Throughout the book, you’ve had the opportunity to apply your learning in each chapter’s “Activating Your Insights” sections. For your convenience, all of those exercises are included here in the appendix. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 1
YOUR BIGGEST GROWTH MARKET IS ALREADY HERE
• If you were to rank your business on a scale of 1 to 10 on its effectiveness in connecting with modern women consumers, with 10 being the highest, what number would you give? Use this number as a benchmark for future progress.
• How have you seen differences in gender culture play out in your own customer interactions? What did you learn from these experiences?
• Categorize your customer data by gender. Can you identify specific buying patterns and preferences by examining the information this way?
CHAPTER 2
WHAT SELLING LOOKS LIKE NOW
• Think about the best buying experience you’ve ever had with a sales professional. What did that professional do well that made the experience so memorable? What lessons can you apply to your own business based on that experience?
• Write down your favorite places to shop/buy/be a customer, including both e-commerce companies and traditional businesses. What are these companies doing well that you could adapt for your own business?
CHAPTER 3
THE FOUR MOTIVATORS FRAMEWORK
• Thinking about your own business and sales style, which motivators are your greatest strengths? Which need the most work?
• My ability to connect
• My ability to inspire
• My ability to make customers feel confident
• My proactivity in showing appreciation
• Imagine your customer is talking to a friend. Your customer tells her friend, “You have to work with [YOU], because ______________________________.” What are the reasons you’d like the customer to give? How many can you come up with that don’t involve price?
• Evaluate your business environment by seeing it through the lens of women customers. Answer the following questions, which reflect some of the things women may be noticing when they enter your place of business:
• Does this place feel bright and modern?
• Is the space clean?
• Did I get a friendly welcome when I walked in?
• Do the people here make me feel comfortable (i.e., are they polite and respectful)?
• Are there any women working here?
• Is there a place for me and/or my companions to sit down?
• Do they cater to people with kids?
• Do they show an interest in helping me?
• Do the people here seem knowledgeable and trustworthy?
• Do they offer good value for the price?
• Can I count on them if something goes wrong with my purchase?
• Would I want to come back here?
• Do I feel compelled to tell my friends they need to come here?
CHAPTER 4
MOTIVATOR #1: CONNECTED: CREATE AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
• Imagine that someone felt so strongly connected to your business that she wanted to get a tattoo of your logo. (Work with me here—it’s a brainstorm! And don’t forget, people already do this with brands such as Harley-Davidson and Nike.) What are the kinds of things you could do to generate that kind of loyalty and connection? Create a list of ideas, and pick the top one or two to execute.
• What are the three top ways that you connect with customers currently? How can you expand on these efforts to create even deeper connections?
CHAPTER 5
MOTIVATOR #2: INSPIRED: INSPIRE YOUR CUSTOMERS TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU
• Your best customer stories can inspire prospects and new customers. With that in mind, consider creating a “Happy Customer Story Repository.” This repository is a compilation of your best and most inspiring customer stories, documented in a file so that they’re top of mind and can be referenced in future customer conversations. If you work with a team, collaborate on the repository so you can share each other’s customer stories and have that many more to tell.
• Think about all the things you do for customers that might cause them to say, “Wow!” What are some ways you can create more “wow” moments, like the test showers at Kohler Experience Centers and the test rides at Folsom Bike? Can you expand on the “wow” moments you already offer?
• Ultimately, people are inspired to buy something when they feel it will improve their lives. How can you more effectively articulate how much better someone’s life will be if they buy your product or service?
CHAPTER 6
MOTIVATOR #3: CONFIDENT: INSTILL CUSTOMERS’ CONFIDENCE IN YOU AND YOUR PRODUCTS
• In what ways can you give your customers just 5 percent more than they’re expecting (in terms of service), every time?
• Revisit your online professional profile. Is it up to date? Does it create a compelling impression of your capabilities? If you don’t have a professional profile, make it a priority to create one.
• What analog activities in your own business could you bolster with technology, similar to the way Sephora uses technology to bolster customer confidence in its company and products?
CHAPTER 7
MOTIVATOR #4: APPRECIATED: MAKE YOUR CUSTOMERS FEEL APPRECIATED FOR THEIR BUSINESS
• What are some creative ways you can show appreciation to your customers? You don’t have to break the bank. In my neighborhood, two nail salons are on the same street. One offers a free, two-minute shoulder massage with each manicure, and one doesn’t. Guess which one gets my business?
• If you created a loyalty program for your business, what could it look like?
• Identify the obstacles that prevent you from keeping in regular touch with customers and influencers. What can you do to make this process more manageable?
CHAPTER 8
TOP TRENDS DRIVING WOMEN’S BUYING PATTERNS: A ROAD MAP TO EXCEEDING CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS
Trend #1: Double Duty, Half the Time
• Many of the apps that Judi uses provide a helpful service, not a product. Could you offer a complementary service for the products you sell? For example, IKEA bought TaskRabbit, an app-based business that helps people with errands and activities such as assembling IKEA furniture. It was a natural match. Ulta Beauty stores offer a variety of hair and beauty treatments. How else can you make your customers’ lives easier with a service that complements your products? Can you leverage new technologies to offer conveniences such as deliveries and automatic replenishment?
• Time is only one aspect of convenience. Write a list of other aspects of convenience that you can provide through your business.
Trend #2: The Mini-Me Effect
• Consider how this trend could be an opportunity for your business to grow. Does it make sense for your brand to move up or down the age spectrum? Is there an opportunity to provide “parallel programming” for both kids and parents?
• Pets are a part of the family too, and a fast-growing sector of the consumer economy. Determine whether your business has an opportunity here too.
Trend #3: Visual Storytelling
• Brainstorm creative ways to inspire customers to include you, your products, or your services in their social media posts.
• How can you be a part of the new wave of mini milestones in our culture?
Trend #4: Health and Wellness as a Lifestyle
• Identify the health and wellness trends influencing your customers right now. Are there any latent health and wellness qualities you can tap into within your own business?
• In what ways can you demonstrate that your product or service is “good for you”? Write down as many as possible.
Trend #5: Sixty Is the New Forty
• Determine how well you are engaging this group of potential customers. Is your approach in tune with the reality of their lives? What ways might you be able to promote opportunities for “reinvention” and experiences to this customer market?
• Baby boomer women are a loyal source of referrals for the people and businesses that serve them well. Be conscious of giving the same high standard of attentive service to all your customers, no matter what their age.
Trend #6: Personalization—“I Am My Own Brand”
• Determine where personalized options could fit into your product or service portfolio, and the kinds of resources that would be required to bring these options to market.
• Examine whether it would be appropriate or feasible for your business to provide tiered levels of service or a concierge-style, on-demand offering.