Forward-thinking companies are using generational flexibility to build high-performing sales teams.
Sales skill development is an important factor in the success or failure of sales professionals and leaders. We have seen this directly with our clients, from our own experience, and in current research studies.
Our experience helps us understand how deeply generational nuances impact learning and development. During our careers in sales, consulting and training, we have developed and delivered many types of training content and have coached thousands of sales professionals and leaders. During the past 25 years, we have observed tremendous change in content delivery and the ways in which people learn. We continue to teach skills to a melting pot of generations — ages ranging from between 25 and 60 years.
Making adjustments
Learning, especially focused on sales skills, has evolved over the past 10 years. Not only have delivery options changed, but so too have learners and their expectations. “Sales skills” refers to core selling capabilities such as:
• Researching customer information
• Planning for and managing a territory, account or opportunity
• Business or industry acumen
• Effectively presenting ideas and insights
• Overcoming objections
• Negotiating agreements
• Managing customer relationships
Sellers have grown up with various learning options, which has forced companies to update their one-size-fits-all training approach. For the most part, sales skills require real-time or simulated human interactions, which often demand that sellers learn skills through repetitive practice. Not surprisingly, our research shows that the most effective method of training occurs through active learning, such as simulations, case studies and sales call observations with a manager or fellow sellers.
Millennial sales professional training tips
It is critical to consider whether the Millennial chose sales as a profession or if sales chose them. Understanding how the seller found their way to your sales organization will impact the way the seller learns, the depth of development they may need, and their willingness to heed the training.
Most Millennials have been immersed in technology their whole lives and, as a result, may struggle with both the hard and soft skills required to be effective sellers. Hard skills are teachable qualities that can be easily measured, whereas soft skills are personality-driven attributes that are much harder to quantify. In a recent report released by PayScale, hiring managers called out “writing proficiency as the hard skill most commonly lacking and critical thinking/problem solving as the most commonly lacking soft skill. Public speaking and attention to detail follow for the second-most-lacking hard and soft skills, respectively.”
This data is daunting, given that sales largely depends on skills like writing, presenting, communication, problem-solving and attention to detail. We have yet to meet a successful sales professional who lacks these skills. Learning and development professionals must consider closing the hard and soft skills gaps for Millennials if they are to succeed in key roles.
In addition to business basics, new Millennial graduates should receive a crash course on topics such as organizational hierarchies and the C-suite, the budgeting process, and how to accurately read and understand a profit and loss statement. A baseline understanding of these topics is essential for sellers looking to connect with customers and having situational awareness of both business drivers and buyer motivations.
Aside from learning the actual content, immediacy of feedback is the most visible need for Millennial sellers, as they are hungry to apply this new knowledge. Feedback is critical in ensuring that seller actions remain in line with the preferred approach, be it successfully targeting prospects or prioritizing efforts. Provide the feedback right away, and be sure to follow up to see how the feedback is being applied to make sure they are progressing.
Gen X sales professionals training tips
In training, Gen X learners often seek relevance and aim to save energy by ignoring the pieces they do not feel directly apply to them or their role. Gen X has a need to be independent or to chart their own course when learning. Gen X has endured sales training after sales training to address or fix lagging sales and could tire from the next “flavor of the day.”
As with Baby Boomers, building experiential exercises and activities into training is important. However, unlike their Baby Boomer predecessors, Gen Xers are still looking to prove themselves and itching to “show their stuff.” It’s a good idea to give Gen X learners opportunities to co-lead training, take the lead on report-backs and otherwise shine in front of their peers. Teaching others is the top way to keep Gen X engaged in learning activities, as they are already primed to take the lead, which in turn boosts their own learning.
Baby Boom sales professionals training tips
Baby Boomers typically think, “I am listening, but prove to me why I should continue?” This is a sales professional with potentially 30-plus years of relevant experience and that must be respected. Any training that hopes to snap people into reality or make them change everything is doomed to fail with this audience.
We can make many correlations to the Gen X learner for the Baby Boomers. They prefer face-to-face training, require feedback, do well with exercises, and want the opportunity to share what life has taught them. Expect them to take a “wait and see” approach until they smell tried and true methods that can be built on what they have been taught before. Avoid messaging that dictates, “This is the right way and every other way is wrong.” Because of this anticipating, incremental change is more likely than all-out transformation.
Getting started
When it comes to tailoring training and development efforts based on generations, one of the best practices we’ve observed is implementing a training advisory board composed of people from each generation represented in the sales force. This board will make decisions on the training content covered, the best content design, and content delivery channel with the goal of meeting the needs of the multigenerational sales team.
There are many ways that companies can approach the development of sales skills, but those who get training right spend extra time up front considering the generational mix of their audience and tailoring the training approach.
Excerpted with permission from “The Multigenerational Sales Team: Harness the Power of New Perspectives to Sell More, Retain Top Talent, and Design A High-Performing Workplace,” By Warren Shiver and David Szen. Published in March 2017 by Career Press.
