by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
A trip down memory lane and new innovative marketing ideas are what members of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors got when they attended the second general meeting of the year held at the Jacksonville Marriott.
John Ansbach of Recon Intelligence Services defined four generations that Realtors need to focus on, connect with and direct their advertising towards if they are going to sell to all generations of buyers.
Ansbach separated four generations and dissected them for the audience to find the best ways to approach and identify with different generations of buyers.
How you grew up and what you experienced as you were growing up in different times lead you to adopt a certain set of core values.
If you are 61 years old or older, you are a “Civic.” If you are 42-60 years old you are a “Baby Boomer.” If you are 30-41 years old, you are a “Generation X’er” and if you are 12-29 years old, you are a “Millenial.”
There are 59 million Civics in the United States and they share a core value system of dedication and sacrifice, hard work, conformity, respect for authority and delayed gratification and sacrifice.
There are 78 million Baby Boomers, also known as the “Me” generation, in the United States and they share a core value system of delayed gratification, work, self, involvement, personal gratification and community.
There are 48 million Gen X’ers in the United States and they are considered the original “latchkey” kids because they were raised in a generation where they had to take care of themselves. They share a core value system of fierce independence, change, techno literacy and skepticism.
There are 73 million Millenials in the United States and they share a core value system of confident, optimistic, techno-fused, moral and civic minded.
“You can use generational knowledge to supercharge service efforts,” said Ansbach.
From a study he did, Ansbach determined that 80 percent of new homebuyers are in the Gen X’er or Millenial group.
“What do we know about Gen X’ers values?” said Ansbach. “We know they are seeking a sense of family, seeking balance, skeptical, desire fun and or freedom, are techno literate and are fiercely independent. And we know Millennials are optimistic and fun, confident, former chief technology officers, are techno-fused, moral, community-minded and are collaborative.”
With Gen X’ers, Realtors need to tailor their service to a hands-off approach, he said.
“They were latchkey then and are latchkey now,” he said. “You need to be there when needed and gone when not. Acknowledge Gen X’ers independence to supercharge your efforts.”
He said your youngest consumers have been told they are special for years and you need to tailor your approach to make them feel special.
“They need to hear and feel it from you, too,” he said. “Give them supercharged service with ‘unique and special’ messaging.”
Technology is also important to the last two generations. You need to have a really good website, communicate with high technology and communicate immediately.
“Supercharged Gen X’er and Millenial service utilizes technology to drive the transaction,” said Ansbach.
Baby boomers on the other hand are not as technology driven and rely on their core values to lead them to who they will deal with.
“Boomers want to deal with someone with a Winable attitude,” said Ansbach. “There is no such thing as an obstacle. Roadblocks are merely challenges to be conquered. We can change the world and accomplish anything if we put our minds to it. The experience should be positive, rewarding and winable.”
He said you should make your service to them all about them. They like to be the center of attention and you should target your service to revolve entirely around them.
Civics have evolved over the years and are no longer just retiree’s, but more of an active adult community.
“They respect hard work,” said Ansbach. “They’ve worked hard for others for years, now they want you to work hard for them. If it’s too easy it won’t be satisfying. Superior satisfaction comes from superior work so demonstrate your hard work.”
After all their years of hard work, this generation wants to be rewarded.
“Be the ‘purveyor of the payoff’ with the dream postponed,” he said. “Create an experience that centers around what they have earned.
Repeat after me: ‘You’ve earned it.’”