Comments

What I still don't understand is why the world does not "get" this philosophy. There is movement on the idea of the boomer generation and the need to understand the younger generation. I am coming to think that it is not just the men, the women don't fully understand their importance and power?? You get the occassional breakthrough, I concede that point, but as an example I just bought a car. The salesman insisted on talking to me about how "nice" the dashboard was, I repeatedly said cars are the love of my life, being a motor mechanics daughter and wanted to go through the tech spec with him...his answer...oh you don't want to worry about that what colour do you like?? AAAGGGGHHHH
Needless to say, I didn't buy from him. Lost sale, lost commission - and all he needed to do was to recognise that I loved cars.

Posted by Anna Farmery at November 3, 2006 1:57 PM

Hey Tom,

I hear you are speaking to a large group of "car guys" next week. Make sure you include lots of the Opportunity #1...WOMEN stuff, will you? My boses will be in attandance. Thanks

Posted by Roger Conant at November 3, 2006 4:00 PM

Tom

So?

Problem is we know all this stuff! It is part of the 2006 legacy mindset that Generation Y will hopefully break away from - they are our best hope for an end to this seemingly "endless and needless" continuation of the Gender War that has raged all my adult life. Women are welcome to their trifecta (as you put it) and good luck to them I trust they will do a better job with all that than the men did in the past!

I beleive you are much more relevant to people who want Tom Peters ranting and raving when you "stick to the knitting" when you stay "tight yet loose" on the things that matter in life - EG saying "THANK YOU".....

Good luck with this tactic Tom but I feel it is totally irrelevant to many people - Women and Men - and especially irrelevant to the next and most exciting generation for at least a century, yeah Generation Y. I get to "hang with them a lot lately because of my children" and they are stunning young human beings. They could care less about Women vs Men - they are not listening and it is NOT only because they have an ipod permanently glued to their ears!!

They are bright, hard working, technology saavy, idealistic, sharing, and concerned about the planet - they seemed to be reverting back to some simple old fashioned values in the way they conduct their relationships. Generation Y can not take over the halls of power, wealth, and environmental care soon enough for me.

Stay well and have fun Tom!

Richard.

Posted by Richard Lipscombe at November 3, 2006 4:06 PM

Richard most of what you say is true enough about Gen Y (techno savvy, idealistic) but the rest... hmm I believe we have to remember that there are lots of different sub groups and there are some that could be classed in some contexts as almost sub human (videos in Australia of teens setting fire to a girls hair etc based on jackass the movie that caused a ruckus for one.)

The issue will still raise its head (men vs women) the aim is flexibility in our approach to People not their gender so we can adapt to the differences not stereotype them and get trapped into thinking we know how they think and what they want.

Posted by Steve Gray at November 3, 2006 4:43 PM

Steve

Thanks for your comments... I agree with you... Let's get past the "stereotyping" and all its ramifications... Regretably there are "bad people" in every society but their behaviour is never to be condoned! Australia has it fair share of social problems but for me the next generation does provide a little ray of hope.. My hope now is for our society to be made a little better in the future than it has been in the past or it is right now. For me and for my family (which is the point after all)our society will be a much better if and when people treat each other as "equals" in all respects. It will be a much better place if people treat each other as "human beings" rather than merely as consumers, etc, etc. Again thank you for responding to my thoughts...

Cheers
Richard.

Posted by Richard Lipscombe at November 4, 2006 6:15 AM

Love this subject ... The best example I've seen about the Boomer thing was my hero Sir Alex Ferguson now 65 and looking set to stay in charge at Manchester United for another 10 years (as he celebrates 20 years phenomanal success as Manager) - and who would argue with him when you look at the trophy cabinet.. The wonderful, feisty Fergie interviewed yesterday on TV said ... ‘People keep asking me when are you going to retire? ... I tell them; It’s none of your bloody business!’ – Magical, fabulous words - Fergie definitely ‘gets it’ Anna.

Whether it is about gender, boomers or geezers the best way for the message to be communicated is to broadcast the story of role models in each category.

Posted by Trevor Gay at November 4, 2006 11:00 AM

"Sir" Alex - "Trevour" & football hooligans of all stripes - "rainbow magic" is key - perhaps women crave self-improvement rainbow peak out experience.

Family years crest with Boomer women seeking a meaningful cruise into - 'bloody Magic Land' as Trevour might have sung in former years as lead Sex Pistol.

Posted by sean_rainbow at November 5, 2006 6:15 PM

Sean - it's a lovely thought but somehow I just can't see Eagles fan Trevor in a ripped t-shirt and safety pins singing "Anarchy in the UK" or "Pretty Vacant." Am I the only person on this blog who can claim to have seen both the Eagles and the Pistols live? Not on the same bill, although that would have been an amazing gig!

Richard - is the main point of this woman / geezer thing that we have to treat customers as people and not as as one large body of purchasers? And, with limited exceptions, we can't sell them "any colour you like as long as it's black" anymore? I like to think of it as "respect marketing" : you respect your customers and treat them accordingly.

Posted by Mark JF at November 7, 2006 3:48 AM

Hi Mark - you are quite right - ripped t-shirt and safety pins not my style. Mind you – as a ‘non-suit’ wearer - I have recently worn a suit 3 times in a fortnight. In fairness 2 of those occasions have been to do with my wedding!

The Eagles and Sex Pistols together does indeed sound like an ‘interesting’ gig. I would only watch half the concert of course – that is the ‘civilized’ half :-)

Interesting thought about ‘any colour as long as it is black.’ The customer is driving things now. When I go into the DIY shop there are more shades of colours than there were colours when I was a kid! You are right again that we need to respect every single customer and try to meet their needs in a custom sort of way. It is wonderfully crazy and a fabulous journey!

Posted by Trevor Gay at November 7, 2006 4:08 AM

Mark

"Any colour as long as it is black" was Henry Ford's way of starting a revolution around 1908. He paid his workers $US5 a day as day labour. He paid them very well because he wanted them to be able (eventually) to afford to buy his T Model cars. He adapted and adopted Taylorism to forge a new type of assembly line. He understood capitalism and made it work for him and his workers at the time. Today the revolution is being led by workers at Goolge, Skype, My Space, Facebook, You Tube, etc. As you appreciate we live with digitized production, broadband Internet delivery of content, permission marketing, etc. In 2006 the old ideas do not work anymore but for those with exciting new ideas everything is possible. So I guess what I am saying to you Mark is hang on "tight" to your Eagles and Sex Pistols posters because we are all in for a truly great ride!!!! Thanks for your comments.

Cheers
Richard.

Posted by Richard Lipscombe at November 7, 2006 5:41 AM

Black and white - Sex Pistols & Stones. Mark - the Pistols must salivate at the $100's of Millions the Stones and Eagles still rake in [& Madonna] ... Baby Boomers' POWER / BIZ Model Savvy Expertise? 1997 wing passes to Stones in Albuquerque - security watching us like a Hawk!

Richard - appreciate the Youtube - "hang on tight" comment - out of nowhere ... then sell to Google for $100M+ & still where jeans & leather jackets BABY.

Posted by sean_stones at November 7, 2006 9:23 AM