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Mad Men scene from season 1, episode 3 on AMC.

1. We’re not old. Don’t speak to us as if we’re on the path to a slow and steady decline. (For many of us, this is a very positive time, filled with new and exciting opportunities!)

2. Don’t talk to us as if we’re all the same: married, with older children. Fifty and up is the new melting pot: more diverse demographics and lifestyles than ever before.

3. Keep it simple. We’re bombarded with messages, so the more complicated your sales proposition, the more overloaded we feel and the more likely we are to turn you off.

4. Quickly identify what’s-in-it-for-me. If we don’t quickly perceive a tangible benefit or a relevant solution to a problem, you’ve lost us.

5. Make sure body copy is big enough to be easily read—and by our eyes.

Many of us have already succumbed to “assisted vision.” If we get frustrated just trying to read your message, we’ll easily walk away. We have plenty of other options.