For your Boomer customers, getting old is getting old

Some things about getting older are fun… like having grandkids. But other aspects of it are not so fun: Like having to watch my sodium intake, or having to squint—even with bifocals—when looking at some restaurant menus, store signs or product labels.

A recent story in the New York Times pointed to the idea of age empathy as a business opportunity. Click here to read the article.

Implications: Perhaps wearing a high-tech suit to illustrate the effects of old age—as suggested by MIT in this story—is going too extreme. But what a great idea: Walking through your company, lobby or dealership while wearing the shoes of an older customer. Or, try using your product (if arthritis-ridden hands can even open it) or service through the hands of someone 55+, 65+, or older. Or, review the purchase experience in your place of business—especially where younger employees are involved—and see how folks are treated through the eyes of an older customer.

If you sell to an older audience… these kinds of experiences might teach you how to sell even more.

Mike Anderson, for the Elm Street Economics consumer trends blog. A service of The Center for Sales Strategy, Inc.