Saturday, July 4, 2009

The X and Y of Buy

As a reviewer for Thomas Nelson’s book review blogger program, http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ I recently read The X and Y of Buy, by Elizabeth Pace. It is a well-organized and interesting book. The author does not portray either sex in a discriminatory or derogatory way, but rather in a straight-forward, matter-of-fact manner, without being too technical. She explains how to market to both sexes and why there are differences in how sales are made to each sex, based upon the variations in the male and female brains. At the end of the chapters there are male/female summary charts and paragraphs which allow for review of what was covered, as well as serving as quick reference tools in the future.

Even though I am not a salesperson, I found the information about the differences in the male and female brains to be fascinating and useful in everyday life. For instance, I learned why men and women view maps and math problems in different ways, why men can more easily parallel park a car, and why women are able to multi-task. The pointers shared on how to communicate with both sexes in ways that they will actually hear you, can certainly benefit anyone, not just people employed in the world of sales. It seems to be particularly relevant for anyone in the workplace as they must often “sell” ideas to a boss or a co-worker. I learned why some of the ways I talk and listen to males are not ideal, and discovered more effective ways to do both. It is easy to relate to the information and makes sense as you think of people around you and the corresponding relationships. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the differences in male and female brains and how these variations relate not only to the retail world, but to life in general, as well as to anyone hoping to improve communication between the sexes.