In our recent webinar, we discussed how you can improve sales across generations. You might be able to relate to and sell more to a certain generation, but it’s important not to skip over other generations and miss out on impactful sales you could be making. It’s important with every marketing message you produce, every sales call you make, and every prospect you connect with to always know as much as you can about the needs and desires of that audience (even an audience of 1). One of the most important demographics to note is age.
From there, you narrow your target by choosing the message you share, how you share, when you share, and more. You should be asking yourself, “Am I using the right tools and channels of communication to connect with the right generations I’m targeting?” If you’re not confident in your answer, you’re nearly guaranteeing that your messages aren’t being received. You might be surprised about how different generations respond to certain tactics. That’s why we hope you will appreciate some of our tips below for communicating to Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials.
Reaching Different Generations with the Right Messages
While selling a product, you have to speak your customer’s language based on their background. The historical experience of the baby boomer is far different than the millennial. Not to mention the vast difference in the tools and technology they are most familiar with or drawn to. It’s important we take a step back and understand each generation. Then we can ask ourselves “Are my current selling habits helping or hindering me and my goals?” So, let’s take a look at each generation.
Baby Boomers: Age 51-69
Post World War 2, Baby Boomers became the wealthiest, most physically fit, and most active generation up to the era in which they arrived. These baby boomers were born into an expectation of the world improving, especially because of the recent Great Depression.
Baby boomers also had major influence in social change–changes in not only their conservative political views, but also disengaging from many traditional values. 42% of baby boomers were dropouts from formal religion.
Tips For Reaching Baby Boomers:
- Be Positive
- Communicate with the idea of Person to Person, as much as possible
- Keep in mind that they desire control
- Be direct
- Make them feel like a priority
- Watches a lot of TV
Generation X: Age 36-50
Sadly, this generation is sometimes referred to as the “lost” generation. Low voting rates and disengagement from the community along with the uprising of rock bands and hip-hop is what drove the generation to be considered “lost.” Generation X is often very skeptical, having a “what’s in it for me?” approach.
Generation X is well-educated, as college began to be highly encouraged among them. They are sometimes described as entitled from the previous baby boomers’ wealth. They grew up with more services being given to them making them a generation of short-term thinkers. Think- “Need this now.” They grew up being sold to as many brand taglines and jingles became familiar in most households. We also see where divorce began to rapidly increase during this time in history causing more cautious and protective parenting for their children.
Tips For Reaching Generation X
- Don’t push to buy
- Be authentic
- Prove what you are saying
- Comfortable with the online space
- Values informative emails and reputable reviews
Millennial’s: Age 15-35
This tech-dependent generation grew up often praised for their accomplishments. They are also described as well-educated and more diverse. Millennials are ambitious but also directionless, often looking for new and exciting events while trying to find their purpose. Because of the previous generation’s safety and protection, it has taken millennial’s longer to “grow up” or do life on their own, often either relying on their parents for longer or rebelling at an early age.
Many millennials are also unique in a way because they are not as brand loyal as the previous generations. However, if they get behind the story or mission of a brand, they can fully get behind that brand, even to a fault. Because of the higher divorce rate of generation X, millennials have had more of an input and impact on their family decisions. The millennial generation is quite interesting because of their engagement in technology. They are the most connected to people outside of their state or even the country.
Tips For Reaching Millennial’s
- Be quick and engaging with your information (use video often)
- Offer something for free, when possible
- Instant gratification
- High Tech
- Looking for the New or what’s next
Keep these tips in mind when targeting all ages and you should see your sales boost across the generations. Make sure you’re signed up for our next webinar, Check Your Gauges: Setting Goals, Tracking Leads, and Closing Sales on August 15th at 1:30 pm. Register here.
