Anyone tired of generational marketing, symposiums, webinars etc. Does anyone else feel like most of the information is common sense?  Let me ask you, do you want to be slotted into a group called a Boomer, X’er or Y’er or millennial. It sounds more like a chromosomal project than a marketing discipline. Personally, I love what all age groups with or without their generalized behaviors have to offer.  Ahh the enthusiasm of youth and the wisdom of age, and the opportunity to interact respectfully with all, are fundamental to business and human interpersonal growth. Now demographically we might need to know how many BB, Xer’s and Yers there are to build our products and services but not to build our relationships. To focus too much on categories of people is to generalize the populations and not the human relationship.

I am intrigued by the integration of people, processes and technology.  Categorizing age groups seems stifling to the creative energy of the mind. I happen to sit between two so-called marketing generations with young adult children in another. I get it; there are differences, except in the human connection side. I can show you 85 year olds on Facebook and young professionals who do not spend time on Facebook or Twitter. There are amazingly successful business people who have never even registered for Facebook and those who are actually making money with Facebook Twitter etc. The lines of all generations are fluid and ever changing. To over categorize will shrink your brain out of enlightening visions for our future.

I also find it intriguing when one generation thinks they have the edge on the “their profession”.  Some agents may know more technology and can maneuver more quickly through the technology. Some agents who have been very successful in their traditional business models continually reject anything new and innovative. I for one am looking for wisdom that can be shared by all ages, the person who can see value across the generations. I am looking for the person who masters change with grace and enthusiasm, not inhibited to ask for help with new systems and willing to share humbly wisdom that only comes with experience. The current world is said to have a global social brain, making human connections worldwide; yet in real estate we are continually bombarded with generational marketing education.

It is curious as our technology rapidly changes; resistance to that change is almost over. All people and society will have the opportunity to connect eventfully and those with a current competitive edge toward technology alone will be more technicians than professionals in the future. Those who can integrate the technology, with processes and human relations will be our sustainable professionals.  Lets face it; you can teach technology to anyone who has a desire to learn. Technology is a repeatable, non-sustaining competitive edge that will not last forever.  If you search the IT journals you will see more and more companies are looking for non IT people at the top of their technology division, people who can manage people and integrate processes into the bottom line. Curious that non-IT people can successfully manage a successful division of a company, why, because IT can be taught, but vision, integration and experience is needed for the execution of a successful business model.

Am I saying I will never go to another generational marketing seminar, no?  Demographics are extremely valuable. What I am saying lets continue to learn and integrate our professions at all levels and ages. Lets not stifle creativity by over categorizing the human genome and put them in neatly wrapped boxes to be sold at the next convention.