When Asking Is Defeat

The stereotype of a man refusing to ask for directions while driving may carry over to shopping as well.

The stereotype of a man refusing to ask for directions while driving may carry over to shopping as well. A survey shows that women are much more likely to seek out other people for guidance about wine purchases, usually  friends and family. Men are less likely to ask others for help, and instead prefer to get information from impersonal and published materials, as well as from their own experiences. However, the decision about whether to seek help with a purchase from a retail clerk or family and friends depends on a man’s level of knowledge about the purchase. If in a purchasing dilemma prompted by inadequate information, men will turn to others for advice. The findings could help marketing professionals develop better strategies for selling their products. The study had 543 men and women who considered themselves wine consumers fill out surveys. The subjects answered questions about how they went about purchasing wine in various scenarios, such as for consumption at home, a gift, or dinner party. Men viewed themselves as more knowledgeable about wine than women did, with 59 per cent reporting a high level of subjective wine knowledge, compared with 46 per cent of females.