Love & Company created a two-year research plan to gain insight into seniors’ views and responses to direct mail. Following our investigation of participants’ first impressions of direct mail pieces, we took our findings regarding messages, vehicle and design and tested them further to determine what truly is the more effective lead generator.

Our Research Process

In this study, we applied our findings from last year to several campaigns we developed for our retirement community clients. We created two versions of each mailing so that we could test a variable, such as message, format or design. Each version was then mailed to half of the mailing list. By examining the results of these and other mailings, we were able to identify “best practices” for senior living direct mail.

In this report, we briefly highlight some of the main findings of Part 2 of our study and provide a glimpse into our conclusions and recommendations for the most effective direct mail approaches for marketing to seniors.

Instant Gratification: RSVP by Phone

We included a reply card with one invitation version to determine if it would prompt prospects to respond, either by calling or returning the card, better than simply asking them to RSVP by phone to an anniversary celebration. The simple, 2-color envelopes and invitations were identical.

Overall, the version without the reply card generated slightly more responses than the version with the card. However, only seven prospects actually returned the card, with three times as many choosing to simply call. The reply card did not generate enough response to provide value for the added cost.

Less Is More

We tested a 4-panel, 2-color invitation against a 6-panel, 4-color invitation for a series of sneak preview lunch events. Both 8.5”x5.5” finished size pieces were mailed in identical envelopes with the prominent teaser: “The Residents of Fleet Landing Cordially Invite You…” From Part 1 of our study, we learned that an envelope with a strong invitation teaser effectively persuades recipients to open it, without needing a colorful image. We were therefore able to test which internal piece would generate the most RSVPs.

The two invitations generated about the same number of responses: 56 leads from the 4-panel and 54 from the 6-panel. Overall, the combination of strong creative and refined mailing list strategy generated more than double the original goal, enabling the community to fill nine events rather than the original four. The 6-panel, 4-color piece was more expensive to produce, but did not generate sufficient response to justify the added cost. The 4-panel invitation provided enough detail that additional information was not necessary to create more interest. Finding the fine line between providing enough detail to pique the recipient’s interest without overshadowing the retirement community’s event is key to finding success with this type of piece.

Using the “R” Word

We tested two versions of a traditional, 2-color invitation in an envelope to promote receptions showcasing a new model cottage. One version employed a retirement lifestyle-focused approach and used “retirement” in the community name, while the second version was more straightforward and referred to the expansion as The Villages at Edgewood. Our goal was two-fold: to determine which message approach was more effective, and whether the word “retirement” had an impact on response.

The straightforward version drew a third more responses than did the retirement lifestyle invitation.

As we have found through our previous research studies, seniors prefer that marketing messages “tell it to them straight;” focusing on the model open house resonated better with this audience. Plus, the response provides insight into seniors’ receptivity to the word “retirement,” indicating that younger, more active seniors are “not ready yet”…until they actually experience the community by coming on campus.

Mailing List Strategy

The larger the mailing list, the more leads to expect, right? Wrong. Mailing to every age- and income-qualified senior household within 30 miles of your community doesn’t guarantee you will receive the number of leads you want. For the Fleet Landing mailing on page 2, we refined their existing list to hone in on senior prospects with the characteristics most like those of existing residents, thereby substantially lowering the number of pieces mailed, and thus the cost. The retirement community had previously sent a mailing to 48,500 prospects on the original list and generated 105 leads.

The sneak preview mailing went to 21,500 prospective seniors and generated 110 leads. The second campaign produced slightly more leads than the first, while mailing to less than half the list. In addition, no two list companies are identical, so you can obtain slightly different lists and quantities even with the same criteria. Good companies update their data regularly and guarantee no more than a 10% undeliverable rate. Budget permitting, purchase lists from more than one company and test the lists to see which produces the greater response, then merge the lists to reach more prospects that meet your refined set of criteria.

Weighty vs. Fun and Informative Topics

In Spring 2009 we mailed an invitation for a retirement presentation by a financial columnist/author, in response to prospects’ objections caused by the uncertain economy. The campaign produced 27 leads. In the fall we mailed a series of three invitations promoting four “deliciously fun and informative” events. This campaign generated 96 leads.

Both campaigns featured four-panel invitations in envelopes, and neither used the word “retirement” in the community name or on the envelope. We learned that combining entertaining, social events with retirement lifestyle discussions drew greater interest and attendance than the weightier, albeit relevant, subject of finances in an uncertain economy. While the temptation may be to address objections head on through your direct mail efforts, it is more effective to bring them on campus with fun, social activities that demonstrate your community’s lifestyle.

Email blast– Not your mother’s direct mail

We tested two email blast versions: one enabled the viewer to see the entire message in a single screen space, while the other was longer and similar to a traditional color print ad, so the recipient had to scroll down and spend more time reading the message. Version #1 received a 0.35% higher click through rate: 1.41% of all recipients clicked through to the website, versus 1.06% of all version #2 recipients. This resulted in about 200 more people visiting the website and seeing the retirement community’s message.

While seniors are among the fastest growing users of the Internet and email, the mature market still turns to trusted websites and traditional media when ready to seriously research and purchase senior living. Email can be a cost effective means to reach a large number of qualified senior prospects and share updates with your wait list and lead base, but it often does not result in immediate responses. It is important to craft the creative to work specifically with this medium, rather than “repurposing” a direct mail or print ad.

Case Study: A Tale of Two Campaigns

We analyzed two campaigns we created for Moravian Hall Square that produced very different results. In Spring 2008, we created an oversized postcard for a downsizing seminar series that generated far fewer leads than anticipated. Then in Spring 2009 we produced a multiple piece campaign, including a save- the-date mailer and three individual invitations, to promote a series of “spring fever” events. This campaign generated 64 new leads. What made it so successful, when the previous campaign produced a fraction of these results?

The oversized postcard format did not perform well in Part 1 of our study, while pieces mailed in envelopes improved recipients’ likelihood of reviewing the piece. In addition, the downsizing series postcard was a strong sales pitch but provided no information about the client. By contrast, the spring campaign promoted entertaining, hobby- and retirement-related events that showcased the retirement community without being a hard sell, and the additional panels provided space for brief copy about the lifestyle and amenities. This campaign provided enough enticing information to bring prospects on campus for entertaining, non-threatening events, at which point the sales team was able to introduce the community and schedule tours.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Larger or more complex direct mail does not always generate enough response to justify the added cost.
• Today’s seniors are comfortable calling to RSVP for an event; reply cards are often an unnecessary expense.
• Refine your mailing list to best fit your resident profile, and budget permitting, purchase two lists and merge them.
• Tell it to them straight. Don’t try to be too cute with your approach or offer details that cloud the core purpose of the mailing.
• Today’s younger, active seniors may not associate themselves with “retirement” yet, so use the term selectively.
• Email marketing is generally not an effective lead generator among older seniors, but is an efficient way to communicate with your wait list and lead base.
• Plan and promote marketing events that are both fun and informative for prospects to experience your community’s lifestyle.

The direct mail research project was led by Love & Company’s Jessica Kraft, senior marketing account manager, and Tyler Sprecher, vice president/creative director. Please contact them with questions about this project. For copies of previous research studies, please contact us or visit our Web site.

Through Their Fingertips— Incorporating Social Media Into Your Marketing Mix for Selling To Seniors

While some may regard social media as a “young person’s arena,” its popularity and reach extend and fit well into the marketing of senior living communities. The question is, “How do you navigate the maze of social media sites, applications and tools to find the right mix for your marketing message?”

Past Love Reports have examined how seniors respond to various media, including direct mail, print advertising and Internet Website marketing, with the consistent goal of closing the gap between what marketers think seniors may respond to, and what actually moves them to take action. This report is no exception.

Our Research Process

To complete Phase One of this study, we created a comprehensive survey to help determine senior respondents’ knowledge and use of various social media venues, including e-mail, social networking sites, blogs and podcasts, online chats and webinars. Two versions of the survey were produced to target two different groups—those who already reside in a senior living community, and those who do not. The second group included individuals on lead base lists, wait list members and age- and income-qualified prospects. A total of 38 senior living communities participated in the survey process.

Phase Two of the study involved Love & Company personnel training a group of residents of a senior community to blog, forming a resident blogging group to share insights about living in their community. In addition, we surveyed communities with Facebook pages to discover how they are using Facebook in their marketing efforts and what success and benefits have been derived from using the social media site.

What We Did

Participating communities were provided with a PDF of the cover letter and survey, which they printed and distributed to the various audiences. Respondents were given the option of responding electronically through a direct link, or completing and mailing the paper survey. We received a total of 2,603 responses to the surveys.

What We Learned— Optimize and Conquer

First and foremost, we discovered that over 86% of both survey audiences use Internet search engines, with over 28% taking notice of the sponsored results near the top of the page and on the right-hand side. Over 75% of respondents report starting at the top and viewing each result until they find a match. This includes viewing the sponsored links that appear at the top of the page before the organic results. These responses underscore the importance of optimizing sites to appear at or near the top of the most important search lists, as well as considering the use of search engine marketing (SEM) to have your sponsored link appear at the top of the page.

Embrace Email

Over 98% of senior respondents reported that they use e-mail, with between 78% and 86% reporting daily use. Because the vast majority of those who received the non-resident survey are using e-mail to family—also known as your target audience! Over 50% of these respondents indicated they would forward to their friends an invitation from their community to attend an upcoming event, and they felt that at least half of those friends would welcome the invitation. This can be a great—and low cost—way to increase attendance at marketing events.

Among both survey audiences, nearly 50% indicated they forward unsolicited jokes or humorous e-mail messages to friends and family, thus offering another avenue of communication. Creative use of viral marketing campaigns can move your message to reach an audience you may have considered outside your marketing scope.

Network Carefully

Our survey results indicate that Facebook and YouTube are the most popular social networking sites, and that many also use Skype to communicate with friends and family via the Internet. This offers a great opportunity to promote a community through posting of community event videos or testimonials on YouTube or Facebook. Other ideas could include “video demonstrations,” such as sharing recipes, community tours, profiles of unusual resident hobbies and more. Brainstorm ideas and topics and have a ready library of videos and posts from which to draw.

Most communities are using Facebook to share news and images with prospects, or to target adult children. Content is often very lifestyle-oriented, with more factual information still reserved for the community’s Website. Consider a Facebook page when advertising an upcoming social event, or to recap resident activity or offer an overview of a community.

In our surveys, 74% of participating communities report spending only up to two hours each week updating their pages. They currently report promoting their Facebook page in printed marketing pieces and print advertising, or including the logo in an e-mail signature. In addition, don’t forget to add the Facebook link to the home page of your community’s Website.

Blogging is a Personal Process

While over 72% of non-resident survey respondents are familiar with blogs, just 19% report following one or more online blogs. Currently their three top blog subjects are current events, financial information and academics. As mentioned earlier, Phase Two of this report involved training a group of senior community residents in Ohio to establish a community blog. As of November 2010, the group had been blogging for nine weeks, the team members were enjoying the experience and the group was about to expand.

We learned several things during the formation of the blogging group. When encouraging community residents to initiate a blog, take care in selecting the team. Choose members who enjoy the Internet and like sharing social news and expressing their views. Give them the foundational information they need, teach them the process and have them try it out for themselves. Then leave them alone. Blogging is a personal thing, akin to keeping a diary, and you just can’t force it. The benefit of the hands-off approach is that candid, unsolicited insights are shared about the community in which the residents live.

What We Concluded

• Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are critical to being “found” on the Internet. Make sure you’re noticed on key searches.

• E-mail is a powerful tool when senior living residents are included and drawn into the “marketing circle.” Remember their willingness to forward messages to friends.

• Viral videos can be fun and effective ways to communicate the news and personality of a community. Create a library of them and release them during key marketing periods.

• Prioritize your involvement in social networking sites, and then commit to using them for a variety of marketing purposes. Always include a strong call to action and an easy way to respond.

• Blogging is something that seniors enjoy and will use to communicate their own life experiences to others. If you take care in selecting the blogging team, they can be your best ambassadors!

Remember To Track Your Results!

All marketing professionals want to increase ROI (return on investment). The goal is to increase results while spending the same amount or less. This is where tracking the performance of marketing efforts becomes so important. The better your organization is at tracking the sources of leads, the more effective your advertising becomes. And effectiveness equals success. Allow time and budget dollars to track the number of new customers visiting your blog, or the ones who are linking to your Website because of search engine marketing. You may find that the cost of other budgeted initiatives can be reduced while maintaining or growing your ROI. Here are some simple steps to take:

• Specify landing pages on your Website for prospects to respond to marketing pieces and advertisements, such as direct mail, print advertising, web advertising and e-mail blasts

• Add Google Analytics to your Website – it’s free!

• Track visitors to your blog by using a built-in visitor counter

• Use an electronic response form on your Website to help track how respondents learned about you

• Constantly fine-tune search engine keywords to get the best mix

The social media research project was lead by Jessica Kraft, senior marketing account manager, and Emily Harman, media manager.

October 6, 2011 – Update – One of the nation’s greatest boomers and inventors, Steve Jobs, has left us. I hope his vision for living doesn’t. 

(Originally posted Feb. 25, 2009) Mature Market Experts: more mature market news and stats more often: Yesterday Baby Boomer and cancer survivor Steve Jobs turned 54. As one of the people most responsible for shaping a generation, Steve offered some incredible insight on two important topics . . . how to get back up after getting fired (a pretty timely subject in this economy) and the power of death. This commencement speech which he gave at Stanford University is worth the 15 minutes of your time.

PS Steve, if you read this, please fix this IPOD problem for your Baby Boomer fans.

PPS I like Mr. Job’s mention in the video of the “Google” predecessor.

We continue to discuss the Principles of Influence and how they relate to selling to seniors. Thus far, we have covered five of the six – Consistency, Likability, Authority , Social Proof, and Scarcity. Today, we wrap up the conversation with the principle of Reciprocity.

Dr. Cialdini uses a great example, in his book The Principles of Influence,  of one of his Arizona grad students trying out an experiment. The student got a California phone book and at random selected two-hundred names, which she then sent Holiday Greeting cards. Now remember, these were people she did not know . . . living in another state! Amazingly, holiday cards from the receivers flooded back in! These are people sending cards to a person they did not know! Why? Because they owed her … and because they didn’t want to admit they couldn’t remember her. Even more amazing, is that she built real relationships with these people over the years. In fact, when it was time for her son to attend orientation at Stanford, who do you think he stayed with? That’s right, one of the “holiday card” people.

So how can you use this principle to your favor? My favorite example of this is a sales person who, during an appointment buys with a dollar out of his pocket, a soda for himself and his guest. Why does this work? Because the power of reciprocity is sooo strong!

At Love & Company, we tell our retirement community clients, that instead of just having a coffee machine in the corner of the sales office, the salesperson should make their guest a cup of coffee, preferably in fine china. The whole experience should be a ritual in service. “Would you like some cream? Sugar?” Although out of these two examples, I would say the soda example is much stronger because the sales person is paying for it out of his pocket. And therefore, the person owes HIM something.

I have always said that the best way to engage reciprocity is through unmatched customer service. The most loyal member base for health clubs, fitness centers, wellness centers, and retirement communities is one created through relationship marketing and an approach to post-sale customer service and relationship management that builds strong ties with your members – not one strictly based on price. If you do it right, you’ll actually have members who stay in touch – for example, sending you referrals even after they move away. You can’t beat that kind of goodwill.

PS   I hope to see you at the upcoming Leading Age conference in Washington, D.C.

We continue to discuss the Principles of Influence and how they relate to selling to seniors. Thus far, we have covered four of the six – Consistency, Likability, Authority and Social Proof. Today, we’ll be covering the principle of Scarcity.

When supplies of something are short, we humans are more likely to want it! … “It’s the last one in the shop!” For those of you without kids, the image above is a Nintendo Wii, which is a beautiful example of planned scarcity. Amazing, isn’t it, how this huge corporation somehow is always caught off-guard by the overwhelming demand for their product. Hmmm?

Do people know when your retirement community is about to become complete or sold out? Even better, how about the first phase? Even better, how about the first floor of the first building with the limited number of views towards the lake? Regardless of what you are selling, you need to tell your audience how scarce your supply is– creating scarcity is a key to success. And being able to offer an exact number increases the power of scarcity.

Don’t think this is powerful for selling to boomers and seniors? Let me give you an example:

I happen to know of a retirement community where seniors who called in to schedule visits were given very tight appointment times (this community only scheduled appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday … and would only move on to the next day if the first one was filled).

When the people showed up for their appointments, they were often “in line” waiting for the retirement counselor to see them. The busier the sales office was, and the longer people had to wait (to a point), the more successful the sales person became. Why? Because social proof and scarcity are two very powerful principals. Grouping the appointments in a tight schedule was a strategic decision. You need to be very conscious in your efforts of “displaying” social proof and scarcity. If you are not, you’re cheating your business.

Sources:

Love & Company

Dr. Robert Cialdini

We continue to discuss the Principles of Influence and how they relate to selling to seniors. Thus far, we have covered three of the six – Consistency, Likability, and Authority. Today, we’ll be covering the principle of Social Proof.

When a number of people agree on something, we are likely to be persuaded too. Apple knew what it was doing when it gave the first IPODs the glaring white wires and base. Soon you were seeing these glaring white music makers everywhere. When I drive by your gym, fitness center, or retirement community, do I get a sense of social proof? Have others gone before me?

How strong is this principle? Dr. Cialdini tells of a group of researchers who went door-to-door in Columbia, South Carolina, soliciting donations for a charity campaign and displaying a list of neighborhood residents who had already donated to the cause. The researchers found that the longer the donor list was, the more likely those solicited would be to donate as well. To the people being solicited, the friends’ and neighbors’ names on the list were a form of social evidence about how they should respond. But the evidence would not have been nearly as compelling had the names been those of random strangers.

The fact is that persuasion can be extremely effective when it comes from peers which is why Love & Company loves to utilize resident testimonials when selling to the mature market. The science supports what most senior sales professionals already know: Testimonials from satisfied customers work best when the satisfied customer and the prospective customer share similar circumstances.

Do you have pin maps showing where your retirement community’s residents came from? Do you have Polaroid pictures of your residents and new deposits pinned up on a sales wall (the sales person should be in every photo)? Both of these become visual clues of social proof to new and old signups!

Do you have testimonials and letters posted around your office and in your marketing materials? Do you provide opportunities for your members to bring in friends for special occasions? Maybe a special appearance by a chef on how to prepare heart-healthy meals?

Social proof makes perfect sense in a busy, overwhelming world. It’s proof that others have done the thinking for us and it turned out alright.

Photo Credit: http://blogs.cornell.edu/newmedia11cew88/

Studies show that people are more likely to comply when a request comes from an expert. As you would imagine, doctors rate very high on the scale of influence. How powerful is the principle of Authority? In the early 60’s, Dr. Milgram, a Yale University psychologist, tested the ability of authority figures to instruct otherwise normal, non-violent people to do unthinkable things. In fact, contrary to expectations, a majority of civilian volunteers would obey orders to apply electric shocks to another person until they were unconscious or dead. In Milgram’s experiments, obedience tended to increase with the prestige of the authority figure. Oh, and I should note, that those being shocked were in reality actors and the shocks simulated.

Did you know that at one point Camel cigarettes utilized this principle to hawk their product? They had ads with doctors recommending their brand.

So, remember people, you must only use these principles for the power of good! Of course, willingness to comply can be used for positive change. For example, the surgeon general telling you to quit smoking is a good thing! Your doctor telling you to exercise is a good thing!

At Love & Company, we’re always looking to apply this principle to our clients’ businesses. So, who is your exclusive expert? Your Sales person? A Doctor? An Engineer? Architect? Accountant? Another resident or member? How can you apply this principle? Uniforms, badges, clipboards – become the expert. Also, add to your credentials by using press releases, videos, association memberships, public speaking, framed licenses, honors . . . Etc., etc . . . You get the point. I’m always very impressed when I go into my doctor’s office, she has something like 600 framed advanced education degrees, so she must be smart. Right?

Good listeners parrot back what the customer has said. For example, a sales person selling apartments in an active 55+ retirement community or continuing care retirement community (CCRC) might say, “So when you say you are looking for a two-bedroom apartment home, if I heard you correctly, you’re looking to use the second bedroom as a den. Is that correct?” And research has shown that the closer and more exactly you parrot back what the prospect has said, the higher the level of liking. Why does this work? Because it requires true listening. Plus, as a forced discipline it will actually improve your listening skills! After all, who’s the most interesting and important person in the world to most people? That’s right, themselves!

Next up, the principle of “Authority.”

Author’s Note: I wanted to thank you all for the kind notes and phone calls wishing me well on my recent decision to join up with Love and Company. The Mature Market Experts site will continue offering you news and ideas you can use on boomers, seniors, and the mature market.

Source: Influence at Work

Last week, I talked about the power of listening. Selling to boomers or seniors? Here’s what a good friend of mine, Dick Ambrosius advises, “The three steps to moving the prospect quickly through the sales cycle: 1) Listen 2) Listen and 3) Listen. If you are listening to understand rather than to overcome objections, the prospect will guide you to the secret to closing.”

I couldn‘t agree more.

I also believe that in addition to having refined listening skills, understanding human behavior is a key tool for any mature market sales person. As promised, today we are going to talk about the six principle of influence (Consistency, Likability, Authority, Social Proof, Scarcity, and Reciprocity) as taught by Dr. Robert Cialdini, a research professor out of Arizona State University. Specifically, we are going to talk about the first principle, Consistency.

Consistency. Once people publicly agree or say something out loud, they are much more likely to hold to that agreement. Example? I happened to be attending a New Year’s Eve party several years ago when one of my slightly inebriated sisters decided to run a marathon as her New Years’ resolution (she was turning 50 that year). She then made all of her siblings in attendance, including me, swear to join her. And she did this in front of the rest of the party attendees. She then followed up with frequent reminders of how we had all committed to run. Now, keep in mind, that at the time we were all out of shape, didn’t believe in exercise, and thought a good jog was from the couch to the refrigerator, so 26.7 miles was crazy talk!

And guess what it worked, four of us finished the marathon with her. Since then, I used this same technique on myself and have publicly committed to all sorts of crazy things. It usually works. I’ve run in 10 marathons in 10 different states!

According to Dr. Cialdini, if you want to ensure that a customer’s decision is long lasting, and unshakable, make sure this decision is:

1. VOLUNTARY
2. PUBLIC
3. ACTIVE

In other words, make sure that the customer is not strong armed. Nothing will kill the possibility of a long-term relationship faster than a starving salesperson on commission. But assuming all goes well, make sure that the customer does not keep this decision a secret. Even if your customer just writes their commitment down or signs his name, the decision will be stronger than before. And, if we arrange for our customer to tell others, even other staff members, the decision becomes even more permanent.

So what’s this mean to you?

Well, let’s use the contract process as an example.

Do you want to cut down your number of cancellations dramatically? Just have your customer, rather than your salesperson, fill out the sales agreement. Why? The mere act of filling out the contract creates a condition of consistency that most people don’t want to break.

Then, tell the person you’re dealing with that you can tell by looking at them, and the way they act, that you know they will follow through with their contract because you can tell that they are an honorable person. You might think that’s flattery, but our clients’ sales teams mean it when they say it, and it makes the prospective resident feel honorable. Everyone wants to feel important, and they want to measure up to other people’s expectations. In short, they want our vision of them to be consistent. Think that level of commitment is important in this real estate market?

Also, when a new member or resident signs up, I like to turn it into a celebration … I introduce all the staff to the newest member … I take a Polaroid of us together and hang it on the “family” wall. They’ve now committed in front of other people. These photos become visual evidence or reminders that we have made a commitment to each other. One that I consider sacred and will go out of my way to honor — ABOVE AND BEYOND! And the best part is that people want to measure up to what they have said they would do. The hard part, but also the part that is most fun, is that it is then in your court. You now have to over-deliver because you want to be consistent with what YOU said!

Next week … Likability.

Columbo was the master of discovery.

Sales and marketing techniques for selling to boomers, seniors, and the mature market. Being a good husband, wife, friend, or marketer is all about the process of discovery. And TRUE discovery comes from conversation NOT from demographic profiles. I can tell you personally; this is a problem most husbands and marketers have. They are just not very good listeners (at least that’s what my wife tells me). Women, do you ever have a conversation with your husband, and then 5 minutes later he asks you a question that proves he really wasn’t listening?

Why is listening so important? Because only through real listening . . . no even deeper than that, only through probing, can we really discover what the needs, goals and aspirations of the person we are speaking to really are. What stage of life are they at? Trust me; you won’t get this off a mailing list.

And I use the word probe because most boomers and seniors are so use to not really being listened to, so much so that they don’t really usually offer up their real thoughts. Which means as a sales person, you really need to understand how to get past conversation stoppers. You also need to understand how to ask follow-up questions. Both of these techniques will coax your customer to reveal more of themselves. Columbo was the expert at this, “Excuse me, sir, but do you have time for just one more quick question?”

But listening is just the first step to building a deeper relationship. Once you listen, you need to know how to respond to your new information so that you can help the person.

I’m a big believe in the principles of influence as taught by Dr. Robert Cialdini, a research professor out of Arizona State University, although if it were me, I’d rename the principles, the principles of true love. Dr. Cialdini, who I actually hired for a speaking engagement, and his team are brilliant.

Here’s how I remember the principles . . . CLASS R.

C – L – A – S – S- R.

Consistency. Likability. Authority. Social Proof. Scarcity. Reciprocity.

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be talking about each of these six principles and how they apply to selling to the boomer, senior, and mature market.

Look more closely at the 65+ age range. Not a trivial group — 39 million last year, a mere 13% of the US population today, but surging forward with bulging baby boomer segment additions. Of the current 39 million, 5.8 million are 85+, representing the fastest-growing age cohort in the US. What do the 85+ have in common with the 65-75-year-olds? Aside from being lumped by NPD and media into one bucket, that is. Survival, for one thing — if you live to be 65 in the United States, the odds are good that you’ll make it to at least 83.5 — for those who reach age 85, women will live another 6.8 years, men between 5 and 7 more years. Oops. The spread between 65 and 90+ is looming a bit large — a 90-year-old may very well have children who are 65 to 70.  Surely, these two ends of an age spectrum need different products, but more to the point, so many in the range of 65-and-beyond will need to care for and help those with long life expectancies, not to simply survive, but to live as well as possible (seeHuffington Post and Silver Planet for some inspiration about living those extra years).

Reading about the crisis in Japan, let’s not abandon the real elderly. Left behind in retirement facilities, nursing homes, perhaps making up a disproportionate percentage of those who are counted among lives lost, one has to wonder. Consider those in the US — in senior housing, retirement communities, and condominium complexes throughout places like Arizona and Florida, where the adult children may be unlikely to reside; where hurricanes, tornados, flooding, sudden cold, or failing air conditioning are crisis conditions for the elderly. Does everyone who knows someone living alone and away from their family also know what the escape or support plan is to help them in the event of a disaster? What are the top ways to monitor and stay connected to them?

Hearing, monitoring, seeing, connecting. These are key tasks that matter as life span lengthens and maybe even marketers get wise to sub-segmentation of the oldest age ranges — the upper end of the 65+. So usable telephones (land and cell) top the list, usable for those with arthritis and Parkinson’s, able to persist on battery, with multiple and easily charged mobile batteries. Captioned telephones for the hearing-impaired — many of whom do not wear hearing aids until long past the point of enjoying phone conversations. Then add magnification and Internet-enabled cameras — I was pleased to see that the latest Humana/Care Innovations pilot of Intel’s Health Guide includes a camera — hopefully the pilot in Tampa will include a sizable number of the real elderly. But then add computers and Internet service for the real elderly so that they can see and be seen on webcams — what’s it mean when a Google search of ‘Help seniors access Internet’ returns three Australian web addresses in the first seven results? Or check out SeniorNet (targeting the 50+? Huh?) when there is no listed Florida Learning Center and only 2 in Arizona? When (Pew Research) reports that only 30% of those age 75 and older go online and only 20% have home broadband (eliminating the usefulness of Skype and clear images of family members). When AARP lumps the real elderly into the 50+ Digital Divide and, unfortunately, appears these days to set survey (and enrollment) sights set on the 45+?

If you think the Internet doesn’t matter for the real elderly, think again. I am also reminded of one of the big disasters in the US — 9/11 — and how cell phones and land-lines services that day became useless as networks clogged under the weight of worry. But as I recall, AOL Instant Messenger was up and accessible by dispersed family members throughout a very long day. And I think about Facebook messages from Americans in Japan alerting their families when they became unreachable by phone. And I wonder how many of the real elderly were reachable through an Internet connection during either crisis?

The Maestro, as I respectfully call him, is an internationally known conductor who in his retirement decided to look around for a second act. His second act? Conductorcise! He looks every bit the part of a Maestro. Wavy white locks crown his head and bright, colorful sneakers cover his constantly tapping toes (he’ll proudly tell you his sneakers are from Zappos).

The next thing you’ll notice if you spend 10 minutes in the company of David is his unflagging energy. Now in his seventies, he puts most 20-year olds to shame. He lives in the moment. I have never seen someone LOVE people the way David does … young and old respond to that love by lighting up!

Here’s a video of the Maestro at work, training trainers:

David’s entire life has been about seizing the moment. He is passionate about everything … his wife, his children, his grandchildren, family, friends, travel, wine, music, aging, children, science, and connections … LIFE!

I am convinced that our health and well-being is directly connected to our passion for life. In the book, The Blue Zones, a defined job or role seems to be one of the common characteristics of seniors living healthy, happy lives beyond the age of 100.

Not The Retiring Type: Serving Others

As I stated above, a defined job or role (ie. social engagement) seems to be a key ingredient to healthy aging. Our modern industrial society tends to devalue “unproductive” people. What’s one of the first questions people ask you at a party? “So, who do you work for? What do you do?”

People like the Maestro and Bruce Findley don’t accept the common perception that our senior years are a time to shut down. Instead, they view these years as a time of discovery and growth. Bruce, a resident of Shell Point Retirement Community, created Super Noggin to help his fellow seniors develop healthy brain fitness lifestyle habits.

The common thread with both of these gentlemen? A desire to serve others and an unwillingness to be put out to pasture.

What’s your passion?

We have many mature market clients who have hesitated when our team at Love and Company recommend that they “give” something of value away for free. “Tom,” they say, “we’re in the business of making money.” However, cost sensitivity is now the new norm. Regardless of age, upper-class consumers have joined the middle-class and lower-income in being price sensitive and value minded. And as we know, the mature market (boomers and beyond) is even more cynical and cautious, because they have seen it all. And, they have the patience and intelligence to gather information in a thoughtful manner.

We had one retirement community client tell us that their prospects were too refined for the word “FREE.” In this case, we were recommending that they give away a FREE retirement information kit. They had a hard time understanding that socioeconomic distinctions are rapidly becoming blurred. Cost sensitivity and cautious buying are now typical of all income brackets. Fortunately, their results dramatically improved when we were finally able to sway them.

In short, today’s market place is all about creating relationships. All of which brings us back to incentives. Incentives are a great way to start a relationship AND engage the power of reciprocity. That being said, there is a distinct difference between giving something of value away to potential customers and giving the farm away. My analogy is that we should make the first hurdle for entering a relationship as low as possible, this motivates them to reach out to you and to become acquainted.

Free offers can be as simple as a customized monthly newspaper, an e-newsletter, a white paper, a contest, a promotional item, or a seminar. The goal here is to have the incentive create a legitimate lead. This is particularly important in today’s world of permission marketing. Incentives should require your prospects to give something in return, namely their name and contact information. You won’t capture every visitor but those that do submit their information are serious prospects if your incentive offer correlates to your product or service in a meaningful way. For example, we use this offer for a FREE marketing audit on the Mature Market Experts site.

In this example, when I wrote the copy for Inter-Continental Hotels I used a double incentive - free information and a chance to win a free vacation.

By doing a lot of testing on your incentive offers and forms, you can typically increase your conversion rate significantly, capturing more leads from the same overall amount of traffic. Some of the things you might want to test are your incentive offer, the length of the form, putting a link to your privacy policy on your information submission form, adding a customer testimonial with a picture or video, and the form’s design.

Also, remember, there is a direct correlation to the number of landing pages (which improves your natural search engine optimization) plus, the number of incentive offers you have … to web traffic and leads.

Sadly, most websites do a poor job of capturing the traffic that comes to their door. Make sure that your organization is not one of them!

Important Note About Responding To Sales Leads:

How you respond to these leads is VERY, very important:

According to an MIT Study with InsideSales.com, 78% of sales that start with a web inquiry go to the company that responds first.

Of those surveyed by sales lead expert Mac Macintosh, 23% had bought the product or service they were inquiring about within 6 months. The other 67% still intended to purchase, but were not yet ready.

According to DemandGen Report, nurtured leads produce – on average – a 20% increase in Sales Opportunities vs. non-nurtured leads.

Source: HubSpot

Sadly, there are 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and every 70 seconds another American is captured by this deadly disease. By mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer’s every 33 seconds. By 2050 there will be nearly a million new cases per year. In short, we are in the grip of a horrific epidemic.

After my Mom was diagnosed and passed away with Alzheimer’s, I became acutely aware of my increased odds of also getting the disease (in fact, recent research suggest that Alzheimer’s has a maternal link). Fortunately, at this time I also met Bruce Findley, the founder of the not-for-profit behind Super Noggin, a brain fitness lifestyle program. Bruce introduced me to two sources of information that shined a bright ray of hope on my fears … and sparked my desire to get involved with Super Noggin.

The first source of information he introduced me to was the Nun Study, a decades-long longitudinal study of 678 religious order nuns who agreed to be studied while living AND after their deaths (biopsy remains the surest way to identify Alzheimer’s). The second was The Anti-Alzheimer’s Prescription, a book by Dr. Vincent Fortanasce, a renowned practicing neurologist. Both of these incredible resources suggest that while we can’t prevent Alzheimer’s/dementia, we can reduce the effects of these diseases by up to 70 percent!

While we can’t change our genetics, we can positively change our lifestyle. That’s what Super Noggin is all about.

Click on the image to view this TV news segment on Super Noggin, a brain fitness lifestyle program.

All of which leads me back to my original paragraph. The not-for-profit that I mentioned earlier, LEAF Ltd., is dedicated to serving boomers and seniors by utilizing the latest research on brain health in a unique and fun brain fitness lifestyle program. They would like to offer you complimentary materials to answer the question “Why should I exercise my brain?” This 45-minute class includes all the components you’ll need to lead a class including the script, PowerPoint, handouts for activities, and resources. Just click here, and you’ll be granted instant and FREE access to the course’s materials. I guarantee your residents or members will find the content both enjoyable and enlightening.

I was pleased to see such an emphatic recognition of the value of good design and aesthetics, both spiritually and in terms of marketability. Too often “good design” and “aesthetics” imply “expensive” and the province of “high end” markets.

As the founder of a firm that specializes in designing and managing the construction of retirement communities, I have always been troubled by the notion that good design is a luxury. Nothing could be further from the truth. Beauty and aesthetics are a natural byproduct of good design. Given the same functional requirements and identical resources, the best designer will produce the best product.

Popular television programs such as Project Runway demonstrate this phenomenon in front of our eyes in real time. Beautiful, engaging apparel is created from seat belts, recycled paper, themed from artwork, or made from repurposed denim clothing. Amazing results are born from seemingly impossible challenges. Good design does not require the finest Corinthian leather or 24 carat gold to be legitimate or sublimely functional. Luxury can be derived from anything that functions well, is appealing to the eye, and evokes positive emotions.

Designing environments that transition to the changing needs of people as they age in place requires high levels of creativity, skill and experience. The physical elements that support independence at every level of need can, if properly conceived, blend in seamlessly, beautifully, and at reasonable cost.

The Power of Observation

Observation and the ability to become the user in your mind are the prerequisites for this challenge. As designers, we can learn something new every day, just by watching the end user.

Recently, my 87-year-old father’s health took a turn for the worse. He went from totally independent and mobile to unstable and frail. He currently depends heavily on a walker, even to get around his own apartment at Charlestown Retirement Community (a Continuing Care Retirement Community, CCRC, that my team helped develop). While his apartment was the best, in fact, cutting-edge when we designed it, seeing my Dad in action continues to open my eyes.

The team at KGRW and Associates helped convert a former seminary into one of the nation's largest CCRCs.

The article's author, Kevin Glover (red vest) with his Dad and some of his family.

Our team, KGRW & Associates, continues to refine our design and construction management techniques through the simple acts of watching and listening. Engaging our customers throughout their experience of aging in place remains the most humbling and important part of the process.

Building, marketing, selling, and operating a successful senior housing project (active 55+ retirement community, continuing care retirement community, senior rental, assisted living, or skilled nursing care facility) today is a lot more complicated than it was just a decade ago.  Today getting zoned, financed, built and occupied within budget is much more difficult.  Not having the proper skill sets and experience on any of these steps can derail your mature market project. These 13 steps, if managed and handled properly, will lead to your project’s success.

1. Due Diligence

2. Demographics/Best Use

It’s also important to analyze potential partnerships with local service providers that can complement your property/product … providing additional insight into the best use for your property while offering additional cost savings.

3. Product Development

Henry Ford Village, Dearborn, Michigan

4. Master plan and Pro forma

An attractive master plan that maximizes your unit count, parking, and open space is the first step in developing a successful pro forma.  Having a realistic master plan that represents reality rather than a designer’s fantasy prevents zoning officials from becoming fixated on the front end of the process with amenities that could ultimately crush your pro forma.  If not avoided, these subsequent changes can be viewed as bad faith on the part of the developer (you) and ultimately derail your project.  In short, once you present town or city officials with any amenities it becomes almost impossible to take them away.  More importantly, developing a pro forma grounded in experience and realistic estimates is the backbone to a logical decision making process of whether to proceed or not.  A working pro forma that accurately includes development, construction, marketing, and operations — along with projected absorption and revenue is key to creating a successful package for attracting financial partners.

5. Pre-Marketing Test

6. Obtaining Entitlements and Approvals

In addition, having prior experience with multiple jurisdictions is often very helpful in getting officials through the unique requirements of senior facilities.  Not having this unique collection of skills and experience can be very costly.

7. Secure Financing/Letter of Commitment

There are still several banks and lending firms providing new construction financing, but the majority of new senior housing construction activity is coming through Housing and Urban Developments’ 221 and 232 programs.  Understanding HUD’s process for loans and time schedules is a very specialized skill set.

It takes more than good connections and a solid pro forma to secure your letter of commitment … understanding how to present your project is vital to achieving success.  A good financial request should include a portfolio of experienced industry players and their track records, a thorough explanation of both macro and micro conditions, projected project returns and an exit strategy.

8. Select and Manage the Design/Pre-Construction Team

9. Create Pre-Construction Advertising and Marketing Program

10. Close Financing

11. Oversee the Construction/Architect’s Administration Process

12. Furniture and Fixture Selection and Installation

Charlestown Retirement Community, Catonsville, MD

13. On-going marketing

Finally, getting in to senior housing or expanding an existing community requires a passion for the people and the industry. Make sure that … you’re working with people that share that passion, what we do is more than bricks and mortar!

Editor’s Note: Tom Mann of Love and Company co-wrote this article with Kevin Glover of KGRW & Associates. The senior management team of these two companies have worked as a team on some of the nation’s most successful senior housing projects over the last decade.

• Remote home monitoring got buzz and investment. Venture capitalists stepped up for remote monitoring: Healthsense received venture funding, as did WellAWARE. Numerous news outlets pointed a consumer flashlight onto GrandCare Systems and this still fairly narrow market, now blurred further this year with remote health monitoring (aka telehealth, wireless health) — now in some cases reimbursed due to vital sign monitoring during post-hospital rehab stays.

PREDICTION: 2011 will further blur the distinction between remote health monitoring and passive activity monitoring. Given the fertile health technology marketplace of grants for trial projects among non-profit organizations, my take is that vendors would do well to add device enablement (like blood pressure and weight scale), seek FDA approval and throw in the towel on preserving a standalone category.

• The PERS market got a Philips auto alert boost. In January, Philips launched Lifeline with Auto Alert for automatic fall-detecting PERS devices, likely at the expense of its own Lifeline device sales. By creating market awareness (yuk, that home page is still bleak, bleak, bleak!) about passive fall detection and notification, Philips offered help for competitors Wellcore, Halo Monitoring and others with fall detection capability. Meanwhile, mobile PERS with GPS location identification continued its move (pun intended) forward and outside the home — striving to appeal to a younger and more out-and-about population.

PREDICTION: In 2008, PERS market growth was predicted to be flat — Parks Associates asserted a $600 million flat line, supplanted by a corresponding growth in passive remote monitoring. Not so, it turns out. Today PERS is approximately a $1 billion market — and while there are a number of new remote monitoring entrants, passive remote monitoring is still below the adoption radar. What’s next? I am waiting (and may have to wait well past 2011) for elder-focused applications and trained carrier call centers that leverage the built-in accelerometers, GPS trackability, and (ha, ha!) ease of use of cell and smart phones. In the meantime, PERS sales will grow, not as fast, but steadily as the population ages into frailty — remembering that 85+ is the fastest growing segment, that PERS contracts typically last only for two years.

• Games got gestures — someday seniors will benefit. With the launch of Microsoft’s Kinect interface, teens got a chance to jump higher while playing group Xbox games, including the ability to play group games simultaneously from separate locations.  But speaking instructions and using hand gestures is an important user interface change that can transform the accessibility of apps — check out this MIT Kinect browser navigation accomplishment posted just minutes (it seemed) after Kinect sold out at Target.

PREDICTION: Hand gestures, recognizable features, and spoken commands — app vendors, go forth and create! At least 5 vendors focused on the older adult market will offer a Kinect-enabled application by end of 2011. Throw in specific health and chronic disease management — many times five. Design-for-all apps, lots and lots.

• The iPad marginalized the need for an annoying PC operating system computer. In January, the iPad announcement looked pretty impressive… and the screen looked very pretty.  Well, doubt no more about boomers — these things are everywhere, boomers seem to love them and they (or their many, many imitators) are migrating into the homes and lives of older people — someone besides Apple will tell us how many.  These types of devices will, over time, make us forget that we used to need simplification software to overlay on top of complex and consumer-hostile devices.

PREDICTION: In our near-term lifetime, older adults depending on your children or Best Buy to upgrade Windows patches may become a distant memory. The same Microsoft that brought this brilliant Kinect interface into the market will hobble out its own tablet next week at CES. Maybe it will be foisted on enterprises through IT mandate, but among an older population for home use, forget it. Even though folks may have told AARP they won’t buy one, they just didn’t know what they were saying — AARP surveyed too early (June) about a product that had just began shipping (late March).  Newer products from other vendors will also make the concept of an operating system upgrade either quaint or invisible.

• eReaders eliminated the need for reading glasses. Meanwhile, as you can plainly see in airports, planes, trains, and TV commercials, the eReader (Nook, Shmook, etc.) is taking a big chunk out of physical books. As my husband has noted with his free Kindle reader for Blackberry, if you like to read, eReaders mean never having to search for your reading glasses.

PREDICTION: We are in a silly ‘i-this’ and ‘e-that’ phase right now — vendors may fight to the death to keep it that way, maybe even giving eReader devices away with a purchase of 10 or more books? But in the end, it’s pointless — eReader software will be on all tablets, game controllers, portable and phone-like devices.

• Caregiving software — is this really a standalone market? Along with initiatives to help caregivers, caregiving applications sprouted in 2010, but is this a category? With software as a service, these apps really seem to be functionality that is part of a larger caregiver portal, possibly white-labeled by a service or healthcare insurer/provider (like Kaiser Permanente) or offered by a home care agency as part of a solution that includes devices — including home health monitoring and/or web cameras.

PREDICTION: For those caregiving applications that are part of the professional caregiver services toolkit, 2011 will be the year in which the largest home care agencies (family/companion and health) expand their tech reach. They will include standard caregiving functionality that updates and includes family participation. They will consider Skype (or its equivalent) to be a core competence of Geriatric Care Managers — as with SeniorBridge. They will replace the requisite post-visit telephone call tag with the kind of simultaneously-viewable update that families can create with a portal like CaringBridge.

• Dementia undermines aging in place. All remote, health, and gadgety tech notwithstanding, let’s consider Alzheimer’s and the CDC’s statement that “nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease.” (Feel free to spend some time online trying to nail down that definition, the percentage, and/or its source, but I digress…) Wander prevention technology presumes a willing and available responder to receive those close-by alerts or forming a relationship with the local police to find the missing. It presumes someone is wearing a tag, device, necklace or bracelet. But we’re better at locating prisoners and dogs than we are at preventing people from wandering to the point of danger.

PREDICTION: During 2011, more vendors will emerge with unobtrusive tracking devices linked to smart notification software that incorporates a hierarchy of responders and a multiplicity of ways to reach them. Hey, maybe we’ll even see that GPS shoe (as of today predicted by Foot.com to ship in early February 2011). If there’s no associated service, though, the shoe will be absolutely useless.

• Vendors of age-related products and services still struggle to address the market properly. The pathway to sales is littered with the simultaneous obstacles of poor economic climate, limited funding, few solutions-versus-products, long sales cycles in many cases, complex decision-making relationships (adult child? senior? professional caregiver? who?) and new management learning curves. To tackle some of these obstacles and promote sharing of lessons learned, last year’s Silvers Summit spawned an AgeTek Alliance of vendors and supportive organizations, which will this year will hold training and networking sessions at CES.

PREDICTION: 2011 will (hopefully) see more coherent and reusable channel cultivation, more multi-vendor product bundling, growth in training of service providers and resellers, and greater awareness of appropriate tech among referrers like doctors, GCMs, and senior housing organizations. In 2009, I speculated about certification of service providers in technology for aging in place — in 2010, NAHB’s CAPS — Certified Aging in Place Specialist) program wisely split into two parts — Marketing and Communication Strategies for Aging and Accessibility (CAPS I) and Design/Build Solutions for Aging and Accessibility (CAPS II) — the latter includes an assessment of needs which will, hopefully, include tech communication requirements. In 2011, there will also be forward movement that exposes minimum product requirements — like usability, ease of installation, and ease of operation — through ever-greater exposure of actual user experiences. Although it makes sense to consolidate objectives and outcomes among age-related consortia and groups, that is highly unlikely in the near term. Finally, for those of you considering entrance into this market, please follow these Ten Tips.

• Bad prescription — hospitals and the elderly. Maybe you missed it a few days ago — more than 1 in 5 of those admitted to hospitals (2008) were over the age of 75. And those aged 85+ were 2.5 times as likely to need nursing care upon discharge as those age 65-74. Interestingly, Microsoft’s HealthVault Community Connect, “a portal solution that helps connect healthcare institutions to their referring communities and patients,” according to Microsoft’s Luisa Monge, is just beginning to be deployed as part of hospital admission — where discharge planning must begin if it is ever to function properly.

HOPE: To get to the hospital, someone has to call 911 (or drive in the car). My dream is that whoever does the calling or driving has the ability to produce a list of current medications on a sheet of paper that has all identifying information, including the name of the doctor, next of kin and contact info. This is so low-tech — if the very old can’t stay out of hospitals, can they at least arrive armed with their own data?

• Design for all or design for aging? Finally, let’s tackle the thorny issue of whether there is such a thing as ‘tech for seniors’ or should all tech incorporate certain core principles — in effect, ‘design-for-all?’  How about devices with good lighting, adjustable font, audible display options, color adjustments? And as Dr. Joseph Coughlin noted, shouldn’t tech be more FUN to use, not just utilitarian?

HOPE: In 2011, let’s hope that marketing senior-related products doesn’t have to be fear-focused to effectively reach the consumer.  Let’s hope that it becomes less and less important to design tech exclusively for the use of older adults. Let’s hope that everything we use is wonderfully easy to figure out, that the buttons on our new TV remotes are bigger, that configuring web-enabled television can be done in fewer than 5 perilous steps (this requirement was comfirmed by Best Buy), that the user manual is only a nice-to-have that comes with our phones, readers, tablets, and games. Let’s hope that if we want the full-featured, heavy-duty sophisticated options — or we want tech to be friendlier in the event that our dexterity, vision, or hearing declines ever so slightly — that even though you can’t always get (exactly) what you want, you can usually get what you need.

Editor’s Note: If you haven’t visited Laurie Orlov’s blog, Aging In Place Technology Watch, you should. When it comes to understanding technology as it relates to aging, there is NO better source of information.

I (Tom Mann of Love and Company) recently presented “Improving Marketing and Sales for your Retirement Community, CCRC, Assisted Living, or Skilled Nursing Care Facility” at the LifeSpans educational seminar. Here’s the PowerPoint I presented with transcriptions!

Is a game the way to consumers' hearts?

Mature Market Experts: more boomer, senior, and mature market news and stats you can use – Beyond Banner Ads. The yet fully unrealized potential of internet advertising hangs just out of reach as a tantalizing fruit for advertisers, as television advertising once did at its inception. The challenge is for advertisers to crack the code – how to get online users to pay attention to their marketing message. Especially, how to get the lucrative, savvy, mature baby boomer market to heed commercials as they browse the web, with real increases of sales in consumer goods and services. Some think the key to unlocking this elusive riddle will be to integrate enhanced interactive systems such as Microsoft’s new Kinect with the internet experience. To see a demo review of Kinect in game form click here. To read more on its advertising potential click here.

Don’t laugh, boomers and seniors have been big fans of augmented reality games from the beginning. An now, brain fitness programs like Super Noggin are incorporating games like these into their programming. It won’t be long before we see advertising as part of the environment.

Minor rant: I recently pulled out the instructions for my Jawbone headset … ugggg! Are you kidding me! The smallest, most impossible font I have EVER seen made the directions impossible to read! AliphCom, who do you think is buying these expensive bluetooth headsets? Let me give you a hint, they’re older and they have money. Please, please, please have your designer call us before you create your next packaging.

Great Grabz Wave grab bars offer beauty and safety

From coffee shops to clothing, the mature market is willing to use their disposable income.

How do you attract seniors to your town, city, or state? And what’s their value to the local economy? Late last year, I was asked to speak at the National Active Retirement Association (NARA) Conference on this topic. State representatives from across the country where in attendance, as was NARA’s founder Dan Owens, who has been harping on this overlooked fact for some time now. The beauty of attracting retirees to your town, is that essentially, the drivers are similar to what drives tourism. And, once you start that trickle of retiree money, it builds momentum like a fly-wheel, i.e., one restaurant attracts another … then an art gallery … then a museum …

Plus, attracting retirees costs less than it does to try to attract major manufacturers. And the return to the local tax base is a whole lot more! Think about how major companies hold small economies hostage (unless you do this, this, and that, we’re leaving). In addition, companies can and do go out of business. Seniors with their social security checks stabilize economies and diversify risk.

Shortly after this presentation, our team was invited to talk to several of the representatives of Opelika, Alabama (Opelika and Auburn are adjacent to each other and have grown to form one fantastic destination). Amazingly, the bulk of their marketing has been done with the young professional in mind. When I showed them the stats favoring boomers and beyond and their spending patterns, they were floored. Next, we reviewed some of their marketing materials, the type faces and fonts where so small and so dense, I couldn’t read it (at least not without getting a headache). Truthfully, they just hadn’t thought about how their marketing materials appealed to retirees. Fortunately, they quickly understood what I was saying. These folks get it! And, they are blessed with fantastic southern weather; a world-class university; charming, walkable towns; some of the kindest people on the planet; and an incredible value proposition from a real estate perspective — not a bad starting point!

Towns and cities all across America are aspiring to be on U.S. News & World Reports’ Best Places to Retire list. The reason -  many urban planners believe that the mature market will bring economic stimulus with them in various forms, such as job creation, a boom in real estate, retirement communities and senior housing sales, an import of savings and reliable incomes. Other advantages of attracting boomers/seniors/retirees include economic and social stability, an increase in the tax base and volunteerism. Compared to wooing industry, retirees are a bargain. But as the massive generation of baby boomers grow older, communities must also be prepared for a growing strain on local health care systems and infrastructure. To read more on the pros and cons of enticing the 65+ demographic to a local economy Master_Retiree_Attraction_FINAL_Report.

Also, here’s a great article about how one Florida town discovered that retirees, not NASA are the economic drivers for their economy.

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.

~Author Unknown

(eds note:  This article is NOT intended for the highly motivated population of people who find exercise, “doing health”……….enjoyable.   You all just go about your day doing the things that give some happiness, and life satisfaction.  I need to talk to your friends, family, coworkers, who haven’t found the secrets to a healthy lifestyle like you have.)

Okay.  Now we can start.   It’s that time of year again.  In a few weeks, maybe a month we’ll be thinking about doing this New Year’s resolutions thing.   I won’t ask for everybody’s age, but how many years have we been doing this now?

This year let’s take a little bit different approach.   Enclosed is a list of suggested strategies to look at for possible long term changes in your health plans for 11’.    These strategies are based on the research of health psychologists who study what prompts people to make successful changes.

1.  If you make a resolution to start exercising again, lose weight; quit smoking, whatever it is, state the goal to a strong SUPPORT NETWORK.   Family, friends, co-workers that will support and encourage you, as you make this change.    You may have pitfalls as you find your health or fitness style.  You’ll need a good support system around you to encourage and motivate you.

2.  You don’t have to start on Jan 1, unless you’re training for an athletic event.   Or in a fun type weight loss contest.   Don’t put a strict time table on when you’re going to start.  Start planning and preparing but don’t take action until you’re really ready to go.

3. Keep the new or updated health and fitness plan simple. Take babies steps.  One day at a time.   People that are “intrinsically” motivated; meaning their motivation to do a health and fitness plan that THEY have personally figured out will stay with it longer. A lot of times this means starting small, simple, and then building from there.

4. “Social Liberation”. The knowing that you have a choice when to start sooner or later with a new health plan without external pressure is important.   “Motivation” researchers tell us that people who successfully change a health behavior are more apt to change sooner when not pressured by external messages.       Start fresh with exercise or eating better when you’re ready.   There are great experts, with lot of good information, fitness plans for you, when the time is right.

5.  There is NO FAILURE. It’s okay to try a different fitness plan, or daily eating style.   As I’ve stated for years highly motivated people enjoy their diet composition, or exercise routine.   But it may have taken them years to create it.    There is no one way to be healthy.  There is no one perfect exercise plan.     The perfect plan is the one you enjoy doing today.

Consider your 11’ New Year’s resolution to take a different approach to getting healthier.  Consider changing the same script you’ve done every year with limited success.  Give yourself permission to have fun, enjoy the experience, and the stated goals will take care of themselves.

A fitness staff person can help you with this type of approach; sign up for a consult when YOU’RE READY to start.

Happy New Year

Mike

Mike Waters is Director of Health Promotion at Timberhill Athletic Club in Corvallis, Oregon.   He helps members of all ages (specializes on boomers and seniors) with motivation strategies to get engaged with a healthy lifestyle.  He can be reached at 541- 207 – 4368   or timberhill.mike@comcast.net

Photo dailynews.com

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Mature Market Experts: more boomer, senior, and mature market news and stats you can use – Defining the Senior Market. Baby boomers, seniors, 55+, 65+, the mature market … all of these terms are rather nebulous when it comes to marketing. What exactly is the senior market? Undoubtedly there are differences between a 65 year old and a 112 year old. The NAHB Research Center (a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders) breaks the senior category into 4 groups: the Baby Boomer Generation, born 1946 to 1964; the Post War Generation, born 1928 to 1945; the World War II Generation, born 1922 to 1927 and the Depression Generation, born 1912 to 1921. Among the more senior seniors internet advertising may be ineffective, while for baby boomers it may be highly productive. Read here for a different perspective on defining your target audience. Also consider cultivating new lead sources in the senior provider community. The Older Americans Act mandates that every community has an Area Agency on Aging (AAA). This is a great network to be a part of. To be included, your business must earn the trust of the AAA.

Editor’s Note: Wow! Hard to believe another year has blown by! Happy holidays to all. The team at Love and Company wishes you an awesome 2011!

Mature Market Experts: more boomer, senior, and mature market news and stats you can use – Shared Housing – The Next Senior Trend? Many baby boomers find themselves rattling around in a big, empty house, alone and overwhelmed by the upkeep and financial drain. But they may wish to age in place rather than move on to assisted living. Other folks’ finances simply will not allow them to buy a home. So why not match these two groups up, and perhaps they can help each other out? That is exactly what the Shared Housing movement is advocating. The National Shared Housing Resource Center lists organizations attempting to get participants connected, either in a match-up program (which helps find a compatible boarder who either rents or offers services to the homeowner) or a shared living residence (where a group of unrelated people share a large  home). Taking this desire for symbiotic living a step further is the Co-Housing movement, where a community is planned and built around the concept of common living spaces, cooperative decision making, and shared work. If a senior needs some physical assistance, a willing house member or neighbor may reduce or eliminate the need for a health care aid. Both Shared Housing and Co-Housing are naturals for mature populations who may have lost a partner and are lonely, or would enjoy sharing a ride in return for babysitting. Maybe it takes a village to raise a child, but it is good for the 65+ age group too.

For more information on Co-Housing click here.

To read further on Co-Housing read this.

To read further on Shared Housing read this.

In fact, our team at TR Mann Consulting feels so strongly about this principal that we won’t accept a client for our customized newspapers unless they accept this one condition … WE WON’T WRITE ABOUT THE PAST. Remember, your residents and prospects are forward looking people who want to live in a forward looking community!

Editor’s Note: Speaking of forward looking, just returned from San Diego and the International Council on Active Aging’s Conference (ICAA) which was simply an awesome event. Great to see our clients, Super Noggin and Conductorcise, as well as the countless other friends pushing the industry forward.