shoes? Peeved, I'm sure. Does this motivate you to learn more about marketing to women for your own brand? Would this example be helpful for training the men on your team?

"There are plenty more stories where that came from, and I am 99.9% sure you can't say: "But that would NEVER happen in my store/industry/situation." This state of prolific bad examples is NOT because the men in your organization are intentional with their bad service or misunderstanding of how women buy. Rather, it simply reflects that those men probably aren't comfortable or experienced enough with it. Pointing to cross-industry bad examples, and relating them to someone's own mom, sister or daughter, can be an incredible training tool."

With women heading some 40% of households in America, making 85% of consumer buying decisions and running 40% of all companies in the U.S., Andrea Learned's book, Don't Think Pink, What Really Makes Women Buy, (www.amazon.com/ gp/ product/ 081440815X/ qid=1040080502/ sr=1-1/ ref=sr_1_1/ 102-4383808-2899341?s=books \&v=glance \&n=283155) is an important read for anyone interested in learning how to appeal to this huge audience. Andrea Learned and coauthor Lisa Johnson, cofounders of the consulting firm ReachWomen (www.reachwomen.com/ default.htm) , believe that too many companies either don't cater to women or repeatedly send misleading messages. The book is a solid guide for anyone who wants to reach the women's market.

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