Leading Expert on the Impact of Generational Differences in the Workplace and Marketplace
Cam Marston is the leading expert on the impact of generational change and its impact on the marketplace. As an author, columnist, blogger, and lecturer, he imparts a clear understanding of how generational demographics are changing the landscape of business. Marston and his firm, Generational Insights, have provided research and consultation on generational issues to hundreds of companies and professional groups, ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations, as well as major professional associations, for over 16 years.
Generations
Marston’s books, articles, columns, and blog describe and analyze the major generations of our time: Matures (born before 1946), Baby Boomers, (born 1946-64), Generation X (born 1965-79), and Millennials (born 1980-2000). He explains how their generational characteristics and differences affect every aspect of business, including recruiting and retention, management and motivation, and sales and marketing.
Books
His first book, Motivating The “What’s In It For Me?” Workforce (2005), explores the characteristics and motivations that each generation brings to the workforce and suggests management tactics applicable to any business setting. His next book, Generational Insights (2010) is a guide to the best practices in managing generational issues. Generational Selling Tactics That Work (2011) is the first book-length study of generational approaches to sales and marketing. His two training videos have been best sellers since introduced in 2005. His short book The Gen-Savvy Financial Advisor (2012) is a must-read in the financial services industry.
Media
Marston’s expertise has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the Chicago Tribune, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Money, and Forbes, as well as on Good Morning America, CNN International, and the BBC. He writes a column for InvestmentNews, CNBC, Investment Advisor, and has been a featured columnist in Agent’s Sales Journal, AdvisorOne Magazine, ThinkAdvisor and Multi-Housing News, among others. His blog at generationalinsights.com tracks the latest changes and developments in generational issues and demographics.
Clients
As a consultant, Marston has provided insight and advice to leadership at the nation’s most prominent corporations as well as multinational corporations including American Express, Fidelity, BASF, Nestle, Schlumberger, Merrill Lynch, Kellogg, Coca-Cola, Macy’s, Warner Brothers, ESPN, Qualcomm, RE/MAX and Eli Lilly. He has also offered presentations and consultations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Army, as well as major professional associations such as the American Bankers Association, the Financial Services Roundtable, and the Million Dollar Roundtable. He is an ongoing instructor at Belmont University’s Scarlett School of Leadership.
Keynote Speaker
Marston’s presentations are informative, engaging, and humorous. He offers concrete demographic research that is tailored to his audience. But he enlivens the data with anecdotes, tales from the real business world, attention-grabbing visuals, and quips that make the message memorable. Marston’s clients consistently report that his research makes his programs relevant and his presentation style makes them interesting and fun.
Education
Marston’s insights and expertise are the product of 16 years of research and consultation across a wide range of industries as well as his own early-career background in corporate sales and research. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University. He is a native and resident of Mobile, Alabama.
The Gen-Savvy Financial Advisor
For decades financial services have focused on demographic groups that are now moving into and past retirement. The Matures (born 1945 and prior) and the Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 1964) are the generations that the financial services industry grew up with and their client relationships were defined by traditional business models. Now, new generations who have different economic and cultural experiences are moving into age ranges that make them prime markets for investments, retirement planning, insurance, and other financial services. Cam Marston understands the attitudes and expectations of the upcoming generations and what they expect from service providers. He has learned how they buy, how they value different types of information, what their definition of “expert” is, how they apply it to financial advisors and what they want financial advisors to teach them. He understands their preferred methods of communications, which sales tools to use and how to use them effectively. The next generation of financial services client has arrived. They will not tolerate being treated the same way their parents were treated. Learn what they want in this exciting and impactful presentation.
Four Generations In The Workplace
For the first time in history, four distinct generations — Matures, Boomers, Xers and Millennials — are employed side by side in the workplace. With differing values and seemingly incompatible views on leadership, these generations have stirred up unprecedented conflict in the business world. Effective management of this generational divide is vital to longevity and success. In fact, it is the most important demand your company can make of its leaders. In this engaging presentation, Cam Marston teaches how each generation developed its core values, how that manifests in the workplace today, and why they can all not only operate alongside each other, but do so with extraordinary success. This program provides the generational insight, concrete examples and specific approaches to help frustrated managers build the individual connections needed to boost employee performance and retention. As you will learn, the only common ground is the intensity with which each generation holds fast to its value systems. Understanding and respecting those generational biases are critical to bringing out the best in every employee.
Selling Across the Generations
The first rule of selling is steadfast: Know your customer. With four distinct generations playing active roles in the buying decisions of companies worldwide, that tenet is increasingly difficult to fulfill. It is no longer enough to be personable and knowledgeable about your product. Changing dynamics require changing strategies. To succeed in today’s business climate, you need to approach each buyer with an informed generational perspective — recognizing the underlying biases, values and expectations that pave the way to “yes”. In this presentation, Cam Marston shows you how to identify subtle shifts that indicate upcoming leadership changes, create a fast and genuine connection with new customers, sell to your customer’s expectations, build trust between generations, and avoid communication pitfalls. Throughout the presentation you will see how companies are effectively engaging generational marketing techniques to appeal to the unique decision-making traits of each generation and give you the understanding required to develop a solid sales process based on generational biases and business preferences.
Attracting and Retaining A New Generation of Employees
Human resources are the greatest assets of any business. But good talent is hard to find and even harder to keep. What do employees want? In today’s multigenerational workforce, Millennials want meaning and flexibility, Generation X wants openness and collegiality, Boomers want recognition and authority. Matures like rules and respect. Each generation has something to offer so every business needs to offer something to each generation. Retaining employees is far more cost effective than recruiting and training new ones. This presentation profiles each generation of employee – what will get them on the clock and what will keep them ticking. Cam Marston will help you adapt your recruiting and retention program to suit the ambitions and goals of each generation, choose from the best that each has to offer and realize the full return on investment in your workforce. Recruiting, training, experience, and institutional memory make your employees your most valuable assets. Effective multi-generational hiring and retention efforts will help ensure that those assets keep working for you and not for someone else.
All Cam Marston Books
Generational Insights
Purchase Book
Generational Selling Tactics that Work: Quick and Dirty Secrets for Selling to Any Age Group
Purchase Book
Motivating the “What’s In It For Me” Workforce: Manage Across the Generational Divide and Increase Profits
Purchase BookWe have found that General Insights has been an incredibly valuable tool in helping us understand how to create a more cohesive and productive workforce. I highly recommend Cam’s work for any organization looking to unlock the inevitable generational barriers that exist in today’s work place.
- LexisNexis | Lee Rivas ,General Manager
Your session on Selling to the Generations was one of the highest attended and one of the highest rated. Our audience just LOVED YOU. Your timely topic, delivered with your wit and style was thoroughly captivating. I’ve never received such an enormous outpouring of thanks.
- HRI, Inc. | Bryan Buckley ,Business Development Coach
Your session on Selling to the Generations was one of the highest attended and one of the highest rated. Our audience just LOVED YOU. Your timely topic, delivered with your wit and style was thoroughly captivating. I’ve never received such an enormous outpouring of thanks.
- | Lincoln Financial Media
You were fabulous! Our group loved it! I am so pleased with the presentation. Your knowledge, insight, humor and energy kept everyone’s attention. The content was very relevant to the group. By relaying your personal life experiences, it made you ‘real’ to the attendees and not just a professional speaker.
- | Kentucky Fried Chicken
