Secret: how to satisfy a woman

First published in Real Business Magazine

The good news for entrepreneurs is that very few multinationals and big companies have BMW's agility. It will take them eons to turn their oil tankers round. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs who can turn on a sixpence have a marketplace just waiting to be grasped.

Nearer to home, my own company Flowcrete produces seamless, concrete-based flooring – you’ll see it in airports, factories, and car parks around the globe, even at Space Age NASA and the iconoclastic new Wembley Stadium.

Last year, as entrepreneurs, we recognised a huge untapped marketplace for female-friendly commercial flooring: vivid, bright colours, metallic finishes with eye-catching, unusual effects to enhance the retail and leisure experience for the ladies.

Next time you check in to Royal Ascot, 02 Arena, Selfridges or Westfield Shopping Centre, you will see how we have captured the designer, fashion and big name retail store marketplace. In just 12 months these new female-friendly products have added £2m to turnover – and you should see the effect on the bottom line.

Even before that, we captured an incredibly profitable marketplace in flooring that made previously threatening environments, such as multi-story car parks, so much more reassuring, safe and female-friendly.

And our own people are taking the message on board. One of our salesmen has embraced the positive benefits of recognising la différence; when calling on female architects, he wears bright colours and even dons a pair of stunning, ice-blue contact lenses. Does it work? He's a top performer (but then, all our people are!).

So, how do you satisfy the girls?

• People first. Women are more sensitive, more people-centred than men are – and mature women are especially interested in family ties, community involvement and global wellbeing.

• Emphasise helpfulness, caring, closeness. These are values that mid-life ladies relate to.

• Harmony not rivalry. Don't bang on about being the best or how you’re defeating opponents – testosterone might be important for men but it’s a switch-off for women. (Support and harmony is what a woman seeks.)

• Green for go. Women really do care about the environment, the future of the planet. It’s a hot button waiting to be pressed.

• Honesty. Ethics are high on a woman’s agenda – she will stay faithful to a brand if she feels an ethical bond.

• Stories, not statistics. Men love statistics, graphs and charts; women love stories. This is a fundamental difference that needs to be understood. Communication style is important to win with women.

So there you have it. The future is female and, for the entrepreneur who recognises it, the future is bright!

As an inspirational speaker, Dawn has presented on the topic of the feminisation of society. Click to download presentation Wake Up to the Purchasing Power of Women (pdf)