One of the most common questions clients and audiences ask me is Anna, “What if I have multiple generations in the sales pitch to my client, my team or my customers? How do I touch them all?” That’s a great question and we recently saw a great example of it in the first episode of the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. In a follow up post to last week’s departure of Baby Boomer Jay Leno, we open the next chapter of the Tonight Show, and the generational factors at play.

Jimmy knew it was a tough gig. Although it’s placed only one hour earlier, the viewer demographics skew much older than his Late Show. So how he opened the first night mattered big time. He needed to pitch it just right. He knows the consequences of not connecting with Boomers and beyond is a short run (ala Conan O’Brien’s fate). So how did he do it?

In short, Jimmy used these key elements(aside from of course humor):

Authentic/Real: I love my wife, and baby girl

Respect: The honor of being asked, the privilege of being part of our lives

Gratitude: To his parent and prior hosts

Humble: Self-deprecating resume recounting. I’m just a regular guy from small town, public school

Generous: Sharing the spotlight – a heart-felt introduction of the band and his announcer (putting the band in the montage opening)

Connection: Taking us with you into our shared past

A tradition continues – with a twist…It started with Jimmy doing a pre-monologue opening to introduce himself. He didn’t act “Hollywood” and assume the viewer knew who he was. Here’s an expanded explanation of how these traits appeal to different demographics of Jimmy’s audience:

Authentic:

“Welcome to the Tonight Show. This is the first Tonight Show in New York in  many years. I’m Jimmy Fallon and I’ll be your host… For Now… “(acknowledging Conan O’Brien’s short tenure when he didn’t connect with the Boomer viewing demographic.)

Real:

Xers love their kids and put them as a premium priority in their life.  “But for those of you who are watching me for the first time, which is very possible. I’m 39 years old. I live in NY city with my beautiful wife and my daughter Winnie who is 6 months old and she is the best thing to ever happen to me. I love her so much. I’m a proud, proud dad.” This sense of family also appeals to aging Boomers.

Respect:

“Of course I would be here tonight if it weren’t for the previous Tonight Show Hosts so I want to say thank you Steve Allen, Jack Parr, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno.” (Second humorous acknowledgement of the generational demographic penalty of Boomers not taking to him.)

Gratitude:

Honoring our parents is a key way to connect with Boomers and Traditionalists. “Speaking of proud dads. My dad is here tonight and my parents are here to see me. Thank you mom and dad. I love you so much. Jim and Gloria Fallon. Thank you for being here. I wish I could have got you better seats. But it’s a very hot show, dad. A very hot show. Remember how proud you were of me dad?”

Humble:

Jimmy shared his resume without making it sound like name dropping (something Gen Xers abhor). “I really don’t know how I got here.  I grew up in  Saugerties, NY, If you would have told me as a kid I was going to graduate High School, be on Saturday night Live and then eventually go on to host the Tonight Show. I would have said, ‘I graduated High School?’.”

Generous:

Jimmy then took a moment to share the spotlight by generously acknowledging the band (The Roots) which he also put in the opening montage (a first). Then gave announcer a touching thank you introduction. Raw, real, authentic with the right balance of humor. This appeals to many Milennials for whom recognition and praise is very important.

Connection:

He wrapped it up by taking us back to our own childhood and sharing the joy and thrill of the moment. “This is a moment in TV history so I’m glad you are here watching it. This is a big deal. I remember asking my parents can I stay up to watch Johnny Carson . They would let me watch the monologue. And then I would try to pretend that I was not there so they would let me stay to watch the first guest, or bit… I just think there is going to be a kid asking their parents to stay up to watch me. It means a lot to me. I hope I do well. I hope you enjoy this. I just want to do the best that I can and take care of the show for awhile and if you guys let me stick around long enough, maybe I’ll get the hang of it.”

Jimmy and his team did a brilliant job of pitching the cadence and tone for audiences of all generations (of course he already has the Millennials in his pocket.) How did it touch you? And how can apply these same traits to your own business to better relate to a broad audience?