Plenty of products and services appeal to multiple generations, but it’s impossible to do a good job of targeting everyone.

Choose one or two groups to go after, do your research, refine your strategies, test to see whether you’re succeeding, and work on expanding market share.

How can you appeal to the groups you want? Begin by thinking through what you want to sell—your offerings’ key features and benefits—and what your products and services can do for your target generation. What do they need and want, and how can you fulfill those desires?

Chances are, your product or service will appeal most strongly to one specific group, with some crossover. If you’re offering financial services with a focus on retirement planning, boomers are going to be key—but you might also devote some attention to Gen X to make sure you’re not ignoring a major audience as it matures.

A trendy boutique’s fashions may appeal primarily to Gen X, but you could also set aside a portion of the store especially for Gen Y so you can start building a base with them.

If you run a health-food store that sells supplements, Matures and boomers are obvious customers. Side lines of incense, lava lamps, bead curtains and other ’60s-style paraphernalia will appeal to nostalgic boomers as well as to some retro-loving Xers.

Keep in mind each group’s cultural tendencies. Matures ask, Is it sensible? For boomers the burning question is, Is it meaningful? Gen X wonders, Is it fun? And the youngest cohort needs to know, Is it cool?

Consider creating an age-group panel of half a dozen or more people who are willing to talk with you regularly about their concerns and experiences and to give you feedback on your products, services, and marketing and ad campaigns. Meet with them in person so you can view their faces and body language as they respond to your ideas.