How to Make Women More Comfortable
One of the things that women give priority to when choosing to do business, especially repeat business, with an in-home service provider is whether or not they are comfortable letting the service person or salesperson into their home. Letting someone into their home requires a level of faith in that person's trustworthiness. Once a high level of trust is established, the customer will be more willing to have that person or provider back again because their concerns have been reduced, resulting in repeat business and more referrals.
Here are a few things you can do to increase a woman customer's level of comfort and trust:
- Every serviceman (or woman) should carry and present a photo ID, preferably in the form of a business card that can be left behind as a reminder of how to contact your business again. It should be presented at the door.
- Make a positive first impression. The first several seconds are critical to establishing trust. The service provider should be pleasant, well groomed and dressed neatly and appropriately. A two day growth of beard is not going to set the stage well. If in-home service is your business, get used to shaving or trimming your beard every day.
- Shake her hand respectfully. That means somewhere between gently and firmly but without causing her any pain. Show her you respect her and appreciate her business.
- Look her in the eye when you talk to her. If that is uncomfortable (as it is for some), look at her nose, her mouth, her knees if you must, but nowhere in between.
- Make positive but genuine remarks about her home or other evident aspects of her life, such as her children, decorations, pets, etc. Relate them to your own life or tastes. If she apologizes for something, try to relate to her issue. Don't be judgmental. Show concern.
- Don't make a mess without cleaning it up. Leave her home or yard at least as neat as you found it. Offer to vacuum or sweep up any messes you create. Avoid tracking in dirt and leaving handprints. Take packaging with you or put it in her garbage with her permission.
- Make it a point to thank her for her business. Go beyond a simple thank you. Tell her you appreciate her business and would appreciate her telling her friends, associates and family if you did a good job.
To make women even more at ease about buying from you, you should also consider becoming a WomenCertified® professional. WomenCertified is a program that will provide you with additional information on how to communicate effectively with your women customers, and for that matter with any woman you communicate with. Once you complete and pass the WomenCertified online course, which takes only a couple hours, you become WomenCertified and can boast to all your customers that you carry the seal of approval women trust. Visit www.womencertified.com to learn more about this valuable program.
Delia Passi is Founder and CEO of Medelia, Inc., the provider of the WomenCertified® program. Medelia provides consulting and training on selling to women to many major corporations and small businesses seeking to improve their service and increase their sales to women. She is the author of Winning the Toughest Customer, the Essential Guide to Selling to Women (Kaplan 2006)
About Aaron O'Hanlon
Aaron O'Hanlon is the CEO and Co-Founder of Footbridge Media, a digital marketing agency, specializing in the contracting industry. It is his mission to create awareness of marketing online to the home improvement industry and to educate, inform, and assist contractors in taking over their own online presence.
