How to woo and win active adult prospects as buyers at your 55 plus housing community. Advice for marketing to boomers first given at the 2009 Building for Boomers conference by Creating Results' Todd Harff and co-presenters.

2. Welcome to the City of
Brotherly Love

3. Advice Columnists
Helen Foster
Foster Strategy
Todd Harff
Creating Results –
Strategic Marketing
Barbara Kleger
55+ Consulting/KD Partners

5. You Don’t Know
the Real Me
• You may know my statistics, but do you really know
me?
– Do you know where I work (or if I am retired),
where I vacation, my hobbies, my family, etc.
– Do you know where I shop, where I eat, what I do
in my free time?
– Do you know my PHD’s ( Plans, Hopes and
Desires)
– Do you know my passions?

6. You Don’t Know
the Real Me
How can you get to know me? Just ask me!
• Through surveys (mail, telephone, internet)
– In focus groups & discussion groups
– In personal meetings
– In Preview Sessions
“ It’s nice that you are interested in me…
and are interested in my opinion.”

7. You Don’t Know
the Real Me
Research
Listen
Develop Buyer Profiles
Knowing your marketplace and understanding
why your consumers will buy (what motivates
them) is more important than how to sell them.

9. • A moving target -- especially in today’s economic
climate!
• As developers and marketers … we must uncover,
illuminate and reflect consumer preferences
• Take a holistic view of the audience, marketplace and
consumer landscape
• Resist the temptation to follow old industry
benchmarks
My Favorite Color Is…

10. • Follow the consumer, and look outside the industry
for queues on development and marketing -- design,
technology, building “green,” wellness, etc.
• Tap the web resource: www.trendwatching.com,
which offers FREE and fantastic information on
consumer trends, with supporting statistics and links
to numerous examples
My Favorite Color Is…

11. QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
From www.trendwatching.com

12. My Favorite Color Is…
• An enduring truth is that we become more self-
actualized at 40+
• Shift away from “ego” values to “being” values
• Majority of U.S. population is 40+ -- David Wolfe’s
“new customer majority”
Read Ageless Marketing, David Wolfe with Robert Snyder

13. My Favorite Color Is…
• Aging of the Zeitgeist fueling many significant
consumer trends
• Major implications for what we should develop, where
we should develop, how we should communicate, etc.

14. My Favorite Color Is…
What is selling to 40+?
– Peak experiences that resonate with one’s sense
of self … “like me”
– A sure path to achieving lifestyle pillars
– A continuation/extension of one’s present lifestyle
– Authenticity, credibility, quality & value

15. • Seek guidance from experts to fill knowledge gaps in
development and marketing: land use, architecture,
infrastructure, life services, eco/green initiatives,
finance, branding/marketing, communications, etc.
• “Winging it” can lead to costly mistakes -- recognize
EARLY what you don’t know, and harness the power
of collaborative thinking
My Favorite Color Is…

17. • Avoid the pitfalls of turning off prospects with outmoded
terminology and age labels
Avoid … seniors, golden years, silver, age-
restricted, aging, rocking chairs, retirement/retirees
Emphasize … choice, opportunity, wellness,
access/connection, vitality, individuality,
meaningful engagement and VALUE
Mixed Signals

18. Striking the right balance --
– You vs. Them
– Aspiration vs. Pragmatism
– Features vs. Benefits
– Real estate vs. Lifestyle
– Age-qualified vs. Ageless
– Puffery vs. Authenticity
a basic “go-by”
 20% vs. 80%
 50 to 50
 35 to 65
 35 to 65
 30 to 70
 0 to 100!
Mixed Signals

19. Be “active,” but mindful of the realities of aging
• Understand the cornerstones of “Livable Communities”
and address them appropriately in your development
(Research Livable Community Initiatives of AARP,
NCOA, n4a, etc.)
• Build-in universal design, even for “active adults”
Mixed Signals

20. • Let your brand vision be the guidepost for
development, operations and marketing --
consistency in every execution
Mixed Signals

22. One Chance
to Make a First Impression
Gorgeous Villas
+
A $5 tank top
=
?

23. One Chance
to Make a First Impression
• Authentic
• Relevant
• Consistent
– Branding - Image
– Integrated marketing

25. One Chance
to Make a First Impression
• Integrated touchpoints / brand experience
– Online
• Loosing control – be part of the conversation
• Authenticity
– Off-line
• Onsite experience
– Avoid Desperation

26. One Chance
to Make a First Impression
• Welcoming Welcome Centers
– Displays that tell, show and engage
– Create intimacy/build relationships

32. Let’s Talk about ME
Most sales people are only half prepared.
They know everything about their product
and nothing about their prospect.

33. Let’s Talk about ME
“No one cares how
much you know
until they know how
much you care.”

34. Let’s Talk about ME
• Let’s get personal!!
– Be relaxed… Help your prospect to be relaxed.
– Build a relationship- People buy from people they
like
– Find a link - People buy from people they trust
– Find out what is important to them – People buy
for their reasons, not yours.

35. Let’s Talk about ME
• Let’s get personal!!
– Be a psychiatrist -
Ask the questions
that get to the heart
of it all…that evoke
emotion.
– Be a good listener –
listen at least twice
as much as you talk

36. Let’s Talk about ME
• Let’s get personal!!
– Talk about the
benefits*, not the
features(*what it
means to me”)

37. Let’s Talk about ME
Everything that you need to know to ‘close’,
You’ll learn by listening to me!

39. Love is a Battlefield

40. Love is a Battlefield
• Know who you are
– Drill down to what’s truly unique
– Test assumptions
– Entire company can verbalize

41. Love is a Battlefield
• Be bold
– Creative collaterals
– Dimensional mailings
– Breakthrough advertising

49. Love is a Battlefield
• Vive la diference!
– Avoid vanilla

51. Slow Down
You’re Moving Too Fast
• Is it love at first sight or are we moving too fast?
• It’s a ‘fine line’ between too much follow up and not
enough
• Call, write, email, visit, stop by, send flowers …
– Just watch your timing
– Keep the romance going

52. Slow Down
You’re Moving Too Fast
• In order to maintain trust and confidence, you can’t
look and feel desperate.
• You don’t want to fall in love in a day. It’s day by day.
• You don’t get good at selling in a day. You get good
at selling day by day.

53. Slow Down
You’re Moving Too Fast
• Either you sell your prospect on ‘yes,’
or he/she sells you on ‘no.’
• This is a long-term relationship …
Don’t mess it up at the beginning.
REMEMBER …
People buy on emotion and justify with fact

54. Slow Down
You’re Moving Too Fast
It’s not a hard sell, it’s a heart sell!

56. The Little Black Book
• Customer Relationship Management
– People, processes, tools (inc technology)
– Gain, grow and improve relationships
– Market more efficiently
– Improve profits and satisfaction

57. The Little Black Book
• Benefits of CRM
– Identify and target best customers
– Streamline processes
– Eliminate silos
– Faster responses
– More regular/consistent contact
– Match customer needs with product plans and
offerings

58. The Little Black Book
• What data to collect
– SourceS
– Learning styles
– Communication preferences
– Hobbies, passions
– Family (spouse, children, grandchildren and pets)
– Birthdays, anniversaries
Go beyond names and contact info!

59. The Little Black Book
• How to store the data
– Keep it simple
– Training is critical
– GIGO

60. The Little Black Book
• Use data to build relationships
– Appropriate follow-up pace, channel
– Include personal details
– Make communications dynamic
– Make communications interactive

62. The Consumer Buying Cycle
• Acknowledge that you have
consumers at all points of
the buying cycle
• Be honest about your
strengths and weaknesses,
and align marketing efforts
appropriately
Graphic courtesy of
Creating Results, LLC

63. When You Care Enough
to Send the Very Best
Awareness
• Mass communications strategies, including PR,
advertising and direct mail to build interest and inquiry
• Integrated media to maximize reach
• Invest in quality “purchased” lists - qualify by assets,
not income, for one year unlimited use

64. Awareness (continued)
• Emphasize traffic building, even pre-construction
• Release events
• Open houses
• Luncheon seminars
• Entertainment events
• Individual tours
• Web traffic drivers
When You Care Enough
to Send the Very Best

65. When You Care Enough
to Send the Very Best
Interest/Relevance
• CRM: Frequent communications to your “active”
(and well-maintained!) database of inquirers
• Main goal: Build motivation to buy
• Every aspect of the sales experience matters --
visuals, flow, staff interactions, environments,
and printed materials

66. When You Care Enough
to Send the Very Best
Interest/Relevance (continued)
• Use hospitality features and premiums to enhance
memorability and trigger discussion
• Measure everything and “optimize” strategies
based on performance

67. When You Care Enough
to Send the Very Best
Consideration/Desire
• All about rapport and personal connections --
be patient!
• Main goal: Lead-to-sale conversion
• Invite “short list” to special events to build loyalty and
group identity

68. When You Care Enough
to Send the Very Best
Purchase
• Consider how you can refine selection, closing,
customization and move-in -- so these processes
become selling points and/or something to share with
friends (Boomer+ women … the marketing sweet spot!)
• Ensure adequate choice, but keep it simple

69. When You Care Enough
to Send the Very Best
Retention/Advocacy
• Purposefully plan welcome and orientation for new
buyers -- build relationships, amenity use, and
satisfaction
• Never stop “marketing” to the passionate advocates

71. • Naturally build advocacy and and referral by
delivering on product promises -- expect 50% or more
of new leads to come from referral
• Use cash incentives cautiously, as they can backfire
with Boomer+ segments
• Arm the passionate advocates with discussion/referral
triggers, and host small group events/meetings
You Say the
Sweetest Things

72. • Sponsor senior-staff participation in select community
organizations
• Partner with organizations and companies that share
your interests
- State 50+ development initiatives, AARP
- Civic Ventures/Encore Careers, etc.
- Livable community development initiatives
- Destinations/Tourism drivers
- “Authentic altruism”
You Say the
Sweetest Things

74. Say “I do”
1. Do your research; anticipate wants and needs
2. Apply insights to product design, programming and
communications
3. Get the right messages to the right prospects and be
authentic

75. “… I do, I do, I do …”
4. Create a consistent 1st impression on- and off-line
5. Talk about what matters to them – Listen!
6. Stand out from the other suitors – Be Smart & Bold
7. Move at the right pace for your prospects. Balance
progress and patience

76. “… I do, I do, I do …”
8. Build relationships by collecting and appropriately
using personal details, insights
9. Use CRM to show you care through systematic and
nurturing follow-up
10.Create happy homebuyers and valuable partners to
generate referrals and leads

77. ADVICE COLUMNISTS
WELCOME QUESTIONS & IDEAS
888-205-8899
Blog:
MatureMarketingMatters.com
Web:
CreatingResults.com