Seniors are invisible to most companies and a recent contest, held by AARP, illustrates just how few companies pay any attention to this customer segment of the marketplace.

The goal of the contest was to find the best workplaces for seniors and employers were simply asked to enter by telling why they were a great place for seniors to work. The reward would be free praise about the winning companies through all of AARP's many publications.

Usually, contests of this type will bring in hundreds to thousands of entrants. Invitations to this contest were sent to 10,000 major companies.

Total returns: 14. This dismal response demanded an explanation so hundreds of companies were called to find out why they had not entered the contest. When queried, the answer from most companies was, "Best place for older people to work? We never thought about that."

There you have it, straight from their own mouths. Most businesses do not think about seniors. They are still focused on baby boomers despite the enormous demographic changes that have occurred. The senior segment is still "invisible" to them.

This is where your edge is. Your competition is not focusing on seniors, so you have a wide open market segment, if you pay attention to them.

Most seniors have lived in their homes for a long time and some real estate issues they are sensitive about are: upkeep, accessibility and the properties current value. Realtors would do well in attracting senior customers with specific advertising phrases aimed at these issues. Some examples are: Maintenance free construction eases senior burdens; First floor master bedrooms give seniors comfort; Seniors - learn your homes worth, get a free market analysis.

As Zig Ziglar says, "It's easy to get ahead if your competition has quit, or quit competing." So beat out your competition, see the seniors and you'll see your sales soar.

Published: August 7, 2002

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Gary Onks, founder of Sold On Seniors, Inc., is an author and marketing consultant who has been featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Times, CBS Radio Marketwatch, Microsoft bCentral and other publications. His book "How You Can Reach & Sell the $20 Trillion Senior Marketplace" is acclaimed as "the 'Art' of pleasing senior customers." Onks has sold millions in goods directly, one-on-one to seniors. His experience includes serving as executive director of a large retirement community and selling to seniors for over a decade. His trademarked Seniorized marketing methods deliver exceptional results. You can reach him at 800-416-8785, GaryOnks@SoldOnSeniors.com or at his website www.SoldOnSeniors.com.