So you know not to ask a female prospect, “Do you need to check with your husband first?” But are you sabotaging your selling conversations with women in other ways? There’s no special sisterhood pass—both men AND women unwittingly turn off women prospects with habits they’ve picked up over the years.

In general, here are some key differences when it comes to selling to women:

1. Women start the decision-making process by seeking word-of-mouth recommendations from those she knows. Men prefer to get their information from impersonal sources such as websites, magazines, and brochures.

2. Women initially define the product or service by its end use—“I want a laptop to take with me on next week’s trip.” Men define the product or service based on key features—“I want a laptop with 17” high-definition screen, 320 gigabyte hard drive, and an Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor.”

3. When asked what they’re looking for, men will get straight to the point. Women may answer with a story. This is not a waste of time. Tune in and you’ll hear exactly what you need to identify the best solution for her—as well as how to position it.

4. Men focus on a few top criteria and march straight toward the decision by eliminating options that don’t fit. Women add criteria and more options to evaluate along the way as she gets new recommendations or thinks of other uses—“It would also be great if the one of the kids could use it when they both have papers to work on for school.” So her decision path is more of a spiral.

5. Men look for a good solution, but women want the perfect solution. So she will want a lot more information and ask a lot more questions. Women are much more attuned to detail so you shouldn’t ever brush off a question. The deciding factor may just be something you see as trivial.

6. The bad news is the initial selling process will take longer with women, but the payoff in repeat business and referrals will be worth it. Women are much more vested in the decisions they make, so they tend to be more loyal customers and a lot more likely to recommend you to others.

7. A man nods when he’s agreeing with someone and often means he’s ready to seal the deal. A woman nods to signal that she’s listening to you—not that she necessarily agrees and definitely not that she’s ready for you to “close her.” When she stops nodding, it means she’s tired of what you’re saying, so stop the monologue and start asking some questions.

8. A woman usually means it when she says “maybe” or “I’ll think about it.” Often she just wants time to review the new information and mull the decision over with a few friends. If you push too hard to close, she’ll decide you’re untrustworthy and write you off. It’s better to schedule a follow-up conversation.

If you’re interested in learning more, the best resource I’ve found on marketing to women is Marketing to Women by Martha Barletta.