GOLDEN RULES OF COMMUNICATING WITH GEN Y ONLINE
DO
Be authentic and transparent.
• •
•
• •
Avoid spin and don’t pretend to be something you’re not. Be vibrant, energetic, enthusiastic. Be customer-driven. Focus on
what they want/need, not on what you can offer.
DON’T
Try to control – you will fail. Try to be too organised – the
web is chaotic, and yet fully searchable. While Gen Y can appear chaotic and disorganised to other generations, they simply use search tools like google to get the information they need. Be exclusive – the world wide
• •
•
web is all about sharing. Be product-driven. Just because
you can offer a product or service, doesn’t mean people want it. Gen Y expects to ‘co-create’ products and services with you by submitting ideas, suggestions and feedback. Be ‘on message’ – ie don’t
keep repeating a message in the hope that, if you do, people will eventually believe it.
let’s face it, many of the Twitterati like Stephen Fry are even older. Lastly, if you’re not Gen Y yourself,
empower your Gen Y staff to advise you on what would work and even allow them to oversee the communication. There’s nothing worse than someone
‘old’ trying to be ‘down with da kids’ – just ask Gordon Brown about the time he tried to embrace YouTube.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?
And what about Generation Z – the current crop of teenagers and those born since the mid-1990s? Based on the drivers of generational
preference, age, conditions and experiences, they will have a different set of expectations from Gen Y. Early research shows that the three big factors are technology, recession and the environment. Technology is now an integral part of every aspect of their school, home and social lives. They have also experienced this recession and
june 2010 © cybertrek 2010
witnessed family members or friends’ parents losing jobs. Finally, they are probably the fi rst generation to be totally aligned with the green/sustainability agenda; previous generations have talked a good game, but behaviour in this regard has, to date, been patchy. Expect Gen Z to demand that the recycling is done properly and that energy use is responsible and capped. And fi nally, don’t forget your Gen
X and Baby Boomer clients. You may need to use your understanding of generational diversity to coach and train your young Gen Y staff to understand the expectations and preferences of older clients. To Gen Y it may be a shock, for example, to realise that many people don’t run their life online, but instead send letters, read magazines, call people (on land lines!) and make plans and stick to them instead of simply texting to make plans in a ‘just in time’ way. The key to running an effective business is to ensure that everyone,
Generation Y uses the internet constantly and communicates in real time – they want instant responses
from senior management down, appreciates and respects generational preferences and makes changes to ensure that every customer’s experience is a great one.
Simon Walker will be presenting at this year’s FIA FLAME Conference on Wednesday 14 July. His breakout sessions will address the topics of ‘Motivation – what makes your team tick?’ and ‘Mind the gap – managing across the generations’.
healthclub@leisuremedia.com
simon walker is the
www.talentsmoothie.com
co-founder of talentsmoothie
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 43
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