Reprint: R1309E
Research has established that women decide about consumer purchases differently than men do. But does that hold true in a B2B setting? Senior executives at Deloitte, recognizing that an increasing number of potential clients are women but that executives have honed their skills selling to men, decided to conduct some research on the matter.
Interviews with experienced buyers of professional services in 18 large organizations—and observations of meetings with hundreds of prospective and existing clients—revealed significant differences between men and women as B2B buyers. For example, women see a meeting with a candidate service provider as a chance to explore options in collaboration with an expert resource, while men see that event as a near-final step in the process, when they are narrowing down and choosing among options. And whereas male buyers expect head honchos to be present at the meeting, female buyers are more interested in talking to the people they will actually be working with.
On the basis of these and other findings, Deloitte established a rigorous training program to raise awareness of differences in decision-making styles and of the need to adapt sales approaches accordingly. The training, which Deloitte believes has given the firm an edge in the marketplace, has improved partners’ and managers’ interactions with all prospects and clients. It has also increased respect for diversity inside the firm.
