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| Vice President—Content/Editorial Director, Ruthanne Terrero |
I’m willing to use the word “vintage” for styles we saw in the ’80s, such as fishnet, off-the-shoulder tops complementing poufy miniskirts and ankle socks worn on top of colorful tights (thank you, Madonna); curly, permed hair that could only be described as “big”; and jackets and dresses with shoulder pads so wide they’d brush against the doorway as you walked into a room. (I miss that.) I’m even willing to say the styles of the ’90s could be considered vintage as well—though to be honest, I don’t recall the ’90s having its own style; if anyone can recall anything of note, please let me know.
But recently, when I walked into the Apple store at the mall and told them I was having a problem with the iMac I bought five years ago, the very young, hip Apple employee wrinkled her nose and said she wasn’t sure the company was servicing “vintage” computers anymore.
Funny, right? But the point is, this young woman was in high school five years ago and for her, that means the word “vintage” does indeed apply to that era.
It doesn’t matter if we think that’s ridiculous because that’s her mind-set and guess what: she has money to spend. She has a good job, is very bright and worldly, and likely has many friends who are not afraid to travel to far-off places with her.
Consider these folks as potential clients, if you can reach them, but realize that they will want only those travel ideas from you that appear to be so new as to be just-recently conjured up, much like the devices they’re selling at the Apple store.
In other words, don’t offer this young clientele something that appears to be off-the-shelf or traditional or they’ll wrinkle their nose and internally toss your ideas as being “vintage.” They’ll toss you away as a potential advisor as well.
On the other side of the spectrum is the baby boomer. The New York Times recently ran a travel story on this group’s likes and dislikes (“In Travel, We’re All Boomers Now”) and hark, these clients want authentic, customized vacations. Some of their preferences are also pushing suppliers to shorten itineraries so they can be fit into a week’s time because they haven’t been able to retire yet and they don’t want to travel with large groups. They want exotic locales but don’t want to be cut off from the world; in other words, there had better be Wi-Fi at the safari camp in the middle of nowhere.
This wish list of the baby boomer isn’t that different from what I imagine that young Apple employee wants. So for both age groups, you need to be sharp and at the top of your game from the onset.
As savvy travel advisors you need to present itineraries that appear to be cutting-edge and custom-designed for the client sitting in front of you, whether they’re physically visiting your agency or communicating with you through e-mail. Go past the standard offerings of a tour operator or cruise line to find out some unique options also available and present the dynamic offerings at the first go-round. These could include a brand-new train excursion, a side trip from South America to the Antarctic, or a personal chef dining experience that’s available just to them. Don’t wait for them to give you a virtual yawn and push to see if you can provide them with something more exciting or you may lose them. In fact, they may not even ask you for something better. The younger client might label you as “vintage” and move on, and the baby boomer may decide you’re just not that into them and seek out someone they perceive as being more in touch with their needs. It’s all in the presentation. Size them up, find their sweet points, and be ready to bowl them over with the next new thing.