We millennials get a bad rap.
Some people think we’re lazy. Others insist we are impatient. Still others assert we have been coddled and are therefore destined to fail in life.
As someone who was born in the early 1980s, I barely qualify as a “millennial.” Be that as it may, my goal with this piece (the first in an ongoing series) is to help you, my fellow millennials, overcome such stereotypes through better business decisions.
To start the conversation, let’s discuss a few things you may not know about sales.
- Sales Careers are Worth Considering
You just graduated with an expensive degree. Congratulations! Now what?
It’s a sad reality, but student loans are crushing our generation. While a solid education is important, a mountain of debt can be daunting to overcome – even with an advanced degree. Let’s examine your options.
Option 1: Get a Fixed Salary Job – Many graduates think that salary is the only way to go. In some cases, salary can be great. (It’s better than being unemployed!) My first corporate job was salary-based, and it certainly was good for me. On the other hand, if you have a lot of student loan debt, capping your earning potential may cause your standard of living to suffer. Remember, you’ll eventually have to pay Uncle Sam back – and he doesn’t care about your budget!
Option 2: Pursue Incentive-Based Compensation – Let’s imagine you’re considering a performance-based sales job with a reputable company. Instead of making $50,000 in fixed salary, the company offers you $40,000 plus a 5% commission on your sales revenue. The company produces enterprise-grade technology systems which retail for $80,000, and the top sales rep averages one new order per month. If you performed half as well as the top rep, your total income would equal $64,000. In this scenario, you have over $20,000 in extra pre-tax income to get out of debt. Not bad, huh?
- Texting Skills Don’t Translate to Sales
Put down the phone and read this section closely. No one cares about your texting skills – especially employers and prospective clients.
In fact, our generation’s affinity for texting routinely gets us into trouble. Spending all day cultivating text message habits may make it difficult to avoid these faux pas:
- Writing emails in “texting language”
- Rudely checking your phone at inappropriate times
- Avoiding face-to-face interactions
- Poor verbal communications
When in doubt, fight your urge to rely on the things you’ve learned from texting. Instead, practice skills that make you more marketable. Companies want well-rounded individuals, not people who can communicate in less than 100 characters.
- Social Media Can Haunt Your Sales Career
Your social media profiles are off limits to employers and clients, right? Wrong! Despite what you may have learned in your business management course, there are companies who actively check social media profiles.
If you’re interviewing for a sales position, assume that the prospective employer will spend time reviewing all of your profiles. Put yourself in the position of the employer when evaluating your social footprint. Are there posts that embarrass you? Do you really need to keep your political opinions out there? Could your poorly written posts give the wrong impression? Consider cleaning things up before going any further.
Once you’ve landed a sales job, stay mindful of how you represent yourself online. Even when publishing content from a personal page, you still indirectly relate to your company’s brand. With a few “shares,” your employer and customers could see something that you regret. Stranger things have happened.
My general social media rule is this: only post that which I would feel comfortable discussing with colleagues. By following this rule, you can reduce the risk of being “haunted” by your social profiles.
- People Want Solutions
You are of course intrinsically valuable as a person. However, in sales, your business value is defined by your ability to solve customers’ problems.
This can be difficult for us in the millennial generation to grasp, but it is true. Sure, being attentive and friendly are important qualities. Unfortunately, they only get you so far. To remain valuable to your clients, always be asking yourself these questions:
- What are my customers’ biggest challenges?
- How can I help solve these problems?
- How can I help customers gain even more value?
- How does the client perceive the value I offer him?
- Is the customer getting more value than what he is being charged?
Put your customers’ needs first, and you’ll most always be rewarded in-kind.
Get To Know Your Inner Salesman!
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Matt Keener is a marketing consultant and President of Keener Marketing Solutions, LLC. Matt specializes in content marketing and strategic planning, having helped numerous Saas (software as a service) companies and other small businesses worldwide. Read more of Matt’s work, check out his book, or connect with him on Linkedin.
