Slides from a one-hour presentation to dealers of SmokerCraft boats. Some content on boat buyers, lots on how to sell to the different generations and how they buy.

1. Selling Across
the Generations -
Smoker Craft
1

2. For more info:
Cam Marston
Generational Insights
251.479.1990
cam@generationalinsights.com
www.generationalinsights.com
Find us on Facebook:
Generational Insight
and on Twitter: GenInsight
Copyright 2012, Generational Insight
2
2

3. Available on
Amazon.com
3
3

4. 34
4

5. Generations:
•Matures
> 67 yo
•Baby Boomers 48 to 63-66 yo
•Gen X
33 to 47 yo
•Millennials!! < 32 yo
5
5

6. Quick Stats: Fishing
• The majority of fisherman today are white,
college educated males who make more than
$100,000 per year and are over 45 years old.
• Nearly 20% of adults with children take their
children fishing.
• New participants join the ranks of those that
“fish” at 18% a year. However fishing loses
participants at a rate of 19% a year.
• The majority of “lost” fishermen are Generation
X’ers.
6
6

7. Quick Stats: Boating
• 7% of the population own boats and the majority
of those boats are bass boats.
• 55% of those that bought boats in 2010
purchased their boat new.
• Millennials bought a lot of the new boats (64%)
and about half of them financed it.
• The Matures bought the second most number of
boats (59%) and only 9% of them financed it.
• Gen X bought the fewest boats (40%), followed
by the Boomers (53%).
7
7

8. 2002 - 2010 Boating
Participation #s & Mean Age
Year Participants Mean Age - Male
2002 26,626 36.1
2003 24,192 36.4
2004 22,773 36.3
2005 27,539 35.6
2006 29,258 36.6
2007 31,854 36.2
2008 27,816 37.0
2009 23,959 37.7
2010 20,081 38.9
8
8

9. What seems to matter to them
Matures & Boomers:
•History of organization
•Name recognition of organization
•Tenure in the marketplace
•Historical & Perceived Quality
9

10. What seems to matter to them
Gen X & The Millennials:
•The Individual, the Ego
•How things will affect their lives
•How things will make them distinct
•How you’ll impact their future
•How they’re different.
10
10

11. Matures
11

12. Matures (Born prior to 1946)
•Dedication, sacrifice.
•Experience will always be the best
teacher.
•Conformity, blending, unity – “We
First”. Team
•Hard, hard times then prosperity –
still value moderation.
•Deference
12

13. Matures (Born prior to 1946)
To sell to Matures:
• Let their experiences lead you...
• Ask for the “rules of engagement.”
•Ex: What can we do to earn this business
from you? Are there some things we must
do?
• Testimonials & institutions (government,
companies, people).
13

14. Matures (Born prior to 1946)
To sell to Matures:
•Quality is important – they’ll measure
it through their own experiences.
Remember, your measure of quality
and theirs may be different.
•NEVER mention a product is good for
their age group.
•Standard and prepackaged is good
•Quality is king. Speak to it.
14

15. Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964)
9
15
15

16. Baby Boomers (apprx: 47 to 65 yrs old)
•Workaholics
•Competitive
•Success is largely visible - trophies,
plaques, certificates, etc.
•Defined by their work
•We are the world, We are the children
16

17. Baby Boomers
(1946 - 1964)
1970 2012
Killer weed Weed killer
Acid rock Acid reflux
Hoping for a BMW Hoping for a BM
Rolling Stones Kidney Stones
Trying to look Trying NOT to look
like Liz Taylor or like Liz Taylor or
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando
Long hair Longing for hair
17
17

18. Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964)
Connecting with the Boomers:
• Talk to them about how you’ll save them
time.
• Talk to them about how you’ll make the
purchase and financing easy.
–BUT be very careful of too many
technology solutions.
18
18

19. 19
19

20. Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964)
Connecting with the Boomers:
•Help them feel victorious. Visible gifts.
•Become a member of their team. Not
exclusively internal – can include vendors.
–Ex: “To me, this is not just about selling you
a boat, its about becoming a sort of
teammate.”
•Two overriding themes: Forever young.
Rebellious. (Example – Cadillac, Harley
Davidson.) 20
20

21. Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964)
21
21

22. Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964)
Communicating with the Boomers:
1) Face to face is number one. Relax. Fluid
sentences. Have fun. They’re an optimistic
group!
2) Telephone. Follow same rules.
3) Email - Full sentences. Few abbreviations.
Opening and Closing.
4) Via Web - maybe / maybe not
5) Texting - depends on the person. Often OK
for kids but not for vendors.
22
22

23. Generation X (1965 – 1979)
23
23

24. Gen X: 33 to 47 yrs
• Question authorities
• No shared heroes. Their heroes are people they’ve met &
know.
• Watched the days of lifelong employment end. Don’t
believe it will happen to them.
• Shorter time horizons than other generations
• Time is a currency.
• Carpe diem - Seize the day! If you’re not enjoying it, don’t
do it.
• “Prove it to me.”
24
24

25. Gen X (apprx. 33 to 47 yrs old)
Selling Gen X
•List all the available products, services,
options, etc. Everything.
•Emphasize the short term solutions –
Carpe Diem.
•Show back up plans… B, C, and D.
•They’ll use the technology available to
double check what you’re telling them.
Anticipate it.
25
25

26. Gen X (apprx. 33 to 47 yrs old)
• Distrust anything too promotional, sales-y, or
marketing-y.
–Sell the steak, they’ll see right through the
sizzle.
• Data and information. More is better.
• NO vanity advertising. NO photos of you.
• Where to go for more information - websites,
referral sources, product / service reviews, etc.
26
26

27. Communicating with Gen X
• Probably will prefer email updates.
• Likely let your calls go to voice mail and then check the
message to see how important it is and how quickly they
need to call you back.
• Texting is OK if content is 1) a request or 2) information:
Call me when you can. Or: Just got your msg. Can I
call tomorrow to ask some q’s?
• Face to face: Your clients will not want to make hard and
fast decisions face to face. Let them think about it and do
their research.
27
27

28. Millennials (1980 ~ 2000
28
28

29. Millennials: (apprx. 32 yrs old & less)
• Individuals w/ a group orientation (team?)
• Optimistic
• Well looked after.
• Hard time focusing.
• More altruistic other generations at a younger age.
• Busy & stressed at a young age.
• Raised as their parent’s friends.
• Are not adults. Are not adolescents. “Adultolescent”
phase.
• “Future” is very short term.
• Huge goals. Clueless on the execution.
29
29

30. 30

31. 31

32. 32
32

33. Q: What do their messages have
in common?
A: A strong sense of individuality.
You’re special already.
33
33

34. 34
34

35. 35

36. 36
36

37. Then
vs
Now
37
37

38. Audie Murphy
• Medal of Honor
• Distinguished Service Cross
• Silver Star
• Legion of Merit
• Bronze Star
• Purple Heart
• US Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
• Good Conduct Medal
• Distinguished Unit Emblem
• American Campaign Medal
• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• Army of Occupation
• Armed Forces Reserve Medal
• Combat Infantryman Badge
• Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar
• Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar
• French Fourragere
• French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier
• French Croix de Guerre
• French Croix de Guerre with Palm
• Medal of Liberated France
• Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm
38
38

39. 39
39

40. Millennials Today (apprx. 31 yrs old & less)
Connecting with the Millennials
•Advice must have an immediate
application to them.
•Must be unique to them.
•Want what their friends have and what
their friends are doing with a unique
twist.
40
40

41. Millennials Today (apprx. 31 yrs old & less)
Connecting with the Millennials
•Spend time. Answer questions. Become
a non-stressful provider of information.
Be consultative.
•“Sensitive to my needs.”
•Individual relevance – “Why is this
important to me?”
41
41

42. Millennials Today (apprx. 31 yrs old & less)
Communicating:
•Texting is OK. Preferred! Do it.
•You must be present on the social technologies.
•Recognize individuality and uniqueness. Very important.
•Parents! Don’t forget about them. They’ll want to talk to
you, too.
•Printed: Simple. Sleek. Modern.
• Be authentic. Be genuine. Be helpful. Don’t try to fake
“cool.”
42
42

43. Selling Across
the Generations
43

44. Exceptions to the rule:
•Oldest children. Or a child born five
years after their older sibling.
•Military
• Raised on a farm
• Immigrants from non-Western nations
‣And their kids, sometimes…
•From a culture with a rigorous shared
Rite of Passage
44

45. Top 4 Take Aways:
• With Gen X & Millennials - No more “let me tell you about my
company.” Now it must be “Tell me about you” and “Let me
tell you about you.” Teach, don’t sell. (This will work in
attracting new employees, too.)
• With Boomers and Matures - Your history - company, brand,
personal - give you the right to ask for the business. Ask for
it.
• It will help if your salesforce looks like your targeted
customers.
• Same life stages will happen at older ages. Therefore expect
your products to be sold to more savvy buyers.
45

46. Points to Ponder:
• The Millennials are buying and financing their purchases.
Large pool of potential customer. And may inherit some
money.
• They will soon hit the next life stage and I expect their
purchasing power to decrease as kids take over.
• The typical boaters - wealthy white males - are thinning out.
Not replacing themselves. Smaller families, less money,
etc...
• The Gen X boater is a tough customer.
• But if I’m in a family owned boating business and I’m the next
generation, the Gen X customer is a MUST for me. They
have the kids that will build your business for the future.
46

47. Points to Ponder:
• For the younger generations of boaters, your story is less
important than their story- its about them, not you.
• The Gen X SuperParent is obsessed with their children’s
experiences, so take the family on a test ride. Do
everything possible to make sure the kids have fun.
• Ask your Boomer customers about their children. Listen
for opportunities to meet the kids. Make a connection with
the kids but don’t try to fake cool - its an agonizing thing to
watch.
• With the Matures: You’ve earned this. Go. Enjoy
yourself.
47

48. Selling Across
the Generations
48