NMI Reveals Key Insights Into Baby Boomer Clients: With Tips For Working With These Clients From Terri Wojak

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Following this news items are tips from Terri Wojak, director of True University and True Skin Care Center in Chicago, about how to best work with baby boomer clients in a medical esthetics setting.

Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), an international strategic consulting and market research firm, has been studying the health aging/baby boomer consumer segment since 2005 and now has seven years of trended data among more than 20,000 U.S. adults. NMI’s studies are balanced to U.S. Census data across key demographics and statistically significant at the 95% confidence level to +/- 1.8%.

Due to their sheer size, boomers not only have the capacity to redefine aging, they are revolutionizing aging. The emergence of the concept of healthy aging (not anti-aging) has been propelled by this generation of 78 million strong with $3.2 trillion in spending power. Providing them with the tools to keep every aspect of their life healthy as they age is a major opportunity for all industries catering to this influential generation.

NMI’s healthy aging/boomer Database generates unique insight into this generation (and others) to reveal new insights.

  • Boomers are not a homogeneous group—segmentation highlights targeted opportunities.
  • Top key healthy aging drivers relate to finances—to live on, for retirement, for health care expenses.
  • Boomers are information-seekers and prefer to find out about products/services via self-discovery.
  • Boomers show higher concern than younger generations surrounding political and world issues.
  • Boomers want to remain relevant and defy “getting old.”
  • Top drivers of a healthy lifestyle are centered around weight loss, disease prevention and appearance.
  • Boomers are optimistic and feel their financial situation will get better in the future, and health care advances will extend their life and prevent disease, which may lead to their live now, pay later attitude.
  • Boomers show strong brand loyalty to products and services they use.
  • About a third are early adopters, indicating they are the first to try new products and services.
  • They prefer advertisements that capture the flavor of their generation and understand their uniqueness.
  • A large majority prefer to purchase from socially and environmentally responsible companies.

Exclusive Advice From Terri Wojak About Working With Boomer Clients

"Working in a medical spa setting, I see a lot of baby boomers on a regular basis. Working with baby boomers, as opposed to those in their 30s to 40s, differs in various ways. Because baby boomers are such a large demographic, they tend to be the leaders in many trends when it comes to anti-aging and skin care. This is why many advertisements for anti-aging products and services are now based around this generation. These clients often research all the options available to them before even booking an appointment. They appreciate getting detailed information, whether it is on the services you offer or the products you use. Education is the key with all clients, but baby boomers tend to appreciate these details even more.

Many of the baby boomers are more health-conscious and willing to listen to the advice that is provided regarding overall wellness. They are more involved with caring for their body as a whole, which helps them achieve a more youthful appearance. They are not just coming in for a quick fix; they see the value in taking care of their skin on a regular basis through consistent facial services and using the right products for their skin. This generation still takes full advantage of the medical services offered; most commonly neurotoxins, facial fillers and ablative lasers, but they still put forth the effort of doing their part in the age-prevention process.

"Here a few tips to make baby boomer clients happy. Educate them thoroughly on everything you are doing. Always maintain the highest standards in customer service; these clients are not likely to put up with less than superior customer service. Offer tips on keeping their skin and body in a healthy state; they will value this information. Finally, make sure your client leaves happy and you will likely see a lot of referrals. Clients used to be embarrassed to let others know that they were receiving cosmetic medical services. Now it seems as though everyone, especially the baby boomers, are talking about what they have had done and how great it makes them feel about themselves."

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