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It’s Only Common Sense: Meet the New Young Guns in Sales

I have been working quite a bit lately with younger people. These salespeople are literally two generations removed from my own demographic (and most of our industry’s demographic). Most of them are 30 years old or younger. I’d dare to call them “hotshots” because they are hungry, ambitious, and passionate, and they want to succeed.

The world is changing. The craft of selling is changing. Dealing with them is like a breath of fresh air. After years of tired salespeople making the same tired and lame excuses about why they are failing, it is so refreshing to be working with this new team of salespeople. Instead of hearing excuses like, “Cold calling is dead, “Buyers don’t want to see anybody anymore,” and the ever-popular, “I can’t take them to lunch,” I get comments such as, “I love to make sales calls” and “I love the chase.” That is invigorating. The even better news is they are ready to learn and do what it takes. They are ready to hear and use what I have to say.

I’m working with one particular sales team and I wish all of you could be on our calls. You would be amazed by their attitude, and even more amazed at their success. Make 20 or so calls a day, and you get appointments. Isn’t that something? If you are prepared for those appointments, you will get orders. It works. I’m watching it work.

Another cool thing is these aren’t “board guys.”  They’re sales guys with backgrounds in selling everything from windows to cars. They’re getting it done in the classic way: Hire for passion and teach the product. They’re winning because they’re fascinated by our products. When was the last time you heard someone flipping out about selling printed circuit boards?

Besides being passionate and fearless, they are also finding new ways to sell. For years now, salespeople have been using the same sales strategies, techniques, and tactics to sell their products. Frankly, it has gotten stale. Now, I am watching this young team come up with new, out-of-the-box ways to sell their products and services.

Here are some things they are using on their road to success:

Interactive social media campaigns: They create interactive content on social media platforms such as HubSpot to track their sales activity, from prospecting and lead generation to setting up meetings, quoting, and closing the deal. They are creating vital and important sequence messaging designed to drive the customer to the companies they represent.

They are doing such a great job engaging with and servicing their customers that they are having no problem getting these satisfied customers to become brand ambassadors and just about sell their products for them. Their customers are recommending other potential customers in their networks through referral programs or affiliate marketing. They are creating a loyal army of brand ambassadors who are more than happy to tell other people about them.

Collaborative selling: They are partnering with influencers, bloggers, or other businesses to co-create exclusive products or services and leverage their audiences for promotion. Collaboration works.

Community building: They foster a sense of community among their customers by creating online forums, Facebook groups, or offline meetups where they can connect with each other and share their experiences. They are bringing their customers together. Their customers know one another and are starting to act like a software user list. Stay tuned. This is pretty new, so let’s see where this goes.

Content marketing campaigns: They are always developing compelling content such as blog posts, videos, or podcasts that educate, entertain, and inspire their target audience while subtly promoting their offerings. They are giving their customers and prospective customers valuable information and data. They are also about to partner with industry experts, giving them a forum by developing an interested audience to listen and learn.

Collaborative workshops: They are developing partnerships with businesses (even customers) to host collaborative workshops or masterclasses that provide valuable knowledge and insights while subtly promoting their offerings.

By incorporating these innovative strategies into their holistic sales approach, they are differentiating their brand to capture the attention of potential customers and drive increased sales and revenue. The best part? They do it for their principals. Imagine having an entire plug-and-play sales team take over your company’s sales and marketing effort. Now, compare that approach to the tired and failing rep-principal relationship we have been struggling with for decades. This is a whole new, innovative, and exciting way to sell. So far, it’s working. Think about that for more than a minute or even two.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.