FEMALE-FRIENDLY TARGETED SALES
By Doreen Hemlock Staff Writer
Publication: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

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Leann Marchbanks remembers the first time she tried to buy a car on her own, without a male companion. Staff at three dealerships asked her disparagingly: "Who else has a say in this decision?"

When she finally found a dealer who respected her choice, she researched their cars, bought their Saturn - and developed a passion for marketing to women.

Today, Marchbanks is director of women's marketing at American Airlines, overseeing a women's section on the airline's Web site, programs to fight breast cancer and other initiatives aimed at female travelers.

She highlights a trend for companies to target sales to women, an increasingly important group that now makes or influences at least 80 percent of buying decisions nationwide from cars to homes to trips, according to studies from A.T. Kearney, Boston Consulting Group and others.

Auto sellers in South Florida are joining the movement, responding to surveys that show women often feel intimidated at dealerships.

Fort Lauderdale-based AutoNation, the country's largest auto retailer, recently launched a Web site called "Car Buying Her Way" for members of select women's groups. It has trained at least 50 people working with the site on how best to sell to women.

JM Lexus, the Margate-based luxury car dealership, also has trained about 150 sales staff in the course called "WomenCertified," offered by a Hollywood firm.

Marketer Delia Passi said she developed WomenCertified because too many firms overlook the differences in purchasing between men and women, jeopardizing sales.

Among the key differences: Women generally want more personal interaction before they buy. They seek to build trust first. They pick up more on non-verbal cues, such as eye contact or a messy desk. And above all, they want to be listened to and really understood in discussing what they want.

"Most people in sales jump in when a woman is talking, because they feel that they know what the answer is," said Passi. "That drives a woman crazy, because she's truly not being heard."

"But if people focus on confirming what the woman said, 'Oh, so you want a car that ...,' then she's more willing to trust you," Passi said. "And trust is what converts to sales."

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