As a female in the home improvement field, I get asked questions differently than my male counterparts. Sometimes, guys come to me instead of other guys who do what I do. There is a reason for that and for now I’ll give you one reason why.
One morning, I was into my second cup of coffee and catching some news in the background while browsing through a handful of mail. My phone rang a few times and I hollered at my secretary that I was busy. But, we have an informal work relationship and she told me that she was in the middle of something herself. So, I picked up the phone.
It was a guy on the phone who needed some home improvement advice. Well, that’s what I do. So, he had called the right person. But, it seemed that it was hard for him to get the question out of his mouth. After several attempts, he had worded enough to say, “Can you come look at my house and I’ll explain things there.”
That’s not a hard proposition. I met him a few hours later at his house. We walked through and my thought was, “There’s nothing to this place.” It was functional, totally utility. It had everything you need. Nothing you really want.
But, that’s none of my business. I was there to hear the question and give my best possible answer. After meeting with the guy and walking around his home, talking about different rooms, he finally came out with what he had been trying to ask all day. It was awkward how he worded it, so I’ll put my own spin on the question.
“How do I make my home a little more romantic?”
Of course, the answer was easy for me. I’m a woman and I know what I would like to see in a man’s house if I am dating him. But, now you can see why it was a little difficult for him to ask me in the first place. He knew to come to me. He wouldn’t even begin to ask another guy that question. But, it was even hard for him to just come out and let me know that was why he was seeking my advice.
So, I began. I had to consider the fact that he was a man and had to put forth a manly presence in his own home. But, he needed to dress things up a little to make the atmosphere more welcoming to the women he was dating. Pictures on the wall would be a nice place to start.
Now, I’m a home improvement expert, which means that construction and carpentry are more up my line of business. But, I don’t have a problem taking a few minutes out of my day to help a guy with home décor issues. I started with describing to him what kinds of pictures would do great.