"Men are born to succeed, not to fail."
- Henry David Thoreau

Tried & True Sales Training Is Typically Not Effective
To be successful in baby boomer and senior customer markets, providing sales and service personnel only "tried and true" training methods for marketing and selling, servicing and retaining this rapidly growing customer base is usually not very effective. The behavioral and perception changes caused by the aging process demands significantly different sales and service delivery approaches and techniques than currently provided to sales and service personnel.

We provide clients customized on-site training programs to improve sales and services delivery to baby boomer and senior customers:

 

Brain Power – The Driver of Marketing Communications – Everything You Thought You Knew About Marketing May Be Wrong.

Learn why markets are tougher and why understanding how the brain determines what messages we receive and that perception and behavior changes over a lifetime is the key to successful communications. Learn a new research and communications paradigm –“Consumer Behavior Marketing™”. Learn the five needs and shifting values of target markets and how we manifest them over life.

Learn why emotions are the drivers of marketing and sales and how the brain, mind and conscious processes information. Finally, learn the value of storytelling and “Conditional Positioning” and communications, approaches and messages that have the best chance of generating interest and converting that interest into a buying decision. Examples of effective and ineffective communications are discussed.

 

Brain Power – The Driver of Successful Sales - Consumer Behavior Selling Increasing Sales in Baby Boomer and Senior Customer Markets

Consumers are scrutinizing sales presentations, products and services more closely than before. In addition, the aging of global markets is having a substantial impact on sales and communications effectiveness. Currently, almost 50% of adult Americans are forty-six years of age or older. Over the next decade, the over-fifty markets will increase by approximately 50%. The less-than-fifty markets will increase by only 1% making middle age consumers the dominant players in the marketplace. This has presented sales professionals with the most independent-minded customer population ever. In midlife, behavior typically becomes more autonomous. Resistance to entreaties by others to take various actions – like buying a given product increases.

Learn the power of the brain in determining what messages get through to our conscious mind. Learn the so-called “senior” market does not exist and learn a new research and communications paradigm –“Consumer Behavior Sales™”. Learn how the brain determines the sales messages received. Finally, learn how to identify individual consumers' needs and purchase motivators, and create sales approaches and messages that have the best chance of generating interest and converting that interest into a buying decision.

Marketing & Sales to Baby Boomer & Senior Women - The Largest ‘National’ Economy on Earth

American women. The numbers are unequivocal, the gender differences are undeniable, the opportunity is inarguable and the market is enormous - economic opportunity No. 1”, says Tom Peters. Statistics overawe - Women are responsible for 83% of all consumer purchases. Vacations - 92%. Houses - 91%. Consumer electronics - 51%. Cars - 60% of purchases and significantly influence 90%. Choice of a new bank account by women - 89% of the time. Health care - 80% of decisions, over two-thirds of all health care spending.

Moreover, the baby boomer and senior women (born before 1965) have the most discretionary spending habits of all. Add in women's role as "purchasing officer" for consumer goods and for corporations and agencies, and, in effect, you have an American Women's Economy that accounts for over half of the U.S. GDP - about $5 trillion. The opportunity - trillions of dollars in the U.S. alone is waiting. American women by themselves are, in effect, the largest ‘national’ economy on earth. Unfortunately, too many companies don't get it and often pay little attention to these lucrative targets.

Learn why you must market differently to baby boomer and senior women and how to get beyond gender generalities to actionable tactics. Learn how to bring them to your brand-and keep them there. Learn what baby boomer and senior women cherish, what they take pride in and what baby boomer and older women enjoy or care about more than men do. Learn why baby boomer and older women seek more information and why their influence on your sales success doesn't end with their purchases.

Learn how to a more effective way to communicate, motivate, and market. Learn why “The Four Dimensions" marketing model is a useful tool with practical applications for enhancing your marketing and sales effectiveness. Learn what messaging is effective. Finally, learn how to follow through to face-to-face sales and service. Examples of effective & ineffective communications are provided.

 

How to Improve Customer Service & Increase Baby Boomer & Senior Customer Satisfaction - The 60-Year-Old Customer is Not an Older Version of Their 30-Year-Old Self!

Customer contact employees learn about the unique characteristics of baby boomer and senior customers and learn how to apply insights gained to improve operations, policy development and customer service and satisfaction. Learn: The critical nature of the 50+ adult markets. What makes baby boomer and senior customers different from younger markets? What drives baby boomer and senior customer attitudes and behaviors? How to deal with burn out. How to effectively satisfy an irate customer. Why customary customer service techniques may be less effective. How to improve communications to baby boomer and senior customers

 

Supporting Sales and Service Associates - What Management and Supervisors Must Know About Baby Boomer & Senior Customer Markets

Learn the management and supervisory techniques necessary to support successful marketing, sales and services to baby boomer and senior customers.

 

Building Customer Loyalty – Developing and Executing a Value-Oriented Customer Loyalty Program/Club - Adding Value beyond the Intrinsic Value of Your Products & Services

An Affinity/Loyalty Discount Benefit Program is a natural for companies looking to differentiate their product or services from competitors. An Affinity/Loyalty Discount Benefit Program can be defined as “the development, implementation, communication and management of a value added program beyond, and supporting, company services and designed to attract and retain targeted customers”.

Learn how to develop, execute and manage a program to increase profit and engage the support and loyalty of program members by providing them member-only company, national and local benefits and services. Learn the elements of a successful program, how the program benefits customers and the company, the resources needed and a formula to determine costs. Learn how becoming a program sponsor increases market share and provides an attractive edge against out-migration of program members to competitor and non-competitor programs.

 

The Play’s the Thing - Every Contact Is a Stage and Every Worker an Actor

With the consistent changing of markets and ever-increasing customer demands, it has become necessary for companies to assess their approach to meeting customer expectations. Developing and applying insights gained to determining appropriate direction and strategies for business are no longer an option. To compete effectively, companies must create memorable and lasting impressions leading to customer transformation. Leadership and management must begin the process of changing their company culture to create experiences that touch their customers and other stakeholders in a very personal way.

Based upon the book The Experience Economy and other sources learn why there is a need to create authentic, emotional experiences to build and encourage sustainable growth for the future. Learn why simply providing great service is no longer a winning strategy and practical insights to help company better compete. Learn a systematic approach to help meet changing customer expectations and are encouraged to look beyond the current business models. Learn “differentiation by experience” and that work is theater and that success comes from creating experiences and staging every customer interaction.

Learn how to “turn on” customers and tools for engaging them. Learn how to differentiate among commodities, goods, services, experiences and transformation and learn how to use goods as props and services as a stage to create experiences that engage customers in a profound way. Finally, learn how to customize goods and services to create memorable customer experiences.

 

The Price of Commitment – Managing the Dangers and Opportunities of Organizational Change. If the Only Tool you have is a Hammer, Everything looks Like a Nail.

To shift marketing and sales paradigms, learn the principles of organizational change management and the dynamics of commitment, creating a compelling case for change, change sponsorship, the effect of company culture and resistance to successful marketing strategy development and execution. Learn why the greater the commitment to effectively managing change, the more resources, like time, money, endurance, self-control, and ingenuity, must be invested to achieve the desired outcome.

Given these characteristics, learn why commitment is so important to major organizational change, the cement that provides the critical adhesion between people and marketing goals. Through exposure to the concept of Pain Management, learn the need for the creation of a compelling case for sustained strategies to be successful. Learn the nature and importance of key players and resistance in the strategies development and execution process.