News > Headlines


Adam's Advice: Know & Connect with Seniors (Tips 6-10)

We'll continue our close look at the Senior market this week, in an effort to better understand this important audience and further your agency's growth!

Steps 6-10 are below:

6. First Impressions - How many opportunities do you get to make a first impression? First impressions are important in all arenas but none as important as with Seniors. Seniors make judgments based on first impressions and hold them near and dear to their hearts. The importance cannot be overemphasized.

Therefore, your staff must answer the phone in a friendly manner, make the caller feel welcome and project a positive impression of your agency. That first contact may be the only opportunity you get if they don't! Your staff must also be sure to wear proper attire that will reflect a professional image of your agency in the community. Tell your staff that "proper attire" is what they would wear to visit their grandmother.

7. Seniors See Themselves as Younger than They Are - Never make the mistake of labeling your clients as "old". They don't like it (would you?) and it can prevent you from creating a true bond with them. Studies have shown that Seniors see themselves as about 10 to 15 years younger than they actually are. You will never gain the connection that you are trying to develop with your clients if you treat them as if they are old. This seems like a no-brainer, and yet many agencies never give this any consideration in their programs. And not only should it be an important part of staff orientation and training, but you should also make a concerted effort to craft marketing and advertising messages to reflect this consideration. After defining your ideal target market, use photos of models that are 10 years younger than your market in your ads. They'll be sure to identify!

8. Seniors Like to Read - Seniors generally have more time to read and they take advantage of it. They will read direct mail pieces more frequently than other segments of the population. In fact a large majority of mail sent to Seniors gets opened and read. They enjoy receiving mail, such as postcards, and look forward to it on a daily basis. What an opportunity for home care and hospice (other direct mail marketers would kill for this opportunity)!

If you want to build a highly successful agency with a steady flow of new referrals you should frequently review your direct mail program. Do not spend money on ineffective campaigns. Monitor responses and design programs with controls in place. The design of your mail piece will make a huge difference in results, so be sure to consult or retain an expert to assist you with your campaign design and execution. If you think direct mail doesn't work, you either haven't tried it or you're not using the right techniques!

9. Seniors Like to Write - Seniors grew up in an era that involved much more writing than we're used to these days. So don't hesitate to provide them with the opportunity to communicate with you in writing from time to time.

At the very least you should allow them to tell you how satisfied they are with your services or communicate any flaws in service delivery. They don't like forms and circle-the-number customer satisfaction tools. Give them the opportunity to actually write to you with full answers to your questions. Always ask them for their help. They love to feel needed and involved; it builds a stronger relationship. And remember, when they do communicate in writing, never fail to recognize, thank and respond to them. They should be able to see the results any time you take their suggestions and put them to use.

You might also consider holding a writing contest among your clients. You can then reprint (with their permission) their submissions and those of their peers in a booklet to distribute. Or feature them in your monthly newsletter for clients.

10. Importance Placed on Your Agency's Image - As you saw in number 6 above (First Impressions), Seniors place a high degree of importance on image. So, all of your printed materials should be professionally designed and printed on high-quality paper. The size and type of font should be easy to read (bigger is better for Seniors) and not too fancy. Photos of your staff will always make your materials more personal; just be sure to use professional photographs to portray the best quality image. Remember that people prefer to buy from people not companies. Be sure to limit your on-hold music to either Big Band or Classical (styles that Seniors embrace). And if you have a message on hold, make sure it's welcoming and friendly to Seniors. Remember who your market is!

We'll finish up with Steps 11-15 next week!