Sex sells... eBay style

Men and women shop on eBay in very different ways, and if you have a product that is certain to appeal mostly to men or mostly to women, it's always a good idea to tailor your auction descriptions to take account of that difference.

There's plenty of evidence from studies of high-street retail to show that men view shopping as a chore, while women enjoy it. When it comes to deciding on a purchase, men like to know how an item works and what its technical specifications are; while women are keen to judge whether their friends will like it and how it will relate to other items they already possess.

Using gender differences to improve your auctions

You can use this knowledge to give your auctions even more impact. For a book that might be of interest primarily to a man, such the Rhodesia Medal Roll, I use plenty of concrete information: how long the book took to research, the number of awards it contains. Bullet points are a great way to get this information across quickly and conveniently. Men lose interest fast, so try to mention all your product's unique attributes, the things that make it special, in the first two or three paragraphs.

For a book whose audience might be primarily female, such as a cookery book like Where the Lion Roars, I use a description that appeals to the reader's emotions. Lots of adjectives, plenty of words that play on the reader's senses (can't you just taste those warm, buttery cookies crumble as you bite into them...?) and whenever possible an illustration of how the product might relate to the reader's home or to items she already possesses. For example, if you are a cook interested in new styles of cookery, telling you my favourite recipes from the book can help you to visualise how you might also use the book to explore different cultures' cooking, and might help encourage you to buy it.

Want to learn more?

A fascinating book that explores sex differences in retailing is Why We Buy, by Paco Underhill: strongly recommended.