Selling Photography to Women | Part II

In Part I, we talked about how men and women might approach buying black slacks differently.

Here’s the thing.  Women don’t just want to buy A pair of black slacks, they want THE pair of black slacks.

(Keeping in mind the caveats of making generalizations about men and women):  Men search until they find a good solution, and move on.  But as Martha Barletta pointed out, women tend to be maximizers.  They don’t just want something that is good, or even better, they want the best.  The solution that solves the most problems, the perfect balance of tradeoffs, the slacks that can be worn on any occasion.

Of course, there aren’t always ‘best’ answers, so the search may drag out.  This is one reason why men think women take forever to make decisions or change their mind too often.  She’s just trying to find the best thing, he just wants to get it done and go home.  This difference drives them both crazy.

We can’t do anything about that particular decision stalemate, but we can help women maximize what they get out of our services.

If someone is wavering between options because they don’t know what is ‘best,’ highlight the versatility of the product.

This wall gallery would look great in your living room.  And if you decide to redecorate, you can rearrange it like this and – voila – it’s the perfect hall gallery.

This wedding package only covers six hours of time, which sounds like it will be enough for you.  If not, you can choose to tack on an extra ___ of coverage for $____.  Either way, you’ll still get great photos and a beautiful album.

Don’t make her feel like she’s backed into a corner – show her how that particular choice still allows for flexibility no matter what comes up.

Describe some uses she may not have thought of.

The winning feature of a pair of slacks might be her ability to wear them casually at work and a dressier occasion.  Show how your favorite products might fill more than one need:

These accordion mini-albums are fun for grandparents to keep around – and maybe your daughter might want to take one with her to college next year.

These small prints will make a great ledge display.  There are lots of ways these could come in handy around your house, too – you could hang them banner-style at your daughter’s next birthday party / make Christmas tree ornaments with them / insert your brilliant idea here.

Showing more than one use that she might not have thought of may tip her toward a decision as she thinks through her options.

Some people are exhausted by all this extra information, but some people like to think through every possible scenario before buying.  Highlighting how this decision creates options in the future, rather than closing doors, can help close the sale.