The Marketing Guide to Understanding Men

With the Dow dipping below 9000 and budgets for anything but essentials shrinking, it's more critical than ever to get the right message out about your company. If you plan to target men, here are 10 things you must do to persuade them to open up their wallets.

Bone Up

Just like with any target audience, do your due diligence and try to understand what their core issues and concerns are, says Mitch Meyerson, author of eight personal and business-development books, including "Guerrilla Marketing on the Front Lines: 35 World-Class Strategies to Send Your Profits Soaring" (Morgan James Publishing). If you don't know how your target audience arrives at a decision or why they are buying products in your industry, your pitch will fall flat.

Be Short and Sweet

Time is money. For men, especially, the pitch needs to be brief and to the point, says Brian Lowery, CEO and managing partner of OutSell Consulting, a consulting firm that specializes in working with sales and customer-services companies. He adds, "Most men I've dealt with who are in a position to buy a lot of what I have won't tolerate someone who's unfocused and not clear on how they can add value."

Be Direct

Men take fewer cues than women, says John Cogliandro, author of "Intelligent Innovation: Four Steps to Achieving a Competitive Edge" (J. Ross Publishing). Those cues must also be obvious and direct. An example: You need to grow more hair to be manlier, so buy Rogaine. "The message," he continues, "has to be linear and stronger than for women."