“Male Brain – Female Brain”

by Steve Chriest

There is very strong evidence that despite language and cultural differences, people all over the world see, talk and think about objects and people in the same basic way. Now there also is strong evidence that gender plays a large role in the way male and female brains perceive the world and how they process information. Surprised?

Despite what someone once published in a book, women aren't really from Venus and men aren't really from Mars – it just might sometimes appear that way! What is true about men and women, according to the latest research by cognitive scientists, is the fact that the minds of men and women are not identical in every respect. Being aware of some of the important differences can help in selling situations.

Men, for example, are better at mentally rotating objects and maps, while women are better at remembering landmarks and the position of objects. Men are better throwers, but women, on average, are more dexterous than men. Men are better at solving mathematical word problems, but women are better than men at mathematical calculation.

Some other differences in the sexes may have a wider impact in selling situations. Women generally experience basic emotions more intensely, except perhaps anger, than men. I was surprised to learn that women maintain more eye contact and smile and laugh far more often than men. Women are better at reading facial expressions and body language, are better spellers, and have a better memory for verbal materials. The opposite of all this, of course, is true of the typical male.

When meeting with, or delivering presentations to groups consisting primarily of men or women, it makes sense to tailor your approach to your audience. If you will be meeting with a women's group, for example, it may make sense to deliver an animated presentation, delivering most of your content verbally.

If the cognitive scientists are correct, it would make sense to provide a male audience with lots of photos, graphs and statistics presented in a visual format. If, on the other hand, you face a mixed audience, you'll want to make sure you include verbal and visual elements that compliment each other and appeal to female and male members of your audience.

We certainly don't need cognitive researchers to point out the obvious to us – women and men often think differently, and even see the world differently, in some important ways. Verifying and acknowledging these differences, however, gives you the advantage of awareness in certain selling situations. You can use this information to assess your audience and to tailor your approach to the sale, taking into consideration the different ways in which the male and female brain works.

Now, wouldn't the world be a much better place if women could learn to think a bit more like men? Or should it be the other way around?

Copyright © 2006 Selling Up TM . All Rights Reserved.

About the author: Steve Chriest is the founder of Selling Up TM (www.selling-up.com), a sales consulting firm specializing in sales improvement for organizations of all types and sizes in a variety of industries. He is also the author of Selling Up , The Proven System For Reaching and Selling Senior Executives. You can reach Steve at schriest@selling-up.com .