How many pieces of mail do you get every day? How many emails, messages, and social media postings do you see on a regular basis? If you’re the average baby boomer today, you are exposed to over 20,000 messages every day.

It’s no wonder that your messages don’t get read.  How much do you know about the person you’re writing to? I thought I’d share several ideas that can hit the target more often when you choose to connect with me and my fellow boomers.

The first key to connect with boomers is to acknowledge that I’m very set in the ways I do things. Many of the things I do and the people I trust have long term relationships with me. I still remember my first date, first kiss, and first car. In many cases, I’m still involved with them. I find comfort in things I know and brands I trust. If you hope to get me to change, you need to appeal to both the good past while promising a better tomorrow.

The second key to connect with boomers is to acknowledge I’m still in good shape. I still feel great about my physical activities and enjoy the company I keep when doing them. Want me to come out and see your new product or service?  Provide me an experience.  How many times do you offer me one ticket when what I do requires at least one other, or maybe three others, to really enjoy the event?  Don’t bother treating me like getting older is a bad thing. I enjoy doing many activities with my significant other or spouse. Since I’m older, I may choose to enjoy the event for more time or even look for new ways to meet people who enjoy similar activities.

The third key to connect with boomers is not to send me junk mail that doesn’t show you invested some time in knowing who I am. I have many social and professional interests and with a little time and research, you should be able to customize your offer. Show me you care enough at the beginning and I will make it worth your time. If I trust you, I will introduce you to other successful people like me. Help me understand who your best customers are and I will make sure that I introduce you to those individuals in my community. I enjoy connecting my community with great professionals.

The fourth key to connect with boomers is to empower me to do something I’ve always want to do. Be willing to uncover unmet needs and I’ll spend money with you for the rest of my life. There are many different activities that I engage in, both personally and professionally. Take time to show me there is something else I might enjoy trying. The best way to get me to try new things is share stories of other people like me who were new, but fell in love with it.

Finally, respect me enough to learn something about the times I’ve lived and the people I love and respect. If one more person tells me about how things have changed and there is no way we can understand all the changes, I’ll punch them in the nose. Things are changing very quickly today, news flash – things have always been changing and every generation feels theirs is the most impacted by change.

If you’re dealing with me in business, understand that, next to my family, the business I built is my lasting legacy. My people are very important to me and I’ve watched them raise their families through both good times and bad. Through both sickness and health.  I have a relationship with my employees that may be older than my children.  They matter to me.  Help me take care of them.

I understand it’s popular to attack the values I’ve invested my life in. Don’t.  I thought I was doing the best I could at the time. Do I like things as much as your generation does? Sure, in my day I made it after my starter home, first Cadillac, or my first child graduating from college. I was tight with a buck and I’m looking to loosen up for the last years my life.

So now that you know more about boomers and how to connect to them.  Thursday I’ll share what you might want to know about millennials. I think you may be surprise by the similarities and differences.  See you then.