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10 Tips for Selling to Older Clients

1. Carry a Wide Barrel Pen. It’s easier for an older adult to use. Arthritis affects 50% of people over age 65 1. Squeezing hard on handshakes could cost you business.
2. Display Patriotic Symbols. Wear an American flag lapel pin. It is a subtle but powerful value symbol for the generations that fought in World War II and Korea.
3. Establish Trust First. Older customers are relationship-oriented. Take the time to show how you truly care about your older client. On occasion, give a small, thoughtful gift. The cost is not important; it is the thought.
4. Display Pictures of Your Children or Grandchildren. Talk about them. More than 80% of people over age 60 are grandparents and a third are great grandparents. Funding college education is a reasonable goal for grandparents. 2
5. Keep a Pillow in Your Office. Many older people use a chair pillow to support them when they are sitting. Leave one on a chair they are likely to sit on. If they ask what it is for, tell them you use it occasionally and they are welcome to use it. Avoid commenting on their limitations.
6. Don’t Call Them “Senior Citizens.” About one-third don’t like the term. In fact, don’t use labels when talking with them. If you must, refer to them as “people like yourself.”
7. Understand What Age They Think They Are. Chronological age does not match cognitive age (the age people feel they are). Most older people see themselves as 15 years younger than their actual age.
8. Create a Positive Physical Setting. Eliminate glaring outdoor and internal lighting. Reduce background noises. Don’t seat them in a drafty area, such as under a heating or air conditioning vent. Note that hearing loss affects many older people.
9. Use Metaphors. When describing financial products, use figures of speech, such as metaphors “Financial planning is like going down a river in a boat. Sometimes it’s rough; other times it’s smooth. Sometimes there are rocks (or difficulties) ahead to be avoided.”
10. Draw Them a Picture. As people age, they remember things much better from what they see than any other way. Draw it out for them. Use icons (nest eggs, trees, scales, faucet with buckets) to illustrate abstract ideas. Reinforce by writing down key words. These may serve as visual cues to help them better understand concepts or product features.

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