Once we know, we’re supposed to form an image of that person, consider what matters most to them, what they worry about, what excites them, what motivates them, and more.

But do we really know?

Do most marketers realize that overall, in American society, most of our buyers are women? Even when it comes to products made especially for men, women are apt to be the ones pulling out the checkbook and making the purchase.

According to Martha Barletta, author of Marketing to Women:

Women influence 95% of all purchases and control 80% of all household spending.

We’ve gone beyond responsibility for choosing food, clothing, and household goods. Now we not only influence men’s choices in everything from computers to motorcycles, to boats, to new cars, we’re buying a lot of them on our own. We also buy or influence the decision to buy insurance and other financial products.

In addition to influencing decisions made by a spouse, 27% of all households in the US are headed by single women – who buy everything her household needs.

Any marketer who ignores women, or who assumes that when the purchase is a high-ticket item the woman will have to get permission from a man before she buys, is making a huge mistake.

I think back to a time about 15 years ago when I decided I wanted a new car. My husband had been happy with the service of a certain sales person in a neighboring town, so my son and I set off to see him. When I told him what I was looking for he took us for a walk out to the lot, but didn’t offer to let us drive the car. He did say I should come back when Carl was with me.

I said “Phooey on that guy” and we went on. Over the next couple of weeks I visited several car dealerships with much the same results. In one, I walked all around the showroom reading stickers and looking at cars while ALL the salesmen stood leaning against the wall, arms folded, just watching me. Not one even offered to talk to me. Maybe if they’d had a saleswoman I’d have gotten service?

Finally, I walked into a small dealership just a few miles from home – a place where I had taken cars for repairs several times. When I walked in they greeted me by name and asked how they could help. And even though they only had about 3 to choose from, they had what I was looking for, so I bought a car.

I was kinda glad it all turned out that way. The dealership I bought from was a small, family run business and I liked the people. It was good to spend money there instead of with a faceless corporation.

Of course, depending upon your product, you may be selling to men. But don’t automatically assume that you are. Do some research, find out who buys products like yours, and then market to them. In addition to trying to get “inside the head” of the end user of your product, you need to get inside the head of the person who will make the purchase.

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