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Adam's Advice: Know & Connect with Seniors (Tips 11-15)

We'll finish up our look at the Senior market this week. Take these final tips to heart, and grow your business!

11. Seniors are Patriotic - Patriotism is a key theme to use in the relationship building process with your Senior clients. They were all touched by the World Wars and as a result, holidays like Veterans Day, Fourth of July and Memorial Day are likely to evoke strong emotions for them. By remembering and celebrating these important holidays you will gain both their trust and their respect. You should plan your advertising and direct mail well in advance of these important dates.
12. Nostalgia - Anything that helps reconnect the Senior with those days gone by will help to connect them to you and your agency. Whether it is the Big Band music playing on hold when they call you or the mailing with an article from the past, you will be reaching them on an important, happy and emotional basis. Consider sending them a newspaper front page from their home town along with their birthday card. Make sure that you incorporate nostalgic elements in your newsletter as well. If you can assist your Senior contacts to reminisce about the good old days you will build a stronger, more personal relationship. And that should be, after all, your goal.
13. History - Just as there is a tremendous emotional bond created with nostalgia, history also offers another such opportunity. When you look at the demographics for the viewers of the History Channel, you'll find that it is highly weighted with Seniors. This provides another opportunity to build those bonds and create personal relationships. When you are writing your newsletter articles, remember that there may be more interest in reading something historical with this audience.
14. Discounts - All Seniors love coupons. They like to feel like they are getting a deal. So make sure to use coupons in all of your marketing. Send coupons to Seniors to thank them for their patronage, to give to their friends, to induce them to use your services; in short, for just about everything. Make it a practice when you are discharging a client to be sure to give them a coupon for some free services if they ever need home care services again.
15. Online - Do not overlook the Internet as a very important communication and marketing channel for the Senior community. Seniors represent the fastest growing segment of Internet users today. Some 74% of them use the Web for obtaining health information! Seniors will also stay online longer and read further than other age groups. But you must make your site Senior friendly. Larger, dark-colored fonts on a white background is essential for legibility. Include pictures of your staff and your happy clients on the site. Testimonials are very powerful, as well. Whenever possible, include the person providing the testimonial's photo. And, of course, keep your Website design consistent with your printed materials.

BONUS - Exude Caring - In addition to the 15 Steps we've covered in the past three weeks, to gain maximum benefit, you must exude caring, from the top of your organization to the bottom. Home care professionals are by nature caring individuals. But make sure that it is not just your caregivers that are caring. Everyone in the organization must genuinely show that they care. Everything that you do must illustrate that caring attitude and feeling.

What constitutes "caring"? Paying that little bit of extra attention to them. Taking the time to visit with them in person just to "get caught up." All of us need and want to be treated special. Very few Seniors will demand it, but all of them will appreciate and cherish it. You will get a greater return on your investment in the high-touch and customer service aspects of your service delivery than other industries. Serving the Senior population is a tremendous opportunity and a very rewarding endeavor. Make sure you get the maximum return on your investment in doing the right things for the right reasons by making sure that it is clear how much you care.

If you will incorporate all 16 of the items we've covered, I guarantee that you will see your agency grow dramatically over the coming years. You will have built relationships with clients that will refer their friends and family to you for years to come. You will have loyal clients that would not think of having anyone else provide home care services for them, their family or friends.