Yes, women are starting businesses in the US and many other countries at twice the rate of men. But why are businesses owned by women still not taken seriously?

In my book, “Testosterone-Free Marketing: The Yin and Yang of Marketing for Women” I reveal why marketing is challenging for millions of women business owners. Many women don’t market as effectively. They get fewer sales and enjoy less financial freedom. Some women take to marketing and sales effortlessly. Most avoid it. Women have great relationship-building skills. However, as important as relationship building skills are, they usually won’t always take a business owner all the way to having a new client or customer.

Successful Home-based Business Ownership Requires a Shift in Skills

Women start businesses with years of skill honed in previous jobs. Or, they become distributors for a product they enjoy a passion for. They also bring characteristics that make them wonderful mothers, wives and friends. Sometimes those characteristics don’t serve them in business. When a woman shifts and becomes more pro-active and more confident - the business often finally takes off.

For example, many women feel uncomfortable ‘tooting their own horn.’ They were taught ‘a good girl’ doesn’t do that. Or, a woman may have been told to wait for people to come to her. Surprisingly, many women believe making a profit is cheating or taking advantage of customers. These ingrained traits make it difficult for women to succeed.

Who Else Wants to Say Goodbye to “Testosterone-Heavy Marketing?”

Many marketing books sport either infantry-division camouflage on the cover or war and sports analogies. “Scorched earth marketing” makes many women uncomfortable. Women are about relationships, not killing. These relics of ‘old boys testosterone-heavy’ marketing make women uneasy - but they’re unsure why. Women didn’t grow up playing “war.” And even if they did play sports, friendships were often more important than the score.

It’s time for women to re-frame marketing and view it not as “killing the competition” but as “creating” so they can put more profits in their purse. Women create the human race. We can give birth to, nurture and raise a successful business.

Katherine and Lana: Women at the Crossroads of Success

Katherine struggled. Her website business was a confusing hodge-podge of freebies. Nothing led visitors to believe the information was from an authoritative source. Katherine wouldn’t call herself an expert even though she was extremely knowledgeable. Because her site was loaded with freebies, the only people who visited were people looking for freebies - not buyers.

Her family scraped along. One year later with a lot of positve changes that helped her become a more savvy, confident marketer her business has much more cash flow coming in. She raised prices on her products twice and gives away a lot less freebies. She also charges $45 an hour for her expertise rather than giving it away. When she started making more money her marriage improved. Family life became more relaxed. Recently Katherine and her family moved into a larger, newer home.

Lana is a copywriter who specialized in working with non-profits. She’s bright and computer-savvy. Lana would cut rates because she couldn’t stop thinking how she would pay the rent. I told Lana she needed to build her value with effective marketing instead of cutting rates. When people tried to chisel down her rate it wasn’t necessarily because they couldn’t afford her - but because they wanted to get the best deal. She learned to attract clients willing to pay without discounting. In six months she switched from working with non-profits to business owners and quadrupled her rates.

Discover Erroneous Beliefs that Hold Women Back

I’ve coached over 1,200 people in marketing. Half men and half women. I teach strategies to help women understand automatic behaviors that don’t serve them in business. Knee jerk reactions can keep you from enjoying the success you deserve.
You can discover new ways to grow comfortable getting new customers and clients easily. This leads to a viable, profitable business. Once you understand the “cause” and “effect” you will look at owning a business differently. Marketing is not about being tough or manipulative. It’s about knowing your value, honoring you and stating it so people want to say “yes.”

Grow Market Savvy or Accept the Crumbs Tossed Your Way

You may be skilled, well-educated and talented at what you do. But you still have to market and sell. Women need marketing and selling support that’s comfortable and works with your style as a woman. When you do you’ll get a boost of self-confidence, have a business you love and enjoy marketing and selling. You can succeed, enjoy your freedom, relax and be yourself.

With over two decades successful experience in sales, advertising, public relations, market research and planning, Denise Michaels has worked with top authors and seminar leaders. Author of “Testosterone-Free Marketing” you can discover more about Denise online at http://www.MarketingForHer.com Or, email her at: smartprotege@msn.com