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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Google Researched It, Nature Wrote It, Nurture Trumps It, July 16, 2009
This review is from: The X and Y of Buy: Sell More and Market Better by Knowing How the Sexes Shop (NelsonFree) (Hardcover)
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As a retail salesman of nine years from 17 till when I received my graduate degree, I am always fascinated to listen to new ideas on how to improve my sales approach. So, when The X and Y of Buy ("X&Y") showed up as a choice in my monthly Amazon book club, I was hoping for some new insight. Sadly, what I ended up doing was taking out my trusty red pen and correcting what I saw were obvious factual errors while noting them in my also-trusty paper notebook. I wrote five pages of correctional notes. Before I get into the realm of negenation, let us go over the book's primary thesis. Author Elizabeth Pace starts by stipulating that men and women shop differently because they are differently. OK, unless you've never been to any department store and realized the men's clothing section is all polos shirts and jeans while the women's is 10x larger and with specific clothing (and specialized decorative soaps to match) for every conceivable body part, tell me something I don't know. Seriously, you do not have to read Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus to see this concept play out in society. Unfortunately for Pace, she writes as if she just discovered this concept. However, it is the next thesis claim that really is off base. Pace makes it clear that the differences between male and female shopping habbits are almost exclusively due to biological differences and nothing else. She completely sidesteps socialization or nurture as an influence of defining a person's gender. It goes to the nurture vs. nature argument that Pace doesn't even really reference and does not even spend time debating. Even in her Q&A section she references biology the entire time and not any other external factors. She failed to look at all aspects or, at least, give them a second thought or prove why they are not prevalent. Pace also failed to consider all options in her research is also hindered by the fact that she did very little research to come to the conclusion she did. She does not even include a detailed bibliography, just a four-page notes section. Upon examining her notes, I discovered that pace did not truly do much academic research. Since Pace is not a brain surgeon or an academician, she has to do some academic referencing and not rely on her own knowledge. Sadly, her sources are anything but academic. There are a lot of secondary sources (mainly articles referencing other articles bringing up biology), self-help books, and a lot more websites. I think the most intellectual source Pace used was a PBS website article. There are NO academic journal articles, no encyclopedia articles, or even an interview with a specialist. Heck, chapter 7 ("Give Them Something to Talk About") doesn't even have any citations! When I typed "male female brain differences journal" into a Google search engine (which almost seems to be the method Pace used), I had numerous results from the Journal of Psychiatric Studies, the Harvard Medical Review, and many others. Pace could have easily done this or even ventured to the public library and requested some medical journals to back up her case. All in all, Pace has brought up stuff we, as an audience, already know, ignored a critical sociological element in raising genders, and used substandard sources to get us there. I'm under the suspicion Pace wrote this book for seminars and VERY casual reading for junior salesman. She could have done a WHOLE lot better.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A New Perception in Gender Marketing, December 22, 2009
This review is from: The X and Y of Buy: Sell More and Market Better by Knowing How the Sexes Shop (NelsonFree) (Hardcover)
Remember the old adage - women are emotional creatures? Can the same be true for men? Let's face it, compared to men, women are more empathetic and emotionally connected to other people. Examples of these gender differences are evident in everything we do, including how we shop. In The X and Y of Buy, author Elizabeth Pace argues that a sound sales strategy is founded on such principles of gender differences. Her aim in this book is to teach fellow professionals what motivates male and female customers to buy products, so they can use this knowledge to improve their profit margins. The author addresses her claims practically, using real life examples to scientifically analyze specific gender differences. Of the ten chapters, I particularly enjoyed Chapter 8 - The Economics of Emotion. Pace takes the reader through several scenarios pointing out partially obvious gender differences. I use the term "partially" because while you will readily identify with your own gender's point of view, you will also learn something new from the viewpoint of the opposite sex. Here are some of the subtitles Pace uses to point out gender differences in this chapter: "He trusts his institutions; she trusts her connections" Men tend to trust strangers in their clubs, companies or teams; women tend to trust strangers who share a personal connection such as a friend of a friend. "Men are wired for action; Women are wired for connections" Men will feel the need to discuss solutions and create a plan of action; women will need to discuss her feelings and evaluate perceptions before taking action. "In stress he'll fight or fly; in stress, she'll trend and befriend" Men tend to become physical or leave in stressful situations; women will find many ways to keep busy and talk through the stress. So, are men emotional creatures? YES! The trick is to know the keys to triggering the right emotions and avoiding the wrong ones. Although this book was written for marketing and sales people, I couldn't help but recognize how the information could be applied to relationships. There is a section in the book called "Sales Interrupted", where Pace states, "men view communication as a way to solve a problem, and interrupt only to introduce new information, change topics, or disagree - all forms of aggression. Women talk to form bonds and gain consensus; they interrupt to support, agree, or clarify - all forms of empathy. Women salespeople can improve face-to-face results by merely resisting the urge to interrupt to show support when listening to a man." Something to keep in the back of your mind at your next spousal debate! While this book may not be for the seasoned marketer, it is definitely for the new marketer searching for a fresh take on marketing approaches. The book is divided into two sections. Part one, covers gender differences and marketing tactics. Part Two, contains plenty of examples of face-to-face selling strategies. Pace's humorous writing style and use of visual aids, make for a very engaging and enjoyable read. My only disappointment with this book was the lack of sufficient academic research on gender differences that could have captured the attention of all marketing professionals.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More than just business marketing, this can help you in life, August 10, 2009
This review is from: The X and Y of Buy: Sell More and Market Better by Knowing How the Sexes Shop (NelsonFree) (Hardcover)
The X and Y of Buy is a book about gender marketing. Author Elizabeth Pace uses the scientific differences between men and women to help sales associates and entrepreneurs learn the best practices for dealing with different genders. the premise is; if you can market properly to men and women, you will be able to increase sales and expand your business. I really enjoyed this book. Pace gives us many tips and access to research to help us deal cross-gender. She tells us things like men are more driven and strait forward when it comes to sales. They do not want interruptions and need to get right to the point. Women, on the other hand, want more connection and community when it comes to business relationships. Women will deal with (or add to) the conversations and interruptions if it means a group can come to a consensus. The only place I found this book lacking was in the "spiritual content" department. Thomas Nelson is a Christian publisher and prides itself on having a spiritual message. If they did not, I would not be picking at this point. It would have been nice to see a link between gender-specific sales practices and proper Christian ethics. Maybe a chapter on how men could treat women with respect during a sales meeting (trust me, I witnessed the degradation of women in many a sales meeting) or some way women can deal with the constant sexual marketing happening today. Overall, it was a good book. I enjoyed reading sections aloud to my wife and more than once getting that "ah-ha!" moment as I found something that related both to business practices, and my personal relationships. I give this book 4 out of five stars. -Don-
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