distributors, including me, have
made the mistake of expecting
younger buyers to respond to
phone messages or face-to-face
communication. The Millennial
generation prefers technology.
Reach them where they reside:
on their mobile devices and
workstations. Use short, concise
emails and consider Skype for
conferencing. Regardless of the
generation, any professional uti-
lizing technology to its fullest
will become quite proficient in
conducting business.
Fast facts about younger
buyers:
1. Do not try too hard to relate.
It’s more about respecting the
style of communicating.
2. Stay up-to-date and trendy
but don’t try to mimic them.
3. Understand needs, consult
with straight talk, and steer
with facts and value.
4. Never sensationalize or embel-
lish (this is a good rule of
thumb for anyone at any age).
5. Regardless of age, never com-
plain about taking a sales
order from a text. It doesn’t
matter if it’s digital or on a bar
napkin. An order is an order.
Embrace and appreciate
the differences of communica-
tion with any generation.
Understanding how a potential
buyer communicates and
responding accordingly is the
first step in closing the sale.
Dan Livengood, CAS,
BASI, ATM-S
Senior Account Executive
Brand Management Division
Business Impact Group
UPIC: Busin946
I THINK THE FIRST ISSUE
is that
everyone is spending so much
time assuming that Millennials
are very different than other gen-
erations. The basics are still the
same; we want to have a rela-
tionship with people we work
with. While it may look like a
different relationship on the sur-
face because so much is done vir-
tually, it is still a relationship.
One thing I work on with all
of my account managers is get to
know a buyer on a personal
level. You don’t need to friend
them on Facebook, but see if you
can find their profile. What do
they like? What do they dislike?
Is there something you have in
common? I buy from many sup-
pliers because they “get” me.
Some I have never met but I
still feel a connection with
them. Some know what uni-
versity I went to and send
me items featuring that logo,
or they know I have a new
baby and ask to see pictures
or hear stories. I, in turn, try
to have the same relation-
ship with my clients. So they
know I get them.
The second thing to
think about is “why?” Our
generation is not only
focused on what we are
doing but why are we doing
it. I find that many of my
clients are interested in the
research behind why one prod-
uct is better than another. Why
is there value in buying the trav-
el mug with the vacuum feature?
Why should I consider ring-
spun cotton? We are a genera-
tion that has known little or no
time without technology or the
internet. If you can’t answer the
why question, we will find some-
one who can. Make yourself the
expert. Whether you are using
blogs or just sending over an
interesting fact sheet, create that
value so if someone just
“Googles it” they find you and
then seek your knowledge.
Finally, when something goes
well, throw it out there. “I loved
that idea you had to kit the items
together for your show. I’m going
to recommend it to another
client,” or “I saw on LinkedIn you
posted an article about attending
the trade show. I thought it was
really interesting.”We are a
generation of the participation
trophy, and with the good, bad
and ugly of social media we are all
seeking some validation. Ask for
pictures of the trade-show booth
or of their team wearing the
shirts. Help them feel like they
are doing well. And if they are
doing really well, think about
sending a note to their boss. They
would do it for you.
There is an element of
human vs. internet, but I think
that line is shifting a little. More
buyers are preferring to interact
on some level with an actual per-
son when they are making their
decisions. Be ready to create that
relationship and add value and
recognize successes and you will
find a loyal customer who will
Yelp about you.
Jessica Gibbons-Rauch,
CAS, BASI
Director of Sales
Club Colors Buyer, LLC
UPIC: CLUBCO
MILLENNIALS CAN’T BE STEREO-
TYPED
any more than Baby
Boomers can. However, most
Millennials do have these char-
acteristics in common:
They don’t consider their job
to be a long-term commitment.
They are quite tech savvy.
Consequently, providing them
with cutting-edge technology is
very important.
Transparency is highly val-
ued. They want to know that
what they are doing matters, and
they want to be recognized for it.
Millennials tend to be very
cause-oriented. They are more
concerned about improving the
world than they are about their
employer’s bottom line.
Millennials represent the
future, and they can teach you
how to market to their peers.
David J. Hawes, MAS+
Brand Architect
Geiger
UPIC: geiger
22 •
PPB
• APRIL 2016
INNOVATE
QUEST
ION
“The Millennial
generation prefers
technology.
Reach
them where they
reside: on their
mobile devices
and workstations.”