Why are some challenged by gender differences?
As you are aware, Dealer Elite was progressive and smart by dedicating a month to exploring how to better address the need and preferences of women, both consumers and employees. Its been brought to my attention that some resent a focus on women. I really need your help to identify why as this is intended to help you make more money and your customers happier. Here are a few facts to support the business case for why we need programs targeting women:
77% of women will take a man along to a dealership for fear of being taken advantage of.
9 out of 10 women believe men get a better deal at a dealership.
8 out of 10 women would strongly consider a dealership her girlfriend recommended
In addition women take 30% more time in the buying process, and value different things than men do when buying a car. She seeks more talk time, more eye contact, appreciates better communication skills and wants to feel a connection or as she says "trust" in the salesperson.
And for those on my webinar you probably appreciated learning about the different hormones that impact how we respond to first impressions, bad experiences and dissapointments and of course why women never forget. So much is biologically.
For those who believe that we need to treat everyone with respect - you are right! But also respect their differences. SO I ASK..does anyone out there really treat men and women alike? Do you think of her and treat her the same as we do men in the workplace? Do we have different expectation for men and women at work? Do we speak to her, both in and out of work, the way we would a guy? When was the last time you saw a guy pullout a chair for a male customer? I rest my case...now help me understand yours.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Marsh Buice on
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Delia, this one isn't easy, but I will step out on a limb on this one :0 ....Most of us have a "we are the world" mentality but none of us practice it with every person. I heard something that stuck with me about men and women. Men are waffles and women are noodles. Women have a unique way of being able to intertwine, twist and turn when it comes to relationships; men have a box like mentality. Like waffles, men can coexist (waffle boxes), but the walls still remain. Men know how to relate to men-a box like-no intrusion mentality; if they feel they are intruding, guys back off and go back to their box. Women have the unique ablity to do both...they can be like uncooked noodles and exist among each other (uncooked noodles in a box); or when cooked (relationships) can coexist, and mingle and intertwine with everyone.
Men are not real emotional bc we feel like if we show emotions, we show our vulnerability and feel is a sign of weakness (but can actually be a strength-unless you are Meatloaf from the Apprentice).
Men dont pull chairs out for other men, nor blow eyelashes from another man's face, nor run their hands through another man's new Flowbee haircut-we stay in our boxes, boundaries.
So to make a long story long, it is nearly impossible for men to relate to women the way that women can relate to men. If men and women were a book, the man would be the title (short, to the point, and somewhat mysterious) and women are the body of work. (detailed thoroughly).
Titles depend on the body to tell the story; the body depends on the title to set it all up. Our relationships have to be the same way, they need each other to be a complete work. Personalities and our genetic makeups are different and we have to respect that, but our "professionalities" do not have to be. Being a PROfessional means to be for all genders, nationallities, and ethnicities and against anything less than equality.
Hope I made sense.
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Permalink Reply by Delia Passi on
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Marsh - you are for sure an enlightened male - and I love everything you said. You framed it beautifully with the waffle example. You see its not just one-sided that men need to understand women, women also need to understand men!
With that said, and again you did a great job, does that mean that men just don't want to get out of their comfort zone to engage a program targeting women and would prefer to stick to a one size fits all approach to sales and service?
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I think most men agree there needs to be a change; the problem is they don't know HOW to change it. It is foreign to them and when it is foreign, they tend to gravitate back to things of familiarity thus stunting growth. The cycle goes on and on and on. I think the reason why things are changing, albeit too slow, is because younger, open-minded leadership is moving through the pike. Many of the older males in management inherited their beliefs from their predecessors and they inherited from their predecessors and so on. The good news is the erosion has begun. The thoughts of a "woman's place" is eroding and a younger generation, the 30 & 40 year olds are more adaptive and open to change. I may be more enlightened because my mom did it all. She got up every morning and cooked that evenings dinner before rushing us off to school and herself to work. At the end of the day she made sure we did our homework and chores and off to bed we went. Each day she did it over and over again. Truthfully, there are few men who can do this; do it for a week's vacation to get a spoonful of what is everyday life for women.
In short, programs targeting women are being pitched to men who don't speak the same language. They have to first be open to learning the language and then begin putting it into practice. I think the 30 and 40 yr old generation will begin to push for a more radical movement as they replace those they work for now.
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Permalink Reply by NANCY SIMMONS on
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Refreshing insight Marsh! Delia, Marsh is correct in saying that what is unfamilar to men, they will not gravitate towards and embrace. My last dealership I worked at employed a couple of men in their 60's who deathly feared women in power and for this reason tried to drive the female sales manager and me out the door. I believe it is a negative energy driven by fear...fear of the unknown! Sadly, as Marsh pointed out, there is no changing this breed and we hurry up and wait for the next generation to gain power, while the dealership as a whole, loses out on multiple opportunities daily!
Hats off to the the thousands of people in our profession who have studied the psychology of selling to a diversified market!
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Nancy - thank you for your reply and insight! Like you I'm hopeful that consumer demand and generations will impact a greater understanding of today's woman and her needs as a consumer. Unfortunately in a few mystery shops we noticed that even young males are demonstrating traits that indicate that they are not recognizing women as decision makers they way they need to, and still focus on the male. I'm wondering if its more a gender comfort issue than a generational one. Lets face it, like attracts like.
And like you, celebrate all those who "get it" and for those dealerships that practice great customer service reward them with the Women's Choice Award!
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