Make sure you know your target customer

I love this topic and it’s one that’s so often overlooked. It’s a little more complex than some of the other strategies I’m sharing with you today, but worth putting up on your radar screen.

Knowing your target customer takes on an even greater meaning when you are selling your products or services across different generations. This requires an informed generational perspective to reach each market effectively. You need to recognize what influences their buying decisions. Not as complicated as it may sound, but a fascinating topic that’s to complex to go into detail here and now.

These changing dynamics require changing strategies. In other words, the successful strategies used in the past may not work with today’s decision makers. The approach you take and the language you use when selling to teenagers will be different to the approach you take selling to someone in their 50’s or 60’s.

Does this sound obvious? Or like so many other business owners have you not really given it a second thought? Do you just apply the language in your marketing that appeals to you and expect others to be on your wave length?

Here are some key characteristics of the four groups as they relate to sales and marketing, (accepted that these are generalisations);

  • Veterans: Ages 61-84: Led the way toward social change and are now retiring.
  • Baby Boomers: Ages 42-60: Grew up with prosperity and are into status symbols. Have high expectations and want to be fulfilled in every aspect of their lives.
  • Gen-Xs: Ages 26-41: Are willing to live with less “stuff” to have the lifestyle they want. Their battle cry is “I work to live; I don’t live to work.”
  • Gen-Ys: Ages 6-25: Want to be respected, and technology is an expectation, not an extra. They are very media savvy and team oriented.

Here are just a few tips that could help you in marketing to each generation;

  • Veterans: Appeal to their interest in seeking new experiences.
  • Baby Boomers: Want to have personalized service.
  • Gen-Xs: They know they are being analyzed and sold to, so understand their lifestyle and how they will use a particular product/service.
  • Gen-Ys: Respond to their expectation for instant communication. They tend to shop in groups, so there is a need to understand who the decision maker is.

Like I said at the beginning, a fascinating subject that with some careful consideration could make a huge difference to getting your message across to people in the way that will appeal to them and massively influence your sales results!

All the best,

Steve Clarke