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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.”