• by Wayne Langley , January 26, 2015

I remember visiting my grandparents as a child for two weeks each summer. As I grew older, I watched them transition from their working days to retirement. At that time, the shift towards retirement often meant a slower pace of life, a casual retreat from social circles and carefully budgeted spending. Even though I now value those lazy days sitting on the front porch learning from my grandparents, I didn't realize that the journey they were on was transforming the experiences they would encounter for years to come. As consumers, my grandparents seemingly became virtually irrelevant to marketers of their day.  

Oh, how things have changed. The Boomers are of utmost interest in today's economy because, in most cases, they approach aging so differently than their parents did. They are active, independent, self-reliant and are positively anticipating the experiences ahead. The first generation to "work hard, play hard” isn’t going to slow down just because its cohorts can start collecting Social Security. 

In my work, I have opportunity to interact almost daily with Boomers who are now at the same life stage that my grandparents were at when I was a young boy. As I listen to Boomers, I’m learning that they see their journey as anything but slow-paced, and they’ll spend a lot along the way, buying about 36% of new cars and accounting for 80% of all travel expenses. In fact, Boomers are planning to spend more money during retirement than did any generation before them. Further, it seems to me that, in many cases, Boomers are more socially connected in retirement than they were during their working days. Close to 100% own a computer, and 70% connect on Facebook. There’s no doubt about it — the Boomer experience will be different.

Given these dramatic shifts, what are you doing to position your products and services to meet the higher demands of Boomers? Here are a few questions to ask yourself to ensure that your organization’s people, processes and property all work together to appeal to the Boomer psyche.

Your people: Does your team understand the Boomer mindset? How well do their attitudes mesh with the way Boomers approach their life journeys? 

Your processes: Do Boomers find it easy to interact with your offer? Are your processes easy to maneuver? Does your technology enhance the buying experience or hinder your customers’ attempts to approach your offer? 

Your property:Do the physical assets you deploy in delivering products and services capitalize on what Boomers value? If you rely on Boomers to engage your product or services on your premises, what are you doing to position your physical assets to make them Boomer-friendly? Are you finding balance between appearance and practicality? I can't help but think of the amount of "accessible" seating available at the last rock concert I attended  — and it was filled to capacity.

Age and physical condition no longer restrict buying behaviors. Making your interactions with Boomers a positive experience doesn't happen by chance. Purposeful decisions by you leverage the investments you've made in your people, your processes and your property.  

If you are going to do business with Boomers, you must be efficient throughout every step of their buying process. You must look relentlessly for ways to make it easy for Boomers to embrace your brand. Their active lifestyle doesn't allow for time wasting or frustrating shopping experiences.   

One last thing to consider: Your definition of “excellence” must mirror that of the Boomers you want to attract. Over the years, my expectations for excellence have been shaped to a large degree by the buying decisions I’ve made. My margin of acceptance for goods and services is far narrower than that of my parents, and the chasm between my expectations and theirs is monumental. Making sure your organization has a firm grip on excellence is critical to having Boomers embrace your offer.