"
Women in the driver's seat"- this tagline is though practical but in reality
society fails to understand it and those who understand it are leading the
market.
The
gender gap on Indian roads is rapidly decreasing. Like other roles, women in
India are taking the wheel in larger numbers - drift that happened - probably
can be attributed to several factors, including rising education and increased
career opportunities.
The
growth spurt in women drivers has prompted car makers to innovate and design
vehicles to suit women's preferences.
In gender-based
auto needs found that women today play an important role when choosing and in
some cases, even buying the family car.
“As women become the dominant car buying
segment, auto makers and suppliers need to change their product development
strategy”, advises Olivia Price-Walker, Frost & Sullivan Visionary
Innovation Senior Consultant. “The rise of the female car purchaser is
impacting OEM strategy and broadening some car categories. We believe OEMs will
win by developing products and strategies that are directed at women.”
Also,
considering women on the driver seat companies tend to come up with features
which are women centric. Study has identified eight key design trends of female
consumer vehicle preferences:
• A customized, spacious cabin
• High visibility around the vehicle and
a sunroof
• Green credibility and low CO2 emissions
• Intuitive controls
• Wellness features
• High quality materials (e.g. leather
seating)
• Auto assist functions (e.g. park assist
and sensorial doors)
• Personalization options (e.g. special
pedals for long heels)
But
are we into giving a better customer experience when we enter the showroom?
You do
not have to look far to find women who have had a bad car buying experience. "One
of my friend was buying a car recently, and she became more and more irritated
because the car salesman was talking only to her husband. So she said, You
know, I feel like you're not paying any attention to what I say.'" The car
salesman, surprised, insisted he was paying attention to her. "Oh
yeah?" she replied. "What's my name?" The dealer--who had made a
point of using her husband's name repeatedly--was speechless."
Just
a incident that also portray poor selling strategy or a poor sales pitch that
was never modified. It could also be stereotypical influence of society that
men will only buy car forgetting the point it could be opposite if not that
most men are influenced by women choices.
Men
and women communicate differently and can misunderstand cues and singles
differently. Car dealers don't have to offer cookies and manicures to improve
the buying experience. The most important thing they can do is change the way
they listen.
Mostly,
women like to tell stories. We don't talk in bullet points. When we come in to
get car serviced, we want to tell you
the whole history. But men tend to interrupt and cut to the chase, and that
makes us feel bad, like they're not respecting us.
Will
better listening work to increase sales?
Understanding
women psychology many online landscape offers female oriented review sites
assisting women with accessing information and transparency on car buying
(Truecar), car reviews, and driving tips (VroomGirls).
The
consciousness of the female buyership does not end in the showroom: Currently
one of the lowest global industry averages for diversity at 18 percent, the
automotive industry will proactively hire women at all levels.
Toyota
is the most popular brand among women , followed by Honda, Ford , Chevrolet and
Nissan.
Meanwhile,
a major percent of all MINIs are sold to women. The English brand is followed
by Kia, Honda, and Nissan.
Clearly,
women represent a substantial market for automakers, which justifiably invest
more and more time and financial resources to win them over. Nowadays, women
are synonymous with profits. So, gentlemen, don't be offended if you go to a
car dealership and the sales representative focuses on your significant other.
It's just that they've finally realized her major role and influence in the
shopping process and, ultimately, your purchase decision.
