Esthetician Podcast; Business tips for Beauty professionals

How to Attract Baby Boomer Clients (and Keep Them for Life)

• Kari Jo

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We show how to attract Baby Boomer clients by shifting language, services, and environment to match what they value: trust, peace, and clear results. We share stories, messaging tips, service menu changes, and simple follow-ups that turn Boomers into loyal, referral-rich clients.

• why Baby Boomers hold wealth and book consistently
• language that lands: restore, renew, strengthen
• the Linda story and the need for dignity and respect
• creating a calm, unhurried, high-trust environment
• marketing where they are: Facebook and email
• photos and testimonials of clients over 55
• simple instructions and visible credentials
• service menu shifts toward comfort and hydration
• retention moves: handwritten notes and check-ins
• audit steps to fix message, visuals, and pace

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Rachel:

Hi, my name is Rachel. I am the founder slash CEO of Ultra Ray, a luxury spa. I have worked with Kari Jo in the beginning of this year, and she has transformed my business. Everything has increased. All of her tips, all of her tricks, all of her advice has been the most helpful, and my business has transformed exponentially. I want to thank her for her honesty. I want to thank her for her help. And if you're struggling with your aesthetics business or if you need help hiring or any of the sort, Kari Jo is the person that you should definitely work with.

Kari Jo:

Let me ask you this. Do you want more clients? I know. You're gonna say yes because everybody wants more clients. Well, in today's episode, I am going to talk to you about how you can win over the baby boomer clients. Yes, the baby boomers. Here's the thing: did you know that the baby boomers generation holds more wealth than any other generation? They're the people with the moolah, guys. You want them in your spa. But here is the problem that I see happening all the time is most estheticians are overlooking them. In fact, most estheticians are going for the 30 to 40-year-olds, but even above deciding age, most aestheticians they haven't even narrowed down who that they are going to market to. And by not figuring out, the age group of the person that you're marketing to is going to completely make your message heard by no one, right? And the reason why is because I'm going to explain in this episode, I'm going to help you get baby boomer clients. And as I'm going through this, you're going to learn why you need to figure out the age group of your ideal client because you got a market to them a hundred percent different for each age group, right? So by the end of this episode, what you're gonna walk away knowing is how baby boomers think about beauty, about money, what kind of marketing actually works towards them. And it's not the same as just marketing to anyone. And you are going to be able to position your services so they can't wait to book with you. Okay, so let's jump into this. First and foremost, when I opened my spa, even before it turned into a med spa, you guys, I'm gonna be totally honest with you. I did not think about age demographics at all. Not at all. No, I was just trying to fill my books and take whoever, I don't care who you are, I'll take anyone. And I said yes to absolutely everything. But then something changed a couple of years into my business. I had this one client, her name was Linda, and I'd say she's probably in her early 60s, 65, something like that. And she was this woman, and she dressed so classy. You know who I'm talking about. You guys all, I'm sure you have a client, you know someone you know who I'm talking about. They dressed super classy, but she always wore her pearls, she always had her makeup done. She didn't like walking out without looking done, right? But she had this playful energy. She was like in her 60s and above, but like she loved coming into my spa with a bunch of 20-year-olds, right? Well, anyways, the first time that she came in, I remember she told me, I have not had a facial in years. And I won't ever forget this because this is what she said, because it was the opposite of the group that I had created. She said, I just don't want some 25-year-old influencer telling me that I need Botox. And that just hit me because in that one sentence, she just told me every single thing that I needed to know about the baby boomers. What she wanted was she wanted to be respected. She does not want to be sold to. She wants results, but she doesn't want to do anything risky. She wants to look vibrant, but not done up and fake. So I then decided I was gonna ask my mom because my mom was older than me. I don't know how she old she was at the time. Let's see, she probably was like in her 50s too, maybe 60s. And I so I call up my mom and I'm like, mom, tell me about if I wanted to market to your generation. Because what I did notice is after I talked to this client, I then started noticing a bunch of these other women. And it is true that these older women were spending more money. They always came from facials, right? Where like these 30-year-olds come and go. It was harder to get them to go. But these older women, they come on demand. Like they're like every four weeks they were in, but there were quirks about them that were different. We'll get into it. But, anyways, I asked my mom, I said, Mom, tell me, like, if I wanted more of your clients, more of your age group, tell me what I'd have to do. And she gave me a bunch of them, you know, which was listen, I know I'm aging, I don't need to reverse myself. I already know I have wrinkles, I don't need to reverse, I just want to age well. And then she went into other things, which we're gonna get into deeper in the episode. But yeah, that's they want to be accepted for who they are, but just age the best way possible. They are not about chasing the trends, like what's the next thing on TikTok, on Instagram, right? They just want to build trust, right? So if you are listening to this and you are in the survival phase and you're wondering how do you fill your schedule and why these older clients aren't coming back, you're probably missing a link and you're gonna find out what it is. So I want to get into the mindset and the value of the baby boomers. So the first thing, like I said earlier, is the baby boomers, they are the wealthiest, right? They are the most loyal clients. If you look through all of the generations, their loyalties all waver, but the baby boomers are loyal. Who does not want clients with money? Who does not want clients that are loyal? That's this generation. So the first thing you got to know is that the baby boomers hold over 50% of the wealth in the entire USA. That means that anyone who is sitting there chasing Gen Z on TikTok, the real money is actually the people that are sitting right in front of you. And what they do is they scroll on Facebook and they actually read their emails. But here's the catch: they do not spend their money quickly, they're so slow to get them to spend. They will only spend if they trust you. Baby boomers, let's dive into them for a minute. Baby boomers, they grew up working hard, they grew up saving money, they grew up, and it's all about quality over quantity. Baby boomers, they are going to pay premium prices, right? They will get out their wallet and spend a ridiculous amount on whatever it is that you're asking, but only if they feel confident that they are not wasting their money, right? So when you are talking to this group, you should never be saying this is what's trending or talking about what's trending. They don't care about what's trending. They want someone, and this is the word that you want to write down. This is the word that you should put in all of your marketing, is they want someone to help restore. They want someone to help restore their skin's natural beauty, they want restored strength, they want results that feel natural. They don't want to be artificial anymore, right? They want revitalize, they want renew, they want strengthen. They're not all about anti-aging. This group knows that they're aging, they don't care about the anti-aging movement, they don't care about the youth serum, they don't want to feel young again. What they want to feel is they want to feel vibrant, and what sells is fillings. That's what they want to feel. They want to feel vibrant. How can you make somebody feel vibrant? Okay, so let's now go back to understanding where they are in their life. Okay, so a lot of baby boomers, they are in what I say that legacy phase of their life. They're normally retired or they're super close to it. They are caring for their parents or their spouses. Some are probably traveling, you know, joining clubs. They are basically in this phase of life where they are living life fully. I made it, here I am, I'm going to just really enjoy life. But what they all have in common is one thing. They've worked their entire life to earn peace, and they are not going to give that up very easily. So if you are running your spa in a noisy, rushed area and the front desk is chaotic, they are not going to stay. Think of it. Like when I think of this, I think of those people that have booths out of spas, and it's like trendy and fun, and all these people are coming in and it's busy and it's rushed. Or they rent a booth out of hair salons. Did I say that right? Yeah, okay. And the hair salon is like busy and rushed and whatever, and you have to walk through that. They don't want chaos anymore, they want peace. They've had chaos their whole life, they're in this peace zone. So, like, you need to create zen zone if you want to create an environment for these baby boomers. What they really crave is they crave experience and they crave ease. And what they want is comfort, confidence, and clarity. Guys, you all have done someone who is in this age group, and I guarantee all of you, what happens when you walk out of your treatment room with this baby boomer? They want to sit and talk, and they don't want to leave, they aren't in a rush, they don't want to be rushed, they rush their whole life, they want connection, they want peace, they want to sit and talk. And I love you, and you're so sweet. And that's them, right? And if you are looking at them and you have that client, you're like, gosh, like she just wants to sit and talk to me. When she gets done with the treatment and it like drives you bonkers, then baby boomers are not your generation, girl. Because that baby boomer, that is what she wants, is to sit there and talk. But guess what? She'll also pay for that, she'll pay the price. So if you want to just hustle people in and out, this is not that generation. You can charge less and have people come and go, or you can charge more and charge for that extra time that you're just going to create this calm and peaceful. I'm not going to rush, I don't have to rush to my next client. I'm going to give you your time, right? They'll pay for it because that is what they want. And that's what I used to tell my employees. If you have an older client, they want that slower piece, or that they want that slower pace, right? They're going to want to take their time to talk to you. And so you might have to build that into your schedule. When a baby boomer walks into your treatment room, they want to feel safe, they want to feel seen because once you get to that age, you feel like you're overlooked. I was listening to this podcast and it was Shailene Johnson. Again, you guys probably hear me talk about her often because I listen to her podcast the most out of anyone. And she was talking about how she's starting to get to this age of feeling overseen. And she she said that when she got to that age, she people used to talk about it all the time. And when they would talk about it, she would be like, Oh, it's just them. Like, you just need to put yourself out there, you know. And she thought it was in their mind. But then when she actually hit it, she was talking about how she's you do, as you get to this age, you are overseen. For example, and she gave this example of like when you go, when you're at a airport, right? And let's say you're struggling, if you're like a young 20-year-old and you're struggling, like all of a sudden all these guys will come over and oh, can we help you? But if you see an old lady who's struggling, are you going over? No, nobody's paying attention to them. So they want to be seen, guys. They want to be recognized, and nobody is seeing them, nobody is recognizing them. So if you see them, if you recognize them, they're going to come to you. Ask her when she comes in. Ask her about her last experience. Ask her to tell you what she didn't like, and then promise her that you won't make her feel rushed when she comes to you, that you're going to take your time. That single sentence will literally bring more clients to you in this age bracket. Now, I want to go back to what I just said about like they don't feel seen because this just popped into my head when they at the airport. When I asked my mom how I could get more clients, do you want to know what my mom said? She said, quit posting these young 20-year-olds. I'm not young and 20. Post pictures of women my age, right? Doesn't that make sense? That if you want to get the baby boomers, that you need to they want to feel seen, and how they feel seen is you seeing people like them, you posting people like them instead of these other people that are younger. All right, now, baby boomers, when you're working with them, you also have to start speaking their language. What do I mean by speaking their language? Baby boomers, they hate complicated instructions. My mom bought a Tesla and they're like, go watch this like YouTube. And my mom was like, I don't want to watch this YouTube video. Like, he was so rude. Like, just show me, do it. You know what I mean? They don't want complicated instructions, right? They don't want to read paragraphs, they don't want to read text, they don't want to read tiny little print. You just have to have very clear, very simple marketing, right? They respond best to testimonials and real stories from people, their age group, right? They respond to before and after photos of people their age group. They want to know that you are an expert. So posting and showing your certificates, your years, your experience, they want that. And most of all, they want genuine warmth, right? They do not want to be, they don't want this overhyped girl that's talking about looking young instantly. They don't want any of that, right? On social media, you should focus. You do not need to focus on TikTok, you don't need to focus on Snap. You don't need to focus on threads, you don't need to focus on Instagram. No, isn't that nice? I just said you don't need to focus on Instagram, you don't need to make reels, you don't need to do all that. No, where you need to focus on is Facebook. They are on Facebook. So instead of trending reels, all you got to do is get on Facebook and post like a 45-second video of you looking straight at the camera and you saying basically, if your skin feels thin and dry, that's not just your age, that's actually your skin barrier. And this is what we're gonna do about it. It's just like calm, authority, straight to the point. Baby boomers, they don't want to be sold to, they just want to be guided. So the next thing, once you figure out, you know, who that market is, how to talk to them, what they want, and stuff like that. The next step is you can tailor all of your services to matching their priorities, right? Like we don't have to do the trending, we don't have to get the next trending item. Hey, how about that? We get to save money, right? We now get to just concentrate on what the baby boomers want as priorities, right? They want treatments that make them feel comfortable, restored, they feel pain, they're they got arthritis, their bodies are aching, right? So all those kinds of treatments, the massage to relax, the hydration, their skin is dry. We want it like hydration. Maybe if they want a little bit to rejuvenate their skin, some like micro-needling, right? They they care about their neck, they care about their chest, they care about hand rejuvenation, right? Anything that sounds soothing, restorative facial or hydration therapy, they're gonna love this, right? If you have a treatment menu and it's called ageless facial, come get the ageless facial. Are they gonna want that? No, that's not gonna sell, right? But if you create your service menu around the words that relate to them, the comfort and glow facial, right? That's what they want. They want comfort, they want glow, they don't want to try to reverse signs of aging. They know that they're aging, right? And if you do that, your bookings are gonna double because you're going to be selling what baby boomers actually want. Now, here's the truth about baby boomers, and you're all gonna love this. You are going to love this, you're going to want them in your spa. Baby boomers are not one-time clients. Yeah, isn't that nice? Baby boomers, they are lifetime clients, right? If you take care of them right, so how can you take care of them and keep them as lifetime clients? These are some simple steps that you can start doing right now to help. Send them handwritten thank you cards. That's their generation, guys, is handwritten notes. It's their generation. Do what their generation loves. Checking in after a new treatment, right? Because they want someone who takes time that has the time that's gonna slow down and check on me. Not someone who's like rush, like, here, will you do this? Like, no, like, take the time and you do it yourself. Ask about their grandkids. Oh, they love their grandkids, right? Ask about their next trip. Where did they go? My baby boomers used to travel and they would always bring me something back, like some chocolate from Germany or something. Because, like, I always talked about their trips and I wanted to know. Tell me, like, you're the smartest one in traveling. You're traveling, I'm stuck behind the chair. You need to tell me everything that you know, and so then they would want to share that experience and they bring things back from wherever they were traveling. These like personal touches, they're not good manners, they're actually really good money makers, right? One of my baby boomer clients, they used to refer me five or six friends a year. Why? Because she felt safe, she felt seen, and she wanted her friends to feel the same way. The beauty of this generation is that once you earn their trust, you never have to resell them again. They are going to rebook consistently, they will refer their friends, they will spend thousands a year without you having to push. Now, when I sold my med spa, I had a bunch of mixed emotions. I wasn't just sad about leaving the business, I was proud. But what hit me was how much knowledge I had that I didn't want it to just disappear. And one of the biggest things that I learned over the years is this is you do not build a profitable business by being the busiest aesthetician. You build it by being the most trusted, right? And boomers, they value trust above everything else. So if you're sitting here and you've listened to this episode and you are thinking, Kari Jo, I don't know how to attract more of these clients, then start small. Look at the last few clients that you've had over 55. Did they rebook? Did they refer? If not, start asking why. Maybe they didn't feel understood. Maybe your marketing feels too young for them. Maybe they felt rushed in your room. You can fix all of that, but it starts by slowing down, simplifying your message, and remembering that success doesn't always come from going faster and faster and faster. Sometimes it comes from getting really clear with who you want to work with, who you want in your room. So, to recap, baby boomers, they're the wealthiest, most loyal generation. They buy with trust, not with trend. They want comfort, they want dignity, they want consistency, they want to be seen, they want marketing that shows their age group. And when you serve them well, it's going to fuel your business for years. So take a look at one piece of your marketing. Maybe it's in your bio, maybe it's on your service menu, your latest post, and ask yourself would a baby boomer understand and trust this? If not, tweak it. Use words like renew, restore, revive, show warmth, show credibility. Guys, if this episode gave you a light bulb moment, I want you to do me a favor and please go like my podcast and leave me a review. I read them all. I should actually start reading them on this because I really do care about them. So please go like this post. And if today's episode helped you as well as leaving the review, well, I mean, I would love to coach you one-on-one, or I would love to give you some advice on your business and where you're at on my podcast. So if you're not ready to invest with a coach, but you need clarity, then I want you to apply to get online coaching on the podcast. You can do that by clicking in the show notes below. It will lead you to a form, you'll fill it out, we'll get you on the podcast. Stop spinning your wheels and start growing fast with support and systems and strategies. But if you are ready for coaching, I would love for you to head on over to Kari Jo Patterson and click the link in there and let's get on a phone call, and I will help you figure out what is the next best step. Guys, thanks for tuning in to the Esthetician Podcast, and I will see you next week on the Esthetician Podcast. Bye, guys. Thank you for listening to the Esthetician Podcast with Kari Jo Patterson. Each week, Kari brings you real-world lessons on how to grow your empire. To learn more about Kari's Fearless Prosperity Mastermind Group, one-on-one VIP coaching opportunities, and more, visit www.karijo patterson.com. That's www.karijopatterson.com. See you next week for more insights and strategies on the Esthetician Podcast.