You will have to have been residing in a cave the last few years to not know that the Baby Boomer Generation is one of the wealthiest, most active generations yet. I am proud to be counted among that number. Another truism about my generation is that if your business reaches me, it will also reach my parents, my children and my grandchildren. I stay abreast of all of their likes and dislikes so that I can use my buying power to provide travel, entertainment, clothing and dining for them as well as for myself.

We Boomers do not belong to a generation that adheres to the concept that we have never needed that type of (technology, transportation, entertainment, etc.) before so why should we invest in it now. We Boomers want to embrace the new while at the same time retain our appreciation for the old. I want to know the terminology of the younger generation but do I want to be greeted by a “Howdy” when I walk into the establishment staffed by that generation. The answer to that is a resounding “No!”

That’s why marketing to us is not only a challenge, it can be a rewarding teachable moment. Just like when I started watching the new animated films with my grandkids. Did I go into the theater expecting to be entertained? No, of course not. Was I expanding my horizon or merely pleasing my grandkids? I will be honest and say that I was merely tagging along to play the “grandma dollar card” and see the smiles. Because I have an open mind, it was blown away by the creativity, the underlying humor, the exceptional message and also by the smiles.

That’s when I started paying attention to the markets and marketers who approached me. For instance I learned when I went into a store to purchase a new computer system that I was practically invisible. Salespeople walked right by me in an attempt to go visit with either a younger customer or go back to their station to visit with other salespeople. When I did leave the store with no computer in tow and was asked if I found everything I needed, my response was that “I would have spent a lot more money if someone had actually paid attention to me!”

Boomers are not invisible, we are on the cutting edge of technology, we are stylish, we are financially savvy and we have realized that we can’t take it with us, so we are more generous with our spending power. We will pay more for good service and we will remember the server. We will cultivate new social circles that will be multigenerational. We have a healthy admiration for the younger population and know that their future will be full of change and charged with energy and success, but are very thankful that we grew up with party lines, no remotes, no GPS systems and we learned patience when ordering items because “next day delivery” wasn’t even a concept much less a realization.

So here is my suggestion for businesses who want to romance the Boomers:
• Invite a Boomer to a training session to critique the verbal interchanges that may take place within your organization.

• Stand back and actually “look” at that market. Watch the purpose in their step, the pride in the way they carry themselves and what their eyes settle on when they enter your establishment and the expression on their faces.

• Be visible and attentive but not overwhelming.

• Anticipate some of the questions they might have and have the answers.

• Be prompt.

• Be neat.

• Smile.

• No “Howdys”.

• Don’t stand in the corner on the phone where we can see you.

• Don’t gossip about people around other salespeople because I could be that person’s mother/cousin/friend or…

• Realize that my initial visit may just be a walk through or I may have a distinct purpose, treat me the same either way.

• I would not expect you to be tolerant and appreciative of my generation if I cannot extend you the same courtesy. I am not above learning how to be a courteous consumer.