Crafting the Customer Experience For People Not Like You: How to Delight and Engage the Customers Your Competitors Don't Understand

BABY BOOMERS

The boomers are the “me” generation. Self-absorbed, self-aware, and self-sufficient, they grew up with definite ideas about what is good for them and the country. They are more knowledgeable, educated, and affluent than any other generation before them has been. They have a youthful mind-set and refuse to grow old. They value experiences. Most of all, they value how they see themselves—and that’s how they want you to see them, too.

Here are the key principles to keep in mind when providing a great customer experience for baby boomers:

• They desire personal growth. Whether it’s becoming fitter, learning another language, or seeing polar bears in their natural habitat, boomers want to do it—and be able to tell others that they did it. They feel a need to have a cause and visit places, species, and lifestyles that are vanishing to experience them for themselves. If you can show boomers how your product or service fits into their personal growth—and reflects well on them—you’ll be tapping right into what they value most.
• They value professionals. Previous generations placed much more value on self-reliance and doing things themselves, whether it was mowing the lawn or doing their own financial planning. Boomers, on the other hand, are fine with letting the experts, whether it’s their broker, their decorator, their landscaper, or their nutritionist, take care of them. When you are dealing with baby boomers, showcase how the product or service you offer fits in with their ...