Real You: I’m stressed, you’re stressed, how can we help each other?

Posted on | October 10, 2008 |

     A BettyConfidential.com survey confirms it: American women are stressed out. We’re worried about everything. Our finances, our kids’ futures, our life savings, our very way of life. Well, yep, that’s true. I didn’t need a survey to confirm it, but it’s nice to know my friends and I aren’t alone.

     So what’s a marketer to do? If you sell small comfort items, you’re likely seeing business blossom. Things Betty Confidential voters said they’d continue to buy included: beauty products (18%), manicure/pedicures (18%), chocolate (16%),  new shoes (10%), and interestingly, lingerie specifically from Victoria’s Secret or Gap Body (3%). Other answers from the more literary or high-brow women, I suppose, included books - smile struggling publishing industry - and a small number responded having their hair done. Only 15% said they wouldn’t spend anything on personal comfort items.

     So, let’s say you don’t own a spa, beauty salon, shoe store, candy store or Victoria’s Secret, what can you do to drive sales? Help calm us down. Especially if you are in the real estate or financial sectors, talk to us. Help us understand. Market to our fearful emotions with helpful information and eye-opening explanations. We want to understand, and the media is scaring us to death. And immobility. BettyConfidential.com found that the economic crisis is seriously affecting women on an emotional level. Half of respondents report a generalized sense of fear and concern, while another 18% report insomnia.

     This is stress is real. Yesterday I had the priveledge of speaking to a dynamic group of NAWBO women. These entrepreneurs are worried, but confident in their ability to make it through these scary times. I encouraged them to speak openly to each other about their fears, in an environment of trust and mutual support. And when it comes to marketing to their customers, acknowledge their fears, and provide accurate, informative advertising messages. Use digital media and take your time and all the space you need. Answer customer questions quickly and calmly. Monitor your online comments from your female customers and catch them before they get grumpy. Explain how your product or service can help. Women are jumping online in astounding numbers, they are networking and grumbling, too. That’s our nature, we tend, befriend and connect. Make sure we see your brand in a positive, supportive light. And remember, we’re all in this together, no matter your business, no matter what industry.

     According to the American Psychological Association’s newly released Stress in America survey, half of all adults say they are increasingly stressed about their ability to provide for their family’s basic needs, and 8 out of 10 say the economy is a significant cause of that stress. According to the study, women manage stress through some unhealthy behaviors, like eating poorly, shopping or napping. We’re exhausted, irritable, we’re having more headaches, we’re drinking and smoking more, and we are sad. (So, other categories benefitting during these times are the anti-depressant manufacturers, alcohol, tobacco and the diet industry.)

     Women worry about others first, and then themselves. Show her you care about her, and you’ll go a long way in reaching her.   And if you are a woman, take a deep breath and talk to a friend before you grab another piece of chocolate.

     Kaira Sturdivant Rouda is a regular columnist for eBrandMarketing, president of Real Living, the mother of four, and author of Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs. She’s stressed, but trying to breathe, and squeeze in more yoga.

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