Last week I had the pleasure of presenting at PROMOTIONS EAST in Atlantic City. What a fantastic experience. My sessions were jam packed with great interaction and some of the savviest distributors I’ve ever met.
One of the sessions I facilitated was “The Women’s Selling Advantage.” I believe women have several distinct advantages that put them in an enviable position in the promotional products industry.
Does this mean that men can’t be good at promotional products sales? Absolutely not! Most men are great promotional products sales professionals, however many of the qualities listed here seem to come easier to women.
Here are some of what I believe are women’s advantages:
- Women are great communicators. For most women talking comes naturally and most women are very comfortable having conversations. As we all know, good communication is vital to establishing successful selling relationships.
- Most women, by their nature, are more detailed oriented. Women tend to have an easier time writing orders and paying attention to the little things that make our clients happy.
- More marketing campaigns are geared toward women. Women have more economic clout than ever before and are responsible for 85 percent of all consumer purchase decisions. Who better than a woman to advise on promotional marketing strategies to attract women buyers?
- Women have great intuition. When we trust our intuition we make great decisions about whom to do and not to do business with.
- Corporations and government organizations are seeking diversity. Many large corporations and government organizations have entire departments set up to actively look for women and minority business vendors.
- Women control the majority of buying decisions for promotional products purchases. It is estimated that 70 percent of the buyers of promotional products are women. Many women enjoy giving business to other women.
- Women tend to collaborate, rather than compete. Collaboration, rather than competition. is the business model that is winning more sales in today’s world.
Of course, just having these advantages won’t get a woman more sales. Whether you’re a man or a woman, you need to be prepared, to understand your customer’s business challenges, to make excellent promotional recommendations and to provide value beyond the products you sell to succeed in today’s promotional products marketplace.
What do you think? I’d like to hear your opinion. Do you believe women in promotional products sales have a selling advantage? Hit the comment button to reply to this post.
If you’re a woman (or a curious man), I invite you to join me this week for a free teleconference on Thursday, June 16, where I’m going to share powerful strategies to take your business to the next level. Learn more here.
One more thing: Looking for more ideas to easily increase your sales? Get a free Skyrocket Your Sales audio download with non-stop ideas to increase your sales, plus hundreds in supplier discounts and my new special report, “10 Big Mistakes Promotional Professionals Make and How to Avoid Them and Double Your Sales,” at my website www.promobizcoach.com.
