Our customers are changing.
Think of this. A person born in 1945 is too young to remember World War
II, let alone the Great Depression. Do you know that I have a daughter
who is 38 years old, but she has not lived one day on this earth that
there has not been a Jumbo Jet in service. I remember when the Boeing
747 first came out and was huge news. Also you might want to consider
that anyone who was born in 1945 probably acquired his skills as a
financial decision-maker and consumer smack-dab in the middle of the
"Don't-Trust-Anyone-Over-30" and "Question-Authority" era. And he or she
has more than likely passed their skepticism on to their children. But,
this situation has also given a rise to something new and good for our
businesses.
It’s Those Youngsters who are
doing it!
So, those hyper-cynical,
ultra-skeptical "Generation Xers" are now your 26- to 47-year-old
customers. And as if that isn't challenging enough, two additional
changes have given our customers even greater reasons to distrust
anything they see, hear, or read in the media - including our ads... First, The National Enquirer made its appearance at supermarket checkout
counters, packed with stories of alien encounters, Bigfoot, and other
such horse-pucky. And the national media figured it out too - and most
TV news programs began spending less time covering news that matters and
much more time covering stories that will never affect you or your life.
And now, there is email and the
internet. A new and even less responsible medium than traditional news
and marketing sources. Many websites can be equally hazardous to our
financial health. Since you can pretty much say whatever you want on the
'net - whether it's true or not - many people do. Let’s face it - online
advertising claims need to be taken with a grain of salt.
What does all of this mean to us?
Everything you think you know
about attracting new customers and keeping existing customers is
starting to become obsolete. Overcoming the skepticism of today’s
generation is your single greatest challenge.
Can it be done?
It can. Despite the fact that our
customers are radically different than their parents and grandparents,
they do have one thing in common. The ‘new’ I referred to in the opening
paragraph. Because this generation did not have to live through a
repressive economic depression such as the 1930's or a world war like
the one in the 1940's they do not have the same penny pinching
tendencies of the previous generations. In other words, "They like to
spend money. "
We Want What We Want!
The desire to feather our own
nests... to purchase products that can make us richer or healthier... to
buy things that save us time, effort, or money... to spend money on
things that relieve us of boredom or loneliness or improve our status. While these basic human desires have always been there, they
are every bit as powerful as they ever were and today’s generation has much more spendable income and far less social bias to contend with. As a result,
they often will not hesitate a minute in spending their money, once they
are convinced that what they are buying is going to accomplish one of
the desired results.
But if we are to appeal to this
new generation of ever-more-skeptical customers, then the way in which
we deliver our message, that our products will satisfy their needs and
desires, must change. Today, it's all about the relationship between
you and your customer or downline... and building credibility
and friendship over time.
Business people who deliver value,
invite involvement, and create a sense of community among their
customers before expecting a sale are growing by leaps and bounds, those
who cling to the old models are losing ground.
"Big promise" headlines are no
longer working.
Today's prospects are more likely
to ignore sales communications that look and sound like sales
communications. Instead, topical, newsy, and intrigue leads that key on
something they are already thinking about often work best.
Though the "in-your-face,"
high-energy marketing model still works for some, it is clearly
losing it’s appeal and effectiveness. Now, it’s more about persuasion. Climbing inside your prospect's head... fully understanding what he or
she is wanting, then presenting that information in a way that's
engaging, lively, entertaining, and credible - is what is getting the
job done with this generation.
Is it worth it?
It appears to be so. After all,
many businesses are doing it very successfully right now. Including
Active 8. As a company we have used this approach hundreds of times
since 2002 to entice customers to look at our products. Using low key
radio ads, informative newspapers ads, (also known as advertorials) and
promotional give-a-ways to let people know they may be confident of
dealing with our company and purchasing our products.
And as you know, it has worked
pretty well for over 5 years now. People have always wanted to feel
comfortable and confident in their purchases. Doing business either in
person or especially on the internet, considering all the flim-flam that
goes on there, makes establishing a sense of confidence and security
with your customer - a must.
Remember, show them what Active 8
company does for you. Then let them see how it will do the same in
reaching their desires.
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Assignment for Success
