Why She Buys

Talking about statistics usually puts me in a fog!  I am a creative thinker and all of the numbers usually boggle my mind so when Bridget Brennan took the stage at National Conference to talk about “Why She Buys”, I thought I would be LOST!

Bridget shared ALOT of information that made me re-think some of the ways that I do things.  The first rule of SUCCESS – women we are selling to are Females FIRST and Customers SECOND.  I know, that should have been a no brainer right?  I just think that sometimes we get so wrapped up in selling that we forget about the “female factor”.  Did you know that our economy is driven by women?  Women make up 70-80% of the consumer economy.  Why?  Because they are not only buying for themselves but they are buying for everyone else – friends, family, co-workers, boss, etc.

Here are 6 of the most important trends that will help us in today’s market:

1. Women in the labor force.  Over 70% of them are Moms and moms who need to shop for everyone.
2. Ponytail Power.  I thought this fact was really interesting…Ponytail power are those women born between 1980-2000 who are entering their purchasing power price. In addition, more than 1/2 of these women want to start and own their own business.
3. Smaller Families.  The average family now has 2 children as compared to years past when it was 3 or 4.
4. Divorce and Singlehood.  Despite all of the statistics (and what I thought), the divorce rate in this country is down by 40%.  Does that mean that more people are staying married?  Not necessarily, there are a lot more single women who are heading up households as single moms – never getting married.
5. Women Dominate Social Media.  This almost seemed like a no-brainer.  I mean really, how many men do you really see posting daily.  This is how we, as women, share are lives through mass documentation.  The only thing is that when we do this for our business, we need to be intentional and not saturate the new feeds with sales pitches.
6. 60 is the new 40.  I LOVED hearing this since I am getting close to the 60 mark (a mere 3 years away).  Women are continually reinventing themselves – new clothes, change in hobbies, business, etc.

Will knowing about these trends change your business?  I am not guaranteeing increased sales but if you know about some of these trends, it may help you connect better with your customers, hostesses and recruits.

My last tidbit of information from Bridget….

• Men are transactional.  Think about the last time you went shopping with your hubby (or another male).  They shop for 1 item of the one item that they need.  If it is a large purchase, they evaluate the product and their options BEFORE making a purchase. They are information seekers.
• Women are holistic.  We want to know what else goes with it – especially when clothes shopping.  How often do you just buy a skirt or a pair of pants without buying a shirt or shoes to go with it?  This is why “solution sets” are a great way to share Thirty One.  We tend to base our decisions on the salesperson – do we like them, are they helpful, right?  We are information AND inspiration seekers.

So as you look to plan your next party or talk to you next recruit… think about some of these things.  Don’t overshare facts and figures when recruiting but share in a way that will appeal to her with a few facts and some inspirational insights.  Sharing products with a customer, why not show one core product and two add-ons or accessories that will make a complete set.

Would love to hear how you are going to transform YOUR business this year?  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!