Five Ways to Sell to Millennials

I recently had the pleasure of participating in a Panel Session with my colleagues Dianne Budlon Devitt, Sally Webb Berry, Kathy Miller, Alison J. Silcoff and Christie Teller at The Special Event Conference 2016. Our topic matter: "From Millennials to Baby Boomers".
By 2025 75% of the workforce will be Millennials. I present: "Five Ways to Sell to Millennials".

Google "Millennials in the Workforce" and you will find that the generation born between the late 70s and the year 2000 now constitutes the majority workforce in the USA.
As any generational shift this causes friction, tension and misunderstandings. Gen Xers and Boomers tend to view millennials as self-entitled whiners. Millennials view their elders as misguided - and hold them accountable for the economic, political and environmental status quo.

However, the key to a successful collaboration - and a better world at large - is COMMUNICATION and the willingness to work together for a common goal. Our panel session aimed at starting a dialogue.

We found two very funny videos and Five Ways to Sell to Millennials!

This is the way Millennials view the world:
 by Stephen Parkhurst

 Older members of the workforce are puzzled:

As you can see, in working with millennials one may need to take a different approach to strategizing sales efforts.

According to my experience from a decidedly Boomer point of view these five points will achieve positive results.

      1. References!
Millennials value the opinions of others – including strangers.
They look at reviews.
Think of the successes of Yelp and Tripadvisor to name just two.

TIP: Make sure  to have multiple references for each project in  your portfolio! That could mean gathering references from various aspects of the project- not just the owner but others involved with the project. It is important to have testimonials from several people.

       2. Respect!
We have heard this but Millennials inherently desire praise, feedback, and wish to be taken seriously.  However on the flip side, they are less forthcoming with their acts of respect – until they feel you earned it.

TIP: The tip here is to ask them often about their perspective, their experiences and their preferences. Essentially Millennials want to be treated as equals even if they are interacting with a seasoned professional years older and wiser. They don’t assume experience comes with wisdom. They too want to be heard and considered.

        3.  Nimble, Flat Organizations
Millennials grew up with the ability to obtain information at lightning speed via technology.  They recognize that the global economy moves fast, demanding constant change and innovation.

TIP:  When working with Millennial decision makers describe your firm’s approach as nimble, resourceful, and efficient. You would get bonus points for offering up clever and innovative ways to eliminate  redundancies  and increase speed to completion.

         4. Unconventional Work Habits
I used to be thrilled if I exchanged home numbers with business colleagues. That meant we were getting really close!
As technology evolves and access increases  - due to cell phones, texting, email, and social  media – it becomes difficult to draw boundaries around availability. I feel compelled these days to “be there almost always” for the Millennials. The 9-5 doesn’t appeal to them. Many are comfortable with telecommuting and flex time.  It does make it easier to reach them but it’s also expected that they can reach you as well.

       5. Job Hopping
 We can expect Millennials to switch jobs many times throughout their careers.

TIP:  Of course an advantage is that your relationship with your Millennial contact will be strong enough that he/ she may take you and your firm with them wherever they move but it may also be best and prudent to carefully build multiple relationships within your client’s organization so they see you as indispensable.

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I truly enjoyed the round table discussions with our guests at this session and I remain convinced that ultimately humans have many common traits. Much in business relationships boils down to my grandmother's wisdom: "Treat others the same way you wish to be treated".

Wishing you a successful week!

Respectfully yours,
Janet


Thank you to my panel associates:

Sally Webb Berry - The Special Event Company
Dianne Budlon Devitt - NYU and DND Experience Group
Kathy Miller - Total Event Resources
Alison J. Silcoff - Alison Silcoff Events
Christie Teller - Christie Teller Consulting, Inc.