Sales Management: How to Manage Independent, Tech-Savvy New Millennial & Help Them Sell Effectively

Independent, tech-savvy, social, and optimistic - why are these "kids" so hard to manage?

Seasoned sales managers are facing challenges managing new Millennial's, also known as people born after 1980. These new sales professionals have a different approach to life. This greatly impacts their ability to sell effectively.

Understanding them and some key events that took place during their youth will help you manage your Millennial sales team with shorter ramp times.

What is different about the new Millennial sales team?

Their work styles, motivations and view of the worlds, especially the corporate world.

For example Millennials:

• Demonstrate loyalty to their social network and specific managers and members of the team, but not to the company.
  
• Grew up during a technology explosion. Their every day reality included video, cell phones, laptops, and iPods.
  
• Are addicted to reality television, Google and websites like Myspace and Facebook. In this world information is available for the asking. That's why they believe in putting everything out there for all to see.
  
• Faced school violence and global terrorism (specifically 9-11). This made them wary about the world. It also helped them develop a global perspective
  
• Have the ability to find information about anything at a rate that far exceeds expectations of management. What they lack is discernment about the accuracy of the information. If it's on the Net they tend to believe it must be accurate. They can instantly communicate this information to their social network via Blogs, Instant Messaging (IM), personal Web pages and cell phones. Some companies have found out the hard way that their management mistakes are common knowledge within days, if not hours.
  
• Do not know their own strengths and weaknesses because there have not been many opportunities for self-evaluation or honest, constructive criticism. With hundreds of possible activities, from soccer to music lessons, Millennials have been over-committed and over-scheduled.
  
• Were smothered in praise with constant reinforcement about how great they are. That's why they expect recognition for everything, even the most mundane activities.
  
  This creates your greatest management challenges:
  
  
  • How do you help them understand that there are winners and losers in the sales world?
    
  • How do you provide constructive criticism without devastating their psyche?
    

• Provide structure and give information in bite-size pieces.
  
• Praise them for their efforts
  
• Present mistakes as development opportunities
  
• Use technology freely before and after the session.
  
• Provide the rationale behind your coaching.
  
• Sell your Millennial sales team on the idea of discretion

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

About the Author:
Sales Psychology Expert Gregory Stebbins has helped over 20,000 sales professionals better understand their customers so they can outsell their competition. Now, with his new book "People Savvy for Sales Professional" sales managers can help their NEW sales team understand a simple, yet groundbreaking plan to winning your customers' trust and business forever. Get your free sneak preview at: peoplesavvy.com/book.htm

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