Wanna make two gynormous mistakes when it comes to marketing to women? Then:

1. Believe that low, low prices are the most important thing to her.
2. Believe that you’re marketing to her and her alone.

Here are some recent purchases I’ve made:

When Price Didn’t Matter

• Spending $5.03 on a small container of veggies at AJ’s because the deli manager took the time to come out from behind the counter and find me in the store to tell me they were freshly steamed.

• Spending $15 more for a pair of fitness shoes on NB Web Express, because they have a free return policy (they even print out the return slip and place in the box) and they write personal thank you notes to their customers.

• Spending more than you want to know (you’d need smelling salts) on my Fuji road bike because when I was first shopping, the salesman at Bikes Direct spent 20 minutes talking about what my needs were and how I’d be using the bike before he even suggested trying one out.

When You Marketed to Me Through My Husband

• Well, there’s that little story of the kitchen tile…

• Recommending a local chiropractor to no less than three girlfriends because of the excellent experience Husband has had (and I’ve never been to see this doctor myself!)

When I Made Purchasing Decisions That Affected Others:

• Choosing Halloween treats for my WonderBranding class, opting to buy from a store that had listed driving directions on its website.

• Making hotel reservations for friends for the upcoming Wizard Academy reunion – choosing a hotel because I love their beds.

• Recommending my vet to a gal at my gym because of the fantastic experiences I’ve had when taking Penny the WonderDog.

Stop thinking you are marketing directly to women and that you always have to reach out for new customers. Your existing customers are the straightest line to profit and word-of-mouth influence. And don’t think that because you’re talking to man you have to act differently. Remember, he probably has a girlfriend/wife/sister/mother/daughter he’s going to turn to when he has a rotten experience, and that can be the worst kind of marketing-to-women strategy.