Jamie Biesiada
Jason Dorsey knows millennials.
For starters, he is one. But he's also researched them extensively, and as the co-founder and millennials and Generation Z researcher at the Center for Generational Kinetics, he's widely considered an expert on the generation.
So, what's his advice on how to get millennial clients?
First of all, don't call them millennials.
"We always tell the travel agents or travel consultants if you want to attract millennials, don't use the word 'millennials' in your marketing because even millennials don't like that," he said.
Dorsey was the keynote speaker during Signature Travel Network's recent sales meeting at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. In a media conference after the presentation, Dorsey discussed a generational divide researchers are seeing among millennials.
Typically, it takes place around age 30: Some millennials have been working for years, and might be married or have families they identify as being on a path of self-sufficiency; others are still "struggling" with getting their lives together, often without a job and living with their parents.
The generational split is not uncommon among generations, but the split among millennials has a unique attribute.
"It's increasingly socially acceptable," Dorsey said. "There were always late bloomers in every generation, but the fact now is that it's OK to be 30 and live with your parents, that's no longer a bad thing."
Unsurprisingly, agents looking to diversity their client base with millennials after all, they are the most likely generation to recommend their agent to others, Dorsey said would likely target the more self-sufficient group of the generation, the working millennials.
Those are the millennials who hate to be called millennials, Dorsey said, because of the negative connotations the generation's name often brings (ostensibly not helped by the millennials who haven't yet achieved self-sufficiency).
Research conducted earlier this year by Signature and the Center for Generational Kinetics found that millennials most often start researching their travel online, so it's important for agents to have a strong digital presence.
"You want to make your digital story align with that generation," Dorsey said, and tell the story of places they should go.
The best medium to do that is through video, which millennials are more likely to look at first on a screen (it's followed by photos and then bullet points, according to Dorsey).
He encouraged agents to post their own videos online, even if they aren't as professional as media collateral that's been professionally produced. Consumers, millennials in particular, are more likely to trust a video made by someone who looks like them.
As for social media platforms, Instagram is a natural choice for engaging millennials, Dorsey said, but Facebook remains the best for targeting ads, which comes at a cost.
Agents should also focus on selling millennials on experiences, the kind of travel they crave, by saying something like, "We want to create travel experiences and adventures that really fit who you uniquely are, and we do that by getting to know you, by understanding what's important to you," he said.
In fact, Dorsey said, selling experience is key for all generations, not just millennials.
"This is an industry that still focuses on packages, packages, packages, which is fine if that's how you get to your pricing goal if you're trying to sell on pricing," he said. "But underneath that banner, I [a traveler] still need to know that this is going to be special and unique to me."