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PPB
• APRIL 2016
THINK
SALES
Any time a market shifts, there are sure
to be challenges, but these should not cause
panic. On the contrary, these shifts help
create a new level of opportunity to develop
products and services for an engaged, aware
and enthusiastic new buyer. There are many
intricacies to working with and selling to
the Millennial generation but no step is
more important than to understand how
this buyer comes to market and what value
they place on the businesses to which they
choose to connect.
WHAT COUNTS MOST
Millennials—those in their early 20s to
mid-30s—desire to be purpose-driven in
everything they do. This means that no
matter their role, they want to understand
the value in every business connection they
have. One common misconception about
Millennial buyers within the promotional
products industry is that they exclusively
seek instant gratification with no concern
about product quality. While this genera-
tional group does want efficiency in their
operations, they hold a company’s standards
and place within the market they represent
at the highest level. The No. 1 takeaway to
remember when selling to Millennial buyers
is that they are the single most brand-con-
scious and company-loyal consumer group
of all time. This means that should you earn
the business with a young buyer, you have a
higher likelihood of keeping the person as a
long-term client than with those of other
generations. This is because from an early
age Millennials were taught to be freethink-
ing and develop their own opinions. In eco-
nomics, this results in brand loyalty. Once a
buyer feels that they understand a company
and that the company understands them, it
is difficult for them to walk away.
Therefore, the key here is developing per-
sonal relationships.
Millennial buyers need to be able to see
a business for what it is, and for them the
product itself is secondary. In fact, they
often build an opinion about the product
based on the company’s values and how it
operates. Millennials are heavy into research
WHY BUSINESSES WANT TO EARN A MILLENNIAL’S LOYALTY FIRST
Part One In A Series •
By Seth Barnett
True Blue
OVER THE PAST YEAR the Millennial generation has taken the
majority spot in the U.S. workforce at more than 53.5 million strong;
within the next few years it will be the largest working majority in his-
tory. With an estimated buying power of $200 billion collectively, all
marketplaces will inevitably change to accommodate this potent force.