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"Clarkson Effect" Tackled as Merseyside and Cheshire Bang & Olufsen Franchise Recruits Women (23/2/2006)

Businessman Nigel Sherlock is embarking on a women-only recruitment campaign - but can't be accused of discrimination.

Nigel, who owns a number of Bang & Olufsen franchises in Cheshire and Merseyside, has carried out research which suggests he could as much as double his sales if he could recruit more female staff.

But the opportunity only came to light after comments from Manchester University psychologist Dr Christine Bundy - and her response to Nigel's bid to build business with hi-fi and TV buyers provided him with a shock.

"Men may like to read about the spec and style, but it's women who actually make the practical decision of what or whether a home entertainment system should be installed - this is because most people regard this as a piece of furniture in the broadest sense, and women largely make decisions about style in the home," said Dr Bundy.

"Many women don't like going in to perceived male-gadgety environments like home entertainment stores as they can be intimidating unless they know what they are talking about.

"In many cases they actually do know their stuff, but having women advising and demonstrating home entertainment systems to other women in their homes may break down traditional domain barriers.

"It's The Clarkson Effect. Jeremy Clarkson may be the man's man, but while he and his ilk will bluster on about gadgets and electronics, it's actually the women of the household who make the buying decisions in many cases."

This conclusion sent Nigel consulting lawyers and researching women's buying preferences.

"As we're in growth mode we'll interview anybody with relevant experience, male or female. But The Sex Discrimination Act says that I can choose someone of a particular sex to be offered a job when that job calls for a man or woman to be employed for reasons of physiology," said Nigel.

"Essentially, that means scenarios in which women can be the only real choice for the job - cab firms, gyms and certain types of retailers fall into that category," he added.

"This started when my wife and I, along with my store management, were looking very carefully at how we could sustain our growth in 2006, and after some considerable head-scratching and research we concluded that only a fraction of our customers were female. Research in our sector also indicates that more people want to see home entertainment systems demonstrated at home.

"We asked a number of women what would persuade them to consider doing business with us. They each said pretty well the same thing: married or partnered women didn't like going in male orientated stores on their own, even though they'd probably have the final say on purchase, and professional working women - many of them single - didn't have time, but they each liked the idea of seeing the equipment in context at home.

"The answer is to take the system to their homes, but many also said they'd prefer to be shown the equipment by other women. We thought this might be a security issue on the part of the prospective customer, and, while it is to an extent, a crucial factor is that prospective female buyers find it far easier to tune in to what other women are saying, while women who are selling or advising can present the equipment in a way a man never would.

"It may actually work in another way as well. Sometimes a group of women get together for home demonstrations, and some of my male staff have said it can be quite scary or intimidating demonstrating to a group of women who clearly know their stuff," he added.

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