This is an over simplification but we think it works. Now that Baby Boomers are sliding home (53 to 71 years old) they have decided that their last flooring purchase is going to be their best flooring purchase. All the “No, we can’t do that because we have…” is out the window. They will buy what they wanted to buy but either couldn’t afford it or it wasn’t right for their life. No excuses. We are going to buy better goods. None of this Nordstrom for the skirt and Ross Dress for Less for the top. First class all the way.
Let’s not kid ourselves. Far too often flooring salespeople look at their customer, how they are dressed or act and make value judgments against that. It’s a natural thing to do. Just don’t do it for older folks. The older they get, the less mature they act. That’s just to prove they are with it. And the older they get (over 65) they complain about everything. That is a law — when you get Social Security, it’s your turn to complain about everything — most of all the weather, how young people dress and behave, and much, much more.
Don’t be fooled. Don’t even listen to their complaining, fixed income talk. Show them the best product in each category. Yes, the best and most expensive. Let them know they deserve it. The man will step in and say that they are on a tight budget and they need to see something far less expensive. Smile and then show her something super cool and very expensive. She’ll take over and the sale is yours.
Our Millennial flooring customer is looking for something different but not that expensive. Some will want something they can put down but most will want a complete installed job.
Different. It can be different than what their parents had or have. It can be different — no one else (their friends and peers) has it or have even talked about it. Not even on Pinterest or Houzz. It can be different — shown as commercial flooring but wow, how different would that be in your place?
It can be different – wood but not really wood, probably ceramic tile; LVT that looks like ceramic tile, but isn’t. Different – combining two different textures in the space. Different – they love stories about how the product is green or has benefits beyond the obvious: floor acts as great insulation or sound reducer or old floor will be recycled, etc.
This is not about your displays. This is about their ideas, their adventuresome streak. That must come out in the discussion with the salesperson. Unlike their parents, the ideas they have come from their sources — Facebook, Pinterest, blogs and so much more. Of course, their friends are important but for ideas and how to be different they turn to others they don’t know but feel they are somehow connected.
If they have wrinkles, show them the best. If they are staring at their phone as you are talking to them, show them super crazy different. Both will be engaged.
Jonathan Trivers, a regular contributor to Floor Covering Weekly, is also the author of the marketWise section of FCW’s Statistical Report. He can be reached by email at jonathantrivers@gmail.com.