They’re competitive and they’re workaholics, but they’re also optimistic. Baby boomers boast a variety of characteristics that make them distinct among other generations. So, it’s important to consider these traits when trying to attract boomers as clients.

Baby boomers, now between the ages of 44 and 63, make up 28% of the Canadian population, according to demographics expert Cam Marston, founder and president of Alabama-based Generational Insight.

“These baby boomers are very, very important to us,” he says. “They’re influential, and will be influential for a good period of time to come.”

To win over clients from this generation, consider the following strategies.

> Emphasize your experience

The characteristics baby boomers generally value most in a business include its history and tenure in the marketplace, name recognition and perceived quality. To impress prospective boomer clients, highlight these aspects of your business, suggests Marston.

“To best engage this individual,” he says, “I’m going to talk to them about where I and my company have come from, our history, our background, how well we’re known, the brand that we represent, how many years we’ve been in business and what we’ve done. This type of thing tends to build confidence in the boomer generation.”

> Save them time

Juggling their careers with responsibilities for their children and aging parents, boomers are at a point in their lives at which they are extremely busy.

“The baby boomers are more stressed [for time] than any other generation right now,” Marston says.

An effective way of winning over these clients, he says, is to talk to them about the ways you can save them time.

> Help them take control

Assure boomers that you’ll help them gain control of their finances, while making the process as straightforward as possible.

“Make it easy,” Marston says. “Take the confusion out of the process.”

> Go easy on technology

Although modern technology can be extremely helpful when it comes to saving time, not all boomers are comfortable using the Internet. This is especially true when it comes to important financial matters that involve potentially sensitive information. When dealing with members of this generation, be open to making phone calls rather than sending emails, and working with hard copies of documents.

“Ask probing questions to determine whether they’re pro or con on the technology,” Marston says. “To us, it’s always pro. To them, you could run yourself out of a sale.”

> Spend time getting to know them

Baby boomers value relationships, according to Marston. Prospective clients in this generation will likely be impressed if you show them that you’re genuinely interested in getting to know them and spending time with them.

“Get to know one-another, and set some foundation for moving forward with business,” Marston says. He suggests offering to take them out for lunch or a game of golf.

This is the first in a series of articles on generations. Tomorrow: Generation X

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