Jim Gilmartin has emerged as one of America's experts on marketing and sales to baby boomer and older customers (Boomer+ customers). He has authored hundreds of articles on these rapidly growing and lucrative markets for many industries.

A frequent keynote speaker, presenter and trainer at professional conferences, Jim presents to national and international groups on strategies for improving marketing and sales to baby boomers and older consumers, executing organizational change and strategic thinking and planning. Jim also provides clients a cost effective Train-The-Trainer program to improve communications, sales and service to compliment existing sales and service training programs.

In addition to his knowledge of how to secure and retain these markets, Jim brings to his entertaining engagements the experience of more than 20 years in business leadership, marketing and operations positions. Serving as CEO of two corporations, and as senior vice president for a Chicago-based international health care system, Jim provided leadership to position the system as a leading provider of products to Boomer+ customers.

Since 1991, Jim has provided leadership to Lombard, IL based Coming of Age, Incorporated an integrated marketing firm/agency specializing in developing and executing marketing, advertising and sales campaigns, turnkey customer loyalty clubs and sales and service improvement training programs to help clients increase market share and profit in Boomer+ customer markets.

Keynotes, Presentations & Seminars 

Brain Power - The Driver of Marketing Communications - Consumer Behavior Marketing™ - 5 Keys to Understanding Boomer + Customer Paradigm Shifts Learn why markets are tougher & why understanding how the brain determines what messages we receive & that perception and behavior changes over a lifetime is the key to successful communications. Learn a new research and communications paradigm -"Integrated Consumer Behavior Marketing™". Learn the five needs and shifting values of target markets & how we manifest them over life. Learn why emotions are the drivers of marketing and sales and how the brain, mind and conscious processes information. Finally, learn the value of storytelling and "Conditional Positioning", and communications, approaches and messages that have the best chance of generating interest and converting that interest into a buying decision. Examples of effective communications are discussed.

Brain Power - The Driver of Successful Sales - Consumer Behavior Selling™ Increasing Sales in Baby Boomer+ Older Consumer Markets

Consumers are scrutinizing sales presentations, products and services more closely than before. In addition, the aging of global markets is having a substantial impact on sales and communications effectiveness. In 2001, almost 50% of adult Americans are forty-six years of age or older. Over the next decade the over fifty markets will increase by approximately 50%. The less-than-fifty markets will increase by only 1% making middle age consumers the dominant players in the marketplace. This has presented sales professional with the most independent-minded consumer population ever. In midlife, behavior typically becomes more autonomous. Resistance to entreaties by others to take various actions - like buying a given product increases.

Learn the power of the brain in determining what messages get through to our conscious mind. Learn the so-called "senior" market does not exist and learn a new research and communications paradigm -"Consumer Behavior Sales™". Learn how the brain determines the sales messages received. Finally, learn how to identify individual consumers' needs and purchase motivators, and create sales approaches and messages that have the best chance of generating interest and converting that interest into a buying decision.

How to Improve Customer Service & Increase Boomer+ Customer Satisfaction Customer contact employees learn about the unique characteristics of Boomer+ Customers and learn how to apply insights gained to improve operations, policy development and customer service and satisfaction. Learn: The critical nature of the 50+ adult markets. What makes Boomer+ Customers different from younger markets? What drives Boomer+ Customer attitudes and behaviors? How to deal with burn out. How to effectively serve an irate consumer. Why customary customer service techniques may be less effective. How to improve communications to Boomer+ Customers.

Related & Supporting Keynotes, Presentations & Seminars 

What Board & Executive Leadership Must Know - Business Development in Rapidly Growing Boomer+ Consumer Markets Learn the business dynamics of a rapidly growing Boomer+ Customer population. Learn how the physiological and behavioral dynamics of aging affects product/service development, marketing, sales, delivery and customer satisfaction.

Supporting Sales & Service Associates - What Management & Supervisors Must Know About Boomer+ Consumer Markets Learn the management and supervisory techniques necessary to support successful sales and services to Boomer+ Customers.

Telephone Selling to Boomer+ Customers: How to Avoid Typical Mistakes Learn basic telephone techniques for selling to Boomer+ Customers. Learn typical mistakes and examine appropriate approaches.

Building Customer Loyalty - Developing and Executing a Value-Oriented Customer Loyalty Program/Club – Adding Value beyond the Intrinsic Value of Your Products & Services An Affinity/Loyalty Discount Benefit Program is a natural for companies looking to differentiate their product or services from competitors. An Affinity/Loyalty Discount Benefit Program can be defined as "the development, implementation, communication & management of a value added program beyond, & supporting, company services & designed to attract & retain targeted customers".

Learn how to develop, execute & manage a program to increase profit & engage the support & loyalty of program members by providing them member-only company, national & local benefits & services. Learn the elements of a successful program, how it benefits customers & the company, the resources needed & a formula to determine costs. Learn how becoming a program sponsor increases market share & provides an attractive edge against out-migration of program members to competitor & non-competitor programs.

10 Steps to an Integrated Marketing Company - Brand Management: When Thinking Of Your Company, What Comes To Your Customer’s Mind? In addition to the customer, other key stakeholders have a significant impact on the perception of Brand value & Equity. Learn the 10 steps to become an Integrated Marketing company & the value of focusing upon developing of brand value, equity & key "stakeholder" satisfaction. Learn how to develop marketing as a business philosophy not a function, & that all elements of marketing & communication must be integrated & work toward common goals. Learn to focus upon on the core competency of the people managing marketing communication, the amount & nature of internal communication, the consistency of produced MC messages & whether or not they were on strategy. Learn why a company must have a marketing infrastructure that encourages & facilitates communication between functional areas.

The Play's the Thing - Every Contact Is a Stage & Every Worker an Actor With the consistent changing of markets and ever-increasing customer demands, it has become necessary for companies to assess their approach to meeting customer expectations. Developing and applying insights gained to determining appropriate direction and strategies for business are no longer an option. To effectively compete, companies must create memorable and lasting impressions leading to customer transformation. Leadership and management must begin the process of changing their company culture to create experiences that touch their customers and other stakeholders in a very personal way.

Learn why there is a need to create authentic, emotional experiences to build and encourage sustainable growth for the future. Learn why simply providing great service is no longer a winning strategy and practical insights to help company better compete. Learn a systematic approach to help meet changing customer expectations and are encouraged to look beyond the current business models. Learn "differentiation by experience" and that work is theater and that success comes from creating experiences and staging every customer interaction.

Learn how to "turn on" customers and tools for engaging guests no matter what business they are in. Learn how to differentiate among commodities, goods, services, experiences and transformation and learn how to use goods as props and services as a stage to create experiences that engage customers in a profound way. Finally, learn how to customize goods and services to create memorable customer experiences.

Think before You Plan- Managing the Dangers & Opportunities of Organizational Change To shift marketing and sales paradigms, learn the principles of organizational change management and the dynamics of commitment, creating a compelling case for change, change sponsorship, the effect of company culture and resistance to successful marketing strategy development and execution. Learn why the greater the commitment to effectively managing change, the more resources, like time, money, endurance, self-control, and ingenuity, must be invested to achieve the desired outcome.

Given these characteristics, learn why commitment is so important to major organizational change, the cement that provides the critical adhesion between people and marketing goals. Through exposure to the concept of Pain Management, learn the need for the creation of a compelling case for sustained strategies to be successful. Learn the nature and importance of key players & resistance in the strategies development and execution process.

Think before You Plan - The Art of Strategic Thinking, Planning, Execution & Management What every Manager Must Know Experienced leaders understand the importance of knowing where their company is headed, when and how it will get there, whom it will travel with and what obstacles it may encounter along the way. To function effectively every executive/manager must have a practical understanding of how to create commitment to company goals and strategies, the value and importance of company stakeholders, how to assess company strengths and weaknesses and how successful strategic thinking/planning development, execution and management processes work.

Learn the principles of strategic thinking and planning and how to create a compelling case to achieve success. Learn to create a common language of strategic thinking and planning, and the value of a diagnostic audit. Learn how to collaboratively create a motivating vision, and a process to identify and prioritize goals, strategies and action plans. Learn the nature and importance of key players in the process, the communications process & how the concept of "Pain Management" helps to identify and manage resistance while executing goals & strategies. Finally, learn why sustained commitment, the cement that provides the critical adhesion between people and goal achievement, can be expensive.

The Temptations of Leadership - - Avoiding Its Traps By definition, a great leader is one who is able to influence others to accomplish a task. The personal style the leader adopts will determine the extent to which influence is accepted & acted upon. The program identifies the temptations of leadership leading to organization dysfunction & the steps to avoid them. This program is designed to distinguish the differences between leadership & management.

Learn about the lure & temptations of leaders that may lead to company disintegration. Learn lessons to avoid the temptations & how to maintain a leadership position. Learn that one style is not always correct. Learn leading effectively requires a complete analysis & understanding of the four factors of leadership: the led, the leader, the situation & communication. Learn how to act strategically & decisively, communicate in a variety of settings, & interact positively with internal & external constituencies. Learn new techniques & approaches for leading change in areas critical to future company success. Learn the skills for producing results & assuring accountability & identify specific leadership & management behaviors & illustrate when each is appropriate.

Finally, on that foundation, learn to apply certain leadership behaviors to help move people effectively through the change process.

Business, Sales, Customer Service, Strategic Planning, Baby boomers, Aging, For Fund-Raisers, Management, Marketing, Internet, Leadership, Computer Science,