Midlife Marketing

Baby Boomers make up a third of the U.S. population and over the last few years have reshaped North American culture. For any organization to thrive, it will have to be attuned to boomer values and lifestyle. We are the generation that in the 60’s believed we could change the world. And, perhaps we are doing just that.

The choices that boomers tend to make are affecting all areas of American life – politics, business, politics, family, schools, and even religion & spirituality.

I, for one, have found it intriguing to study what baby boomers want and although this list is not all inclusive, it represents what I have seen to date:

What Boomers Want

1.To Make a Difference – Starting in the ‘hippie’ years, Love has been the number one cry of boomers. We want a world that works where people love one another and where we care for each other’s needs.

2. We Still want PEACE and we want to be safe-
Now, it’s not just war. We want our children and grandchildren not to have to face guns in school or predators lurking to abduct them. We want a world free of environmental disasters.

3. We want to speak and hear the truth – perhaps especially from the media and from our elected leadership.

5. We want adventure – we always have. Our generation enjoys travel, because we have come to know the world as connected. We also see travel as a way of visiting our global family and friends.
6. We want health care that works for all – and want to be assured that health benefits will be there when we need them.??

??7. We want to live longer and healthier lives. We want to cooperate with our medical providers – rather than to be told what to do.
??8. A new paradigm of age-ing. Especially in the media and among the beauty and fashion industry.

How Do You Lead 4 Generations In The Workplace?

Very Carefully!

For the first time we now have four generations in the workplace?presenting interesting challenges and opportunities to leaders, managers, and their teams. It is important to understand the nature of these challenges as we present a brief overview of traits specific to each generation. What?s even more important is to have some insight (and apply it) to each generation?s interactions, issues, styles, experiences and preferences.

Who are the four generations?
You might see some variation in the labels and dates used by other writers, with the following commonly understood:
The Silent Generation (a.k.a Traditionalists) were born before 1946
Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964 Gen Xers were born between 1965 and 1980
Millennials (sometimes called Gen Y or Generation Next) were born after 1981

Why is it important for leaders to pay attention to the four generations?

First of all, in many cases, they are not getting along in the workplace (and elsewhere). They don?t communicate well with each other. It?s important to observe the distinction between Age vs. Generation. Different generations care about different approaches to the same problems?at different times. Generational context is not about age, but common experiences. Do you remember ??don’t trust anyone over 30?? We heard that back in the 70s, and it was said by the Baby Boomers. Well, the Boomers retain many consistent generational traits, but now the youngest of them are over 40 and the oldest over 60. What a shock!

Leaders, managers and coaches do well to understand the dynamics and the potential outcomes of generational interaction and sometimes misunderstanding. When generations fail to communicate effectively in the workplace we may see a negative impact on the bottom line?through retention rates, grievances and complaints, tangible and intangible costs, morale, etc.

We need to ask powerful questions around issues related to the generations, such as:
What is the impact of differing communication styles?
What are some pitfalls in inter-generational communications–professionally and personally?
How can we enhance cross-generational communication?
How do we recognize each generation, if not by age or hierarchy?
How do common experiences shape the personality of a generation?
What are the challenges of leadership, management and team development that pertain to each generation?
What can we learn and apply from the formative years of each generation?
What are their favorite forms of entertainment and recreation?

What are some of the traits of each generation?
Considering the limitations of space, we can only present a small sampling of the many observable traits and patterns we see in the generations. Many resources exist for those who would like to delve deeper and/or find more examples.

The Silent Generation (Traditionalists)
Employees recognize the role of authority in a hierarchical organization.
Experienced smooth career passages.
Adopted a “just stick it out” attitude in their jobs (as well as in their marriages).
Expected traditional retirement at 65 ?but now may never want to retire.
Tom Brokaw calls them The Greatest Generation.

Baby Boomers
Boomers were beat up by downsizings and rightsizings and have always competed fiercely among themselves.
May have had several careers, employers or types of jobs
Tend to be workaholics and define themselves through work. May have guilt over putting career before family.
Tend to be self-centered and self-absorbed. They personify the ?me generation.?

Gen Xers
Saw the layoffs of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s and distrust big institutions.
Assume that every job is temporary.
Parents suffered fatigue, illness and divorce?want a better balance.
Avoid long hours and keep their work and personal lives separate.
Viewed as being less driven in their work habits and less loyal than Boomers
Skeptical, self-focused and self-protective at work.
Xers seek excitement and want to have fun at work. Want relaxed rules and a casual dress codes. Prefer e-mail to long meetings.
Will confront or publicly disagree with an authoritative manager.

Millennials
Watched Gen Xers rise and fall before and after 2000 (dot-com bubble-burst)
Want job security
Large in numbers; may need to compete for jobs..
Grew up with protective parents and might fear workplace conflict.
Great at multitasking; can work effectively on numerous activities at once.
Get along with their parents; may live at home for longer.
Thrive in a fast-paced technological world.

What approaches can we use in managing people?
Leaders have long-considered the influences of behavioral styles, company culture and urgency as they made decisions about their approach to communication in the workplace. Now we add to the mix–factors relating to generational differences.

New Approaches to Management?What?s NEXT?
š Notice who they are and how they respond
š Experiment with your approaches and responses to each generation
š eXtrapolate to future behaviors and choices
š Transition to new ways of relating to the generations

Brian Azar

www.SalesDoctor.com

919-620-1551

There’s so much that we can learn about marketing to the large population of baby boomers out there. I’ve come across several great articles that I’d like to share here.

The first is an article by Jim Gilmartin that talks about the way that older adults minds process information and how that differs from younger adults. Of course, the marketing strategy has got to change to match that thought process.

The second is a book that I am finally getting around to: It’s called “Dot Boom: Marketing to Baby Boomers Through Meaningful Online Engagement”

Here’s what you will find in the book:

A very compelling argument for marketing to Boomers using online strategies (think Web 2.0)
A method for attracting older consumers which doesn’t discount the younger ones
The keys to getting true brand loyalty from a boomer consumer
Some of the best practices in targeting Boomers – again, especially online
How to fully engage the consumer – an important word for boomers.
Some new ideas for media planning that involves groups of boomers.
Gilmartin’s article discusses eight progressive changes used by the older mind in processing information. In short, he talks about what marketers have been telling us for years. People are attracted by logic, but buy based on emotion. The baby boomer population loves to use intuition and is more adept at it than ever.

Emotionally based first impressions are more important than ever. “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” is even more important to older adults today.
We hear it a lot in internet marketing circles — but, it is especially true for boomers -.Content is king. Provide it willingly,and in massive detail.
Be complete – don’t leave out anything.
More resistant to absolutes Hype just doesn’t cut it with boomers.
Boomers look for meanings, nuances and subtleties. It is important to emphasize values rather than just generic usefulness. Boomers tend to like pictures as well!
Tell stories. Boomers like experience – so narratives and vignettes speak more loudly than prose content. Give examples, use testimonials. Storytelling has always been important to people – and has now become an even more important part of market strategy.
Body, Mind, Spirit – wholistic thinking prevails. Marketing to one facet of a person or product has less appeal than those which cater to the interests of the “whole” person.
Effective communication has always been key in marketing. Understanding how a baby boomer’s mind processes information is key. When creating an ad, TV or radio spot, web site or sales presentation you must first connect with a baby boomer’s idealized image of self. Tell stories, use testimonials and examples of how other boomers were helped by using your services. Engage the customer in every possible way.

As you know I’m very careful about what
I recommend to you.

If you market ANYTHING

this book . . .

The Heart of Marketing
Love Your Customers and They Will Love You Back
(Morgan James Publishing)

. . . is a MUST read for the future of your
marketing and the growth of your business.

And no surprise it’s already a best-seller at
Amazon – so if you already know you want to
get the book and maybe some extras to give
to friends since there is a serious discount
at Amazon – just go to:

http://theheartofmarketing.com

The authors, husband and wife psychology
team and Internet marketers Judith Sherven
and Jim Sniechowski are respected friends
of mine (REALLY)– and they are the voice for what
is known as Soft Sell Marketing.

Now an international movement, Soft Sell
Marketing is creating a heart-based change
in commerce — to one of consciousness
and conscience, caring and community.

And their latest book The Heart of Marketing
is now the published voice for this change!

http://theheartofmarketing.com

Answering 45 questions out of 772 that they
received during an Ask Campaign for their
“Bridging Heart and Marketing II” conference
this book is a soul-inspiring, heart-warming
turn-around in how you’ll approach your
business from now on.

AND when you purchase the book today
you receive Judith & Jim’s invitation to get
thousands of dollars in Bonus Gifts from
their Gift Sponsors — including David Riklan,
Mark Joyner, Christine Kloser, Scott Martineau,

Jody Colvard, Hay House, and of course Yours Truly!

You’ll even have the possibility to win
2 Tickets to Judith & Jim’s October 9-11
“Bridging Heart and Marketing III”
conference (a $997 Value).

So get The Heart of Marketing today!
http://theheartofmarketing.com

AND please pass this message on to all your
friends inviting them to get The Most Important
Marketing Book of 2009.

Judith & Jim received 43 incredible endorsements
including Mark Joyner and David Riklan

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

This title may sound a little ‘hoofy-poofy’ but
don’t let it fool you. Even if you’re a hard-nosed
skeptic who shudders at words like ‘love’ and
‘heart’ this book will radically boost your sales.
Feeling good about yourself afterwards will just
be a nice side effect.
Mark Joyner
#1 Bestselling Author of “Simpleology”
www.SIMPLEology.com

I really like the message embodied in “The Heart
of Marketing.” Part marketing, part self growth,
part spiritual expansion, this book opens the way
for your much larger future while changing the way
we’ve all thought about business and making money.
David Riklan
Founder, SelfGrowth.com

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

That’s how important this book is to the future of
commerce!

So get your copy today – and copies for friends
you care about –

http://theheartofmarketing.com

By the way, a percentage of book sales will
always be donated to Habitat for Humanity!

Because, as Judith & Jim say,

It’s ALL in the Connection,

.

Dr. Toni
In-Lightened Enterprises, LLC
2607 S Brink Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 330-9922

Conscious Aging

By
Judith Sherven, PhD and Jim Sniechowski, PhD

This afternoon I (Jim) began reading a book on subliminal persuasion. It’s not the first persuasion book I’ve read, but it is the first with an emphasis on subliminal.

And it goes against everything Judith and I believe in as Soft Sell marketers and advocates for the Soft Sell, heart-centered perspective—i.e. marketing with consciousness and conscience.

Just the use of the word “subliminal” is enough to go against how we want to market. But in case you might not have a formal definition, here it is (from www.dictionary.com):

Subliminal — existing or operating below the threshold of consciousness; being or employing stimuli insufficiently intense to produce a discrete sensation but often being or designed to be intense enough to influence the mental processes or the behavior of the individual
And for persuasion:
Persuasion—to induce one to undertake a course of action or embrace a point of view by means of argument, reasoning, or entreaty.
There are a number of problems with the juxtaposition of “subliminal” and “persuasion” as they are here defined, contradiction being the obvious one.

But I want to focus on what the author of the book I’m reading has to say.

Early on he states that he wrote his book as a key for controlling consumers. And that control is achieved because his techniques preclude any conscious evaluation on the part of the one being persuaded.

That’s obvious. After all, what else would “subliminal” mean?

But ask yourself, what’s the need for persuasion to be covert—subliminal? Why hide what you’re doing?

As a marketer, doesn’t the writer believe the customer is capable of making a sound decision? Or is he afraid that that’s precisely what the customer is capable of doing and may not make a decision in his direction?

Perhaps it’s his product. Or, rather, the quality of his product?

Or is it the quality of his soul?

This last is not an over-the-top question, because the writer includes within the first three pages, two entries that made the statement (my paraphrase):

I’m going to show you these techniques and they can be terribly misused. I’m being ethical in divulging this material. It’s up to you to use it ethically.
What’s his worry? Why the disclaimer?

Because he knows his objective is to minimize your critical thinking so that you will be open and emotionally available to accepting whatever he, as a marketer, is marketing.

Now it’s true that we all persuade every day. It’s part of being alive. Soft Sell marketers are not exempt. And we all need to do so because of what Judith and I call everyone’s natural, innocent, narcissistic preoccupation with our own lives.

For persuasion to work, you have to capture a person’s attention long enough to deliver your message. And your reader/listener must be intrigued enough to take it in and be impacted. That all takes time, a commodity in our ever-increasing and faster lives most of us preciously guard. And that makes persuasion harder.

But it’s the hidden quality of “subliminal” that bothers me. When the writer consciously chooses to be subliminal his motives become suspect. What kind of person is he? Why can’t he be straight up with me? Is he afraid? Or maybe just nefarious?

Questions tumble on one another creating a mound of mistrust and deep suspicion.

So as a Soft Sell marketer, that’s hardly the response you want. So your persuasion needs to be in plain view. Nothing to hide. Up front. Confident. Secure.

You know what you offer is real. It works. And you’re not only not afraid to make your claims, you are proud, excited, enthused, eager to demonstrate the results of your solution(s) . . .

AND willing to bestow on your customer the power and right to make a decision based on his or her critical assessment.

You are dedicated to not abusing the integrity of your customer—the receiver of your message—because you trust yourself and those you serve.

How else could you be the care-giver you are, the marketer whose ROE (Return of Experience) product or service will change lives for the better . . .

AND you are ready and willing to let everyone know as straightforwardly as you can.

Persuasion in plain view. Soft Sell Marketing. The marketing point of view of the future, for a better marketplace and a better planet . . . a better customer and a better you.

The Heart of Marketing is a great resource for anyone looking for solid marketing strategies and tactics with a Soft Sell, heart-based approach to create real profit and long-term customer relationships. Order your own copy of The Heart of Marketing within the next 24 hours and receive over $8,400 in bonus gifts from experts around the globe. Go to
http://www.theheartofmarketing.com