]]> http://www.monicapesce.com/2013/04/donne-che-combattono-la-crisi-lo-storify/feed/ 0 http://www.monicapesce.com/2013/04/making-women-happy-clients/ http://www.monicapesce.com/2013/04/making-women-happy-clients/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:53:07 +0000 Monica http://www.monicapesce.com/?p=224 This time I am talking specifically to car manufacturers and dealers. Women represent either decision makers or influencers in approximately 70% of purchases. Women buy a car because they need it to go to work, shopping, to bring kids to school or whatever and they might not be so interested in the technical features men usually look at – even though I warmly suggest that you don’t give this for granted, or you might end up irritating a woman so much she will turn saying bad things about your brand into her personal mission!

Anyway, most of the times, be it because they are way too busy managing multiple lives or simply because they don’t pay attention, women tend to become nervous when it gets to managing the car’s regular maintenance.

I am surprised that no car manufacturer or, most important, no car dealer ever thought of using this to their advantage becoming women’s best friend.

What about a standardized but personal enough email or sms to regularly remind women who bought their car from you about the most important maintenance deadlines?

The tires must be changed or at least checked every x Kilometers, what is the best oil change timing, what is the regular major servicing timing, …? This is such an easy, but valuable service to women (and not only women, let me add) that I truly don’t understand why it is not part of the “standard and basics toolkit” of car manufacturers and dealers!

photo: freefoto.com

Based on these data women should be at the core of every single company’s strategic marketing plan. But this is not the case.

The most recent experience I had is with low cost flights. In many cases people use low cost flights not only for weekends and holidays, but also for business trips.

When women leave the house there is one thing they ALWAYS bring with them, something that not only represents a useful tool to bring essential products with them, but also defines their personality, mood and style: the bag.

So when you are traveling low cost this specific feature only women go around with will discriminate you, unless you are able to squeeze your incredibly spacious bag inside the small enough trolley you will not check in.

What about a special permit devoted to women only – who are usually also decision makers when referring to holidays and flights – so that they are allowed to bring onboard both the regular trolley and their precious bag?

Given the importance of word of mouth for women and how frequently they become sponsors of brands that delight them, your company would be booming for sure!

photo: freefoto.com

However recent studies demonstrate that the difference is not only influenced by the context but also determined by genetics: the brains of men and women react differently to the same stimuli.

Whether caused by DNA or by the social context I was raised in, here are the top 10 things that annoy me as a woman consumer. Some of them come from direct experience and some of them from stories women friends told me.

1. sex as a selling point. Half naked women that are seducing a man thanks to your product will convince me straight away that your product is not worth my money (just two illuminating examples: Salame Cacciatore TV advertisement and Caffè Borghetti TV adv). By the way, also a naked man seducing a woman will generate the same reaction!
2. stereotypes about the role of women. Whenever you present women as housewives whose only concern is how to make the house look beautiful and dinner at home better than restaurant or women as super-models only thinking about how to look 20 years old even when they are 40 like me…I automatically start taking your brand and products out of my shopping list
3. stereotypes related to women’s technical skills and intelligence. I am smart enough and educated enough to understand almost everything, you don’t need to slow down when explaining technical features or suggest that we skip them. And if something is not clear I will ask for explanations, don’t worry.
4. learn the magic of storytelling. It is not only about the functional features of your product – quality of materials, technical characteristics, uniqueness of you production process, … – and it is not only about the allure or status of your brand. What is your selling proposition? What is your identity? But most important of all, what is the story behind your product? Why should I spend my time and money to purchase your product/service? Sell me magic, sell me a dream, sell me values I relate to.
5. Listen. If something went wrong with the product or service, I want to be able to explain with as many details as possible the context or the express in detail all my concerns and their origin, it will help you better understand my needs. If you don’t let me speak two things might happen: a) you make the wrong assumptions and don’t solve the problem or meet my needs, b) you irritate me because I feel you only did half of the job you’re supposed to do
6. stereotypes related to how much a woman earns. I cannot afford a Ferrari (yet), so I will never enter a Ferrari store and ask for information, but if I enter a Mercedes or BMW store you should not ask me if I am sure I can afford one of your cars. And if I walk into a luxury apparel store wearing a pair of jeans and sneakers I expect the sales people will not make assumptions on how much money is in my wallet or credit card…or I will walk out as quickly as I walked in (and this happens more frequently than you can think of)!
7. Don’t waste my time. Women are usually willing to invest time: they want you to sell them a dream or to listen to their concerns (all of them). But don’t waste their time with useless bla bla that doesn’t add value. And make sure you don’t waste their “special time”, the time they have for themselves and their family. If you want to propose me a great new offer, product, service don’t call me on my mobile (???) on a Saturday afternoon (???) or in the evening at 20 when I am finally with my family having dinner
8. stereotypes related to the ability of women to manage money. If I am buying a house, a boat or a car, if I am planning on investing my money or thinking of a pension scheme be sure: I know what I am doing or at least I know what information I want to take a rational decision. And if by any chance I enter your bank with my partner or my father, keep on talking to ME, because the money is mine!
9. Smile and make me feel comfortable. I always say hello and goodbye, as well as ask how are you and wish you a good day, so I expect others to do the same. If I am inside a shop to spend or invest time and money, I want to be treated nicely, welcomed and greeted as you would do with your best and more loyal customer.
10. Your products don’t take into account my evident needs. When you create and develop your product or service do you think carefully about who is your target customer and what are his/her needs you are willing to satisfy? Do you ask them or at least try to put yourself in their shoes? What about the ePad Femme example? Is this the answer to women needs in the world of high tech products?

Maybe the above points only irritate me or maybe it is not a gender issue…what are your thoughts and experiences on this?

What is it that drives you crazy as a customer?

photo: freefoto.com

In Europe and in other regions of the world it seems that it is finally becoming a popular topic, but not necessarily this will mean that the issue is addressed correctly.

A recent example from the Middle East is not only causing a lot of debate – from both men and women – but based on the first results also demonstrating that this is not the right way to address women customers.

The ePad Femme was recently launched by Eurostar group and, as explained in the article “The ePad Femme: a tablet for Stepford Wives” on www.techradar.com, its female-focused characteristics are:

• pink home screen;
• simplified menu;
• oddly niche bank of preloaded female-orientated apps, devoted to yoga, cooking and diet.

Do they really think this is what technology-unfriendly women are looking for?

Are we still linked to the idea that painting it pink will make whatever product a “women-only” product? Not to mention of course the sexist idea that women have limited interests and intelligence.

photo: freefoto.com

Perspective are simply depressing: you were born between 1965 and 1980, your TV programs were in black and white and you almost became deaf because of your Walkman playing over and over.
People ranging roughly between 30 and 45 are the lost generation: too young to enjoy the booming ‘80s and the first generation that on average will not enjoy a better life as opposed to their parents.
Count me in, I was born in 1973!
Based on the above my life should be miserable and no bright future should stand in front of me…however this is not the way I feel. This is not me!
As the forgotten gender in the lost generation we can have a primary role in the future of our companies and countries.

80% of all purchasing decisions are either taken or influenced by women, our contribution to fundamental decisions at all levels – strategy, product development, communication – can make a difference between a successful approach to a brand new market and stagnation in the existing one.
Being the care takers within the family as well as bread winning contributors we are more aware of tradeoffs not only in terms of work life balance, but also in terms of priorities for companies, consequences on the environment, on financial and economic stability.
We have been raised in a “gender neutral” environment and learned the importance of visibility and networking: we support and defend each other, we look for collaboration and value the opinion of other women.

Change is more the rule for the people of Generation X than the exception. As most of our professional life has been developed in the middle of a turmoil, we are:

• Mobile, we left our families and homes to pursue professional growth and personal happiness
• Flexible, we reinvented ourselves so many times that we hardly remember the starting point
• Internationally minded, the first generation to truly experience the meaning of the word global
• Digital, despite the fact that we cannot be considered digital natives we are passionate about innovation, web 2.0 and new technologies (and witnessed the dot-com bubble)

We are used to change, evolution and managing new challenges. We are well-educated, experienced and global.
I don’t feel like the forgotten gender in the lost generation. What about you?

photo: freefoto.com

Way too many times we read a book, find the content very interesting and relevant to us, promise ourselves we will improve our life or way of working by putting into practice what the book suggests but after a while – too busy, too lazy, already reading another very interesting book – we forget about our commitment.
This is where Chris Brogan’s challenge is: are we able to set aside all the other books for one year, handle our agendas and laziness and commit to three books only? I honestly don’t think I can avoid reading more than three books – what about the novels I so much love especially when I am on holiday? What about that interesting book I should read because it is useful to my job? But I like the challenge, because I feel that Chris really touched the key point: I read so many books and find all of them full of great suggestions, but I am probably able to put only 20 or 30% into practice and go from one book to another without maybe truly improving. So I am not ready to fully commit, but I am willing to commit to read over and over three books (together with others) and implement them over 12 months.
Here are the books I have picked and the reason why.
1. The impact equation: are you making things happen or just making noise? By Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
The reason behind this decision is not that Chris Brogan just launched the three book diet, I had already booked my copy on Amazon a couple of weeks before. I read Social Media 101 and Trust Agents by the same authors and found them very interesting and useful when I was starting my blog and my social media activity. As mentioned above, I probably only followed up on 20/30% of what was suggested. I am now in a crucial phase of my career: I want to leverage on the knowledge and skills I have built over 12 years at VVA, improving my credibility as a business consultant and attracting potential clients. So my goal is definitely to make an impact as opposed to making noise.
2. The startup of you by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha
I already read this book once. Even though I have always been working for the same company I for sure feel like I am living in startup mode, especially now that I am Partner and have the responsibility to grow the business and the company. Since 2000 I have managed over 50 projects in at least 8 different sectors, reinventing myself whenever the market was changing or disrupted, and this has been quite the norm since I started working. I feel this book can help me improve the effectiveness of my business development strategies as well as keep me working around goals and plans, given the hypercompetitive context we live and work in.
3. Marketing to women by Marti Barletta
Having worked for many years as a marketing and strategy consultant to Italian companies, I deeply believe that companies need to understand that men and women are different and must to be approached in a different way. This is probably a basic concept in the US, it is still the land of the unknown here in Italy. This book is part of a skill building process I believe will be relavant to my business development strategy.

As opposed to what Chris was suggesting, I have picked three books that are all in the professional area. The reason is that my focus for 2013 is professional growth and the achievement of ambitious goals.

Do you think the challenge is too hard? Follow the challenge on twitter, look for the #3bd hashtag!

What if, like in my case, you have a professional brand linked to your bread-winning position as Partner in a consulting company who is in charge of the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) business unit as well as a not-for-profit professional brand linked to PWA Milan board position as President?
Some debate rose when I asked the question and two alternative options emerged:

• Do you really need to put the two personal brands together and/or promote both of them?
• Can’t you find a link between the two personal brands? What is the common denominator?

I found the second option way more puzzling and stimulating as I am not really sure about the answer. Apart from me as the physical container of these two personal brands is there something more?
The two contexts – supporting the European Commission in Brussels in understanding the market and economic opportunities of such an innovative technology and leading the Italian chapter of EuropeanPWN aiming to foster the professional growth and achievements of women – in fact have a few things in common:

• Global perspective and context – leveraging on the benefits of diversity in terms of nationality, perspective and gender
• Vision in action – when you have the objective to envision how the future will be and what benefits it will bring, but at the same time you have to make sure what you propose is feasible and actionable
• On the edge of innovation – be it the futuristic concept of intelligent cargo system or authentication of the signal or be it the social and cultural innovation we are contributing to bringing excellent professional women to Italian boards or through our mentoring program
• Networking opportunities in a professional context – whether the goal is to learn something about an innovative GNSS-based service, help a peer reach a board position or look for business opportunities, both contexts allow you to meet amazing people with amazing stories and experiences

My personal brands at a first glance look like two opposite edges with nothing in common, but in the end there is always a very rational reason behind the fact that opposites attract.
Does this all make sense to you?