Why Demographic Differences Define How Advisors Should Talk to Clients

“If I had dropped out of college when I was a freshman, I would be a billionaire now. But my mother forced me to finish my education, so now I’m only a millionaire.” — Andrew Mason, Founder and former CEO of GroupOn

This quote was provided by Marilyn Moats Kennedy, CEO of Moats Kennedy Inc., who is a career consultant based in Chicago. She used this quote as an example of how the Millennial generation has a radically different mindset from others. Dropping out of college to pursue your dream is seen as a failure by Baby Boomers, but as a valid option by Millenials and one that could even be the catalyst to make you rich.

Financial advisors must craft their messages differently, depending on the target demographic that they would like to reach, Moats Kennedy explained. Through the use of extensive surveys, she has found that each age group not only views the world through different paradigms, but have different fears, different life goals and different ways they prefer to communicate.

This article is a summary of a session from the Money Management Institute’s 2014 Annual Convention, which was held in New York City.