Sticky Communication

Some days I think marketers have forgotten that many people older than 50 have way more money than those in the younger demographic.

Consider the example of tablet computers. Many seniors love their touch screens, ease of adjusting font size and light weight. Yet nobody has thought of marketing campaigns for them.

According to web usability guru Jakob Nielsen, the number of older people on the web has grown by 16 per cent each year over the past decade, compared with an annual growth of three per cent for those in the 30 to 49 age group.

Even more important are print, television, radio and personal communication.

In many cultures, people show great respect for the wisdom of their elders.  Not ours, unless you are Betty White, though that may change once us boomers start to work less and impart more.

Because I’m working on a project that involves communicating with seniors, I’ve been researching how to communicate better with people who are climbing, but not necessarily over, the hill. Not only am I finding few surprises, but also many tips that would enhance communication for the rest of the world too.

Take my friend Donna Papacosta, a sharp communicator a hair older than the coveted demographic. The other morning, broken-footed Donna was lamenting on Facebook about the lack of information she received about her “walking boot,” a cast she’s been removing when she’s in bed. As in, not walking.

Turns out she was supposed to keep it on all the time, despite the ease and relief of removal. Now she’s worried she might have messed up the healing. Why did nobody tell her?

If Donna could not figure this out, how are older people supposed to understand?  As confirmed in this study discussed in Forbes magazine, this kind of poor communication is the reason why so many older people end up back in the hospital.

If healthcare people, who should be preoccupied with the aging population, don’t get it, what hope is there for other marketers? The onslaught on digital marketing jargon may explain why more seniors are not buying tablet computers.

Rant

I have many simple tips on how to improve your communication with people older than 50 and seniors. First let me rant a little more.

Because aging can involve unpleasant realities and difficult conversations, healthcare professionals sometimes distance themselves with big words. For example, in a recent meeting with me and my 86-year-old dad, the nursing home director talked about “risk management.” Why didn’t she just talk say “my dad’s safety?”

And why does the gerontologist spell out the medical term for my dad’s problem? Instead of explaining it in plain language my dad can understand, he expects me to search and explain it to him. At least that’s better the mumbo jumbo some specialists dish out.

And here’s a question asked by everyone who lacks microscopic vision: why can’t anyone over 40 read government-mandated ingredient lists on drugs and food?

If the information is important, then people should be able to read it. For most, vision starts to decline after 40.

Although memory and dexterity start to go down hill later, they don’t suddenly plummet on a specific birthday. Aging is individual and usually gradual. To be on the safe side, marketers and communicators start adjusting as soon as the reading glasses appear.

Of course many of the dwarf-font companies have help lines to call. But too often these numbers send people to phone hell, the unending buttons that lead to more confusion and time on hold. When, and if, they get a live person, seniors often have to repeat the information to a stranger whose first language is not English. This bothers people younger than 30 too.

Why can’t they do better?

The answers are out there. Most would improve communication with people of almost any age.

Here are some of the answers I’ve gleaned from usability expert  Jakob Nielsen, Health Canada and David Solie, author of How To Say It To Seniors: Closing the Communication Gap with Our Elders.

This advice is aimed at making it easier to understand, see, hear, follow instructions, keep pace and connect with the people who are moving onto bifocals or canes.  

Understand

Provide details. Don’t assume people understand. Questions may arise later. To get answers, don’t send us to phone hell or the web equivalent.

Express yourself in plain language, not healthcare, tech or other jargon.

Offer communication options, for example a choice of text, images, audio and live communication, where body language and personality also speak.

See

Employ larger fonts, 12 points or more, in simple, sans serif fonts. Avoid italics and ALL CAPS.

Use sharp color contrasts, more black on white backgrounds with green or blue, less reverse type with white on black, rarely red.

Redesign screens for less glare, especially on card readers, bank machines and mobile phones. I’ll bet that company with the non-glare screen tablet would sell more if they’d tailor a campaign to seniors.

Hear

Allow people to crank up the volume higher.

Eliminate background noise and sounds that may be difficult to distinguish.

Follow instructions

As people age, they become less adept at multi-tasking and more methodical in their thinking. Seniors’ error rates have declined dramatically in the past 10 years, probably as a result of better web design and increased online experience. Still, error rates, which have a big influence on who makes it to the checkout, are more than double those experienced by people in the age 21 to 55 group. Older adults are also more likely to give up than to continue trying.

Use detailed but simple, step-by-step instructions. Don’t expect older people to think of more than one task at a time.

Make forms and fields easy to complete. For example, if you want somebody to enter a date, give them a calendar to click or show how you want the numbers recorded.

Keep pace

Slow down the speed. As Jakob found in his latest seniors’ usability study, people older than 65 are 43 per cent slower at web tasks. They are frustrated if a page times out before they have figured out seating and purchased their pricey theater tickets.

Marketers also need to avoid artificial deadlines and high-pressure closings. Give them alternatives that will allow them to ask questions and decide later.

Connect

Seniors prefer face-to-face communication. If you can’t meet them in person, try simple, quick videos, Skype, your photo on your brochure or site so they can picture who they are communicating with.

Seniors can be more in tune with their intuition, emotional cues and shared experience and insight. So tell stories that support the point you want to make. Ask questions about their experience.

Metaphors work well too.

Remember that the biggest fear of most seniors is losing control. Remind them of how your products or services will help them stay in charge of their bodies, finances, homes or lives.

As people age, they also become more concerned about leaving a legacy, whether it’s money for grandchildren or wisdom to pass on. If you can help, show them how.

After you’ve tried these techniques, remember to test, improve, then test again with many demographic groups. You’ll  find that many of the improvements you made for older people are a hit with those in the coveted demographic too.

Respect

Let  me return to my rant, this time about what people older than 50 are called. The first time I was offered a seniors discount, I was offended. Sure, the deal was for people older than 50, but I don’t like to be called a senior. And of course I look much younger.

I can’t call myself middle aged any more, unless I plan to crack the triple digits. Older middle aged or baby boomer is fine. Seniors should be restricted to people closer to my dad’s age, or at least retired.

And don’t call seniors patients, unless they are sick in the hospital. That’s not how healthy people see themselves, even if their eye sight, dexterity and memory aren’t what they used to be.

What suggestions can you add?