Explosive Differences Like fireworks on the fourth of July, if you want to see some explosions, just bring up the topic of gender differences. The moment you take an absolutist stand on gender differences you’ll find yourself in a proverbial gender La Brea Tar Pit. Every individual has unique education, experiences, and frames of references. That said, this is real science behind the differences between men and women when it comes to decision making, persuasion skills, and sales strengths. Consider these: Men often overstate their abilities; women understate them.
YOU SELL LIKE A GIRL! …And Other Compliments By Mark Rodgers
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hink back to your childhood on the school playground. When you put together a team to play baseball, who did you pick? There was the jock – he was always picked first. Then there was the attractive person, who wasn’t very good, but, well, we know why they were picked. The class clown was chosen, not to help you win, but if you lost, it would be more fun. And finally, the last person to be picked was the person who everyone knew “throws like a girl.” A show called Sports Science ran on Fox Sports for years. The show’s objective: dissect sports myths. In a popular episode, Jennie Finch, pitcher to the U.S. Olympic Women’s Softball team was pitted against a male baseball pitcher. The question posed: “Which ball is harder to hit?” First up, the baseball pitcher threw a 95 MPH fastball landing with 2,311 pounds of force. Then it was Jennie’s turn. While her speed was clocked at 70 MPH, her pitch contacted and shattered the scientific equipment used to measure the force! Further studies supported this test. The conclusion: It is harder to hit a fastpitch softball. Who knew the phrase, “you throw like a girl” could be such a compliment?
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“In studies, men overestimate their abilities and performance, and women underestimate both. Their performances do not differ in quality,” Wrote Katty Kay and Claire Shipman in a lengthy article for The Atlantic magazine in 2014. The authors of Womenomics and authorities on gender differences in business found that women working at Hewlett-Packard applied for a promotion only when they believed they met 100% of the job qualifications. On the other hand, men were happy to apply when they thought they could meet 60% of the job requirements. The sales implication: Women may more naturally and more effectively under promise and overdeliver delighting customers. Sensitive to the vibe. Emotional intelligence is really an awareness of self, and an awareness of others. This enables sales professionals to interpret behavioral ques and be more responsive to prospective buyers. In one study noted by Forbes, women outperformed men in 11 of the 12 emotional intelligence skills tested. A four-letter word for men: help. In her book, Why She Buys: The New Strategy for Reaching the World’s Most Powerful Customers, gender expert Bridget Brennan claims women love asking for and receiving help. For men, “help” is a four-letter word. The sales implication here is that a female salesperson may be more apt to say things like, “Help me understand what sort of luggage requirements you have.” Or “Help me understand your monthly payment needs.” This exploratory approach to prospective buyers’ wants and needs may open up previous unconsidered solutions, products, and offerings. Also, because men don’t like help, both genders may be better off if they were to say to male motorcycle purchasers something like, “I found a review on the motorcycle you’re looking at; I’ll send it to you to see what you think.”
