Social media and new technologies are useful tools, but it’s equally important to understand the buying habits of the younger generation of decision makers.
Is their webcam switched on? Some inquiring dealers want to know that answer as it applies to purchasing decision makers representing prospects and customers. It’s a question pondered by Dustin Bonn, the 34-year-old director for IT solutions sales and technical account management at Marco Technologies. He has become somewhat of a badge-earning proponent of virtual meetings. And let’s face it: Most people under 35 simply are not in the habit of checking their email (regularly) anyway. (See sidebar below.)
For client-facing communication, CRM-facilitated chat messages frequently lead to face-to-face video calls using Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, or Zoom, which became the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic. Video meetings allow participants to avoid what Bonn calls “email threads of doom” that clutter in-boxes and can consume far too much time. Interactive sessions yield a controlled response, he contends, and tend to be highly productive.
Not Lost in Translation
Bonn typically hosts between six and 10 people simultaneously. “When relying solely on written chat- or email-based communication, a lot of meaning and intent can be lost in translation,” he explains, encouraging dealer owners and managers to track how much time their account people spend actually thinking creatively about solutions as opposed to merely responding to requests.
There is no disputing that popular customer communication methods have changed over the past few years. How does 39-year-old Patrick Ritchie, senior sales director (East Region) at business technology dealer Gordon Flesch Company, assess the landscape? “My generation prefers more rapid information and the economy of text messaging,” said Ritchie. A quick text is even more effective once some rapport has been developed, he added. Members of his generation also “go out of our way to explain why.”
Why is it no longer acceptable to direct subordinates to perform a task in a certain way “because I said so” or because “that’s the way we’ve always done it?” Because, if senior bosses don’t evolve iron-fisted, authoritarian management styles, retaining employees becomes a problem.
From Gen Gaps to Gen AI
Overseeing three markets, Ritchie manages some 80 people, including a pair of industry veterans who started in 1986 (when he was wearing diapers!), all reporting to him and his team. On the flip side, he recently interviewed a college senior who showed up dressed in “a suit and basketball socks,” he chortled, adding, “Hey, at least the kid wore a suit!”
Jokes aside, Ritchie acknowledged the more seasoned demographic across our industry, which is accustomed to top-down hierarchy. “It’s not like that here at Flesch, but as I’ve managed more, I see the wisdom in different processes. There are more guided approaches that seem so very rigid with guardrails in place, but things work for a reason even if we always don’t understand it.” He added that some of his best salespeople are older, and they’re experts at relationship management.
Although there have always been generation gaps in the business world, the chasm in 2024 may be more expansive than in eras past—at least in a technological context. But Gen Z-ers (born in the late 1990s through early 2000s) probably should cut some slack for colleagues their parents’ age because even email, instant messaging, television, and radio technologies once were considered new, 20th-century media.
In fairness, the accelerating pace of tech advancements is nobody’s fault. People over the age of 40 may be accustomed to PCs and laptops, but they did not grow up with the internet, Google, smartphone apps, or tablet computers. That’s why some more modern technical skills don’t come as naturally to many of them. Often, adaptation is about comfort levels, and as Ritchie noted, “Embracing change is just harder for some people.” The growth of social media over the past 15 years is one thing; suffice it to say that the recent ChatGPT and generative AI crazes are blowing some over 55-year-old minds.
Most high-level workers born prior to 1974 (ages 50 and over) tend to make business decisions in proverbial vacuums, which is one of the biggest differences seen by Mike Lepper, senior vice president (Southern Region) and partner at managed service provider Impact Networking. This singular approach has been known to cause friction among colleagues within the dealer organization. “I’m speaking generally, of course,” explained Lepper, whose 1988 birth date places him under the Millennial generation label. Philosophically, “When it comes to customer buy-in, younger people are less silo-ish and have more of a ‘by-committee’ mentality,” he observed. “That process can take longer but usually is worth the investment in time.”
Anything But Idle Chitchat
Bonn, who was born in 1990 and has been at Marco for 12 years, manages some 130 sellers for the massive, Minnesota-based dealership. Colleagues range in age from 22 [Generation Alpha: the first to be born entirely in the 21st century, right out of college] to 50-plus, with some nearing retirement as late-stage baby boomers. The adoption of chat is prevalent among the younger crowd, believes Bonn, because there’s that gratification of an instant response with applications such as Microsoft Teams, which is more collaborative than traditional email.
Marco is in the process of making chat functionality more robust on its website. “Having a professional, aesthetic online presence is one key to winning business,” he said, adding that the inclusion of preliminary pricing may entice some office equipment and technology services shoppers. “It’s all about [increasing] the speed of business,” Bonn pointed out, especially for demanding, younger buyers who tend to be more engaged in the process.
Efficiency plays into the speed equation for dealers. Customers and prospects above the age of about 40 tend to prefer phone calls. However, digitally led communication is fine for most born after 1984 or so. More seasoned employees often may assume that if something is that important, they’ll call them on the phone, which is not necessarily true for a much younger customer, according to Bonn and others. “Many people conduct entire transactions digitally,” noted Bonn. In either scenario, the willingness to respond is crucial to success.
Understanding the Customer
In addition to finding the right solutions, most younger prospects seek out education and inspiration, which is where the social media element can come into play. Millennials and Gen Z have come to expect targeted experiences, such as customized products, tailored messaging, or personalized recommendations. Dealers can now use data to consider preferences and behaviors—and offer customized solutions that best fit the buyer’s preferences.
What are some other do’s and don’ts that dealers should be aware of? Do know your audience, stressed Gordon Flesch Company’s Ritchie. Preferred methods of communication depend largely on the buyer and not necessarily their age. “Reps need to gain an understanding of who they are targeting and adapt to different styles,” said Ritchie.
To develop a better understanding of motivators (and demotivators), this year, Marco is revisiting DiSC assessments. The DiSC acronym stands for four main personality profiles: (D) dominance, (i) influence, (S) steadiness, and (C) conscientiousness. “Using this model can help us to learn the traits and behaviors—wants, needs, and desires—that drive an individual’s buying/decision-making process,” explained Marco’s Bonn. A person’s level within their organization comes into play, too. Such pertinent knowledge can assist dealers with managing their customers’ communication expectations.
On the copier/printer side of the business, sales cycles can get complicated. Large contracts for, say, 30 to 60 machines ($5,000–$20,000 monthly) can be disruptive and require planning. “Complex, managed-services sales are even more difficult and can involve multiple people, from mid-level managers to CEOs,” explained Lepper. With an average transaction size of approximately $1 million, don’t expect these deals to close quickly, he noted. They simply take more time to execute; sometimes, the wait can be between six months to one year.
If patience is a virtue, how can owners and/or managers address the need among younger reps for instant gratification? “We stress activity,” said Lepper. Impact Networking doesn’t believe in having selling managers. “Their main job is to nurture and help trainees hone their skills,” he noted, adding that new hires are not expected to sell an MSP contract within their first nine to 12 months. Instead, customer education and cultural alignment are emphasized. Lepper commented, “We teach them to ask business questions without interrogating prospects or wasting their time.”
Social Impressions
As Marco’s Bonn alluded, youthful decision-makers absolutely are more prone to do their homework online when purchasing. In agreement is Matt Taggart, regional sales director at DocuWare. “Younger prospects almost always conduct independent research before engaging with the company or salesperson of interest,” said Taggart, who is in his early thirties. “We have seen the progression from simple Google searches to more extensive, hands-on information through YouTube and other social media platforms.”
The team at Gordon Flesch Company won’t argue this point but acknowledged that people “back in the day” (in 2009!) were well informed, too. “It is the way we navigate industry information that has changed,” Richie pointed out. Instead of setting up meetings with trusted advisors, social channels are where the younger generations go to find info and news. “We grew up with information at our fingertips,” he said.
Social media use by small businesses has soared in the past few years, from Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and even Facebook/Meta to the more controversial X (Twitter) and TikTok platforms. Data from market research firm Gitnux reveals more than a 90% usage rate, with nearly two-thirds of companies reporting success. As the number of more youthful decision-makers increases, social media’s importance in business-to-business marketing strategies is growing, too.
These younger purchasers are digital-first and dominate the share of voice online, according to market research firm EMARKETER. “Social media engagement is how people connect these days,” observed Ritchie. “Like it or not, it’s how information gets consumed. If you’re not doing social media, you’re missing out on a big demographic that just keeps getting bigger. It’s a great way to educate prospects, gain brand awareness, and promote certain offerings.”
For Gordon Flesch Company and other dealerships, controlling their online narratives is essential to making strong first impressions. “Prospects will research you. We stress that everything our sales professionals post, on LinkedIn or wherever, is part of their brand and becomes part of our digital footprint as a company,” explained Ritchie. The lion’s share of first impressions once were made in person by walking through doorways; in today’s business landscape, they’re often made virtually from laptops and smartphone keyboards.
According to Lepper, Impact Networking uses social channels to gain brand credibility. Along with texting and LinkedIn messaging, social engagement counts as a touchpoint. “Our sales leadership has learned that it takes between eight and 12 touches to cultivate a meeting,” revealed Lepper, cautioning that too much contact can be invasive and annoying. Pacing is important, so the dealer uses the Salesloft engagement platform to assist with proper cadencing and message frequency. “Our account executives do a good job with video messaging, too,” he said, giving a nod to software vendor/partner Vidyard (Buildscale, Inc.).
Linking In and Multitasking
For Gordon Flesch Company and DocuWare, LinkedIn has been one of the most effective communication tools for prospecting. According to DocuWare’s Taggart, in addition to reaching out to people via text and email, direct messaging on LinkedIn works well in some cases. Additionally, following groups or influencers who, in turn, are followed by the people with whom you wish to connect can be a great way to build common ground and open up reasons for conversations. Ritchie concurred that social media is a form of networking for Flesch’s employees, where friends of friends can easily connect. He still believes, however, that a lot of traditional techniques are still effective such as cold calls, phone calls, email campaigns, and printed mailers.
Impact Networking’s Lepper countered that constant call screenings make dialing for dollars (cold calling) particularly challenging. Employing marketing automation technology, such as 6sense buyer-intent data and Power BI intel reports from Microsoft, can help the cause. These powerful enrichment tools acquire the phone numbers, which the dealership then imports into its high-end CRM [Microsoft Dynamics 365]. “But just getting people to answer the phone can be a problem,” acknowledged Lepper. It seems that no communication method is off limits anymore, and Impact Networking has tried just about all of them. A recent prospecting SMS text message from the dealership caught the attention of a security-minded CFO at an aerospace firm.
Are workers under 40 better at multitasking and handling digital distractions? “I’d say we’re better at managing the noise,” said Marco’s Bonn. However, he’s not convinced that birth years have anything to do with maintaining focus and giving a subject your full attention. “Age aside, human attention spans are limited. I’m guilty of missing the context of in-person meetings because of chatting with a customer at the same time through our CRM system,” he admitted. Beware that such on-screen interruptions can be, at times, counterproductive. At the same time, he adds, “Communication isn’t slowing down.”
While how meetings are obtained has changed, technology or age has little to do with sealing the deal, according to Gordon Flesch Company’s Ritchie. “Once you get that meeting, slow down, ask good questions, and learn about the buyer’s needs,” adding that the old 80/20 listen-talk rule still applies. “If the buyer is doing the majority of talking, you should be in good shape… They should be at the center of it. No one wants to be sold to, pressed, or manipulated.”
DocuWare’s Taggart added, “Don’t try to be slick or salesy. None of that stuff works long-term, and information is too readily available these days. Younger decision-makers will see right through it,” he warned. “Focus on highlighting pain points and address the value you can provide in a concise, upfront manner. Develop relationships, solve business needs, and provide excellent customer service and everything will work out.”
Email Glut
According to market research firm Statista, Worldwide, people (and bots) sent and received an average of 347 billion email messages daily in 2023, and the number is projected to exceed 392 billion per diem in 2026. While some 89% of Millennials (born in the early 1980s through the late 1990s) and 85% of Generation X (DOB: 1970s and 1980s) are email users, only four in 10 have established that medium as an important communication path and a part of their lives.
