How do we as Millennials sell to those older than us?
We are all going to be entering the “job market” soon and if we take a job in sales we will have to be selling to those in the Baby Boomer generation or even older. How do we go about interacting and even selling to them?
We need to understand the differences that we have. At school we learn about all of the updated tech applications with an iPad or a lap top or the newest smart phone. Most people, older than 60, likely do not understand all of the tech talk that we use.
The biggest thing you want to avoid when trying to sell to an older person would be “overloading them with tech talk.” Something that I have learned dealing with older men in sales is the more you talk about the app or the new tech the more they get confused. You need to put “feelers” out in the conversation to figure out how much tech talk the person you are dealing with understands. You need to do this without making the person feel dumb or inferior to you.
testacr22 
Trinity Blank 
Caroline Marie Dawson
Understanding and catering to generational differences is definitely a very important part of any sales situation. It is very true that older folks can be easily overwhelmed with “tech talk.” Even some of the new technology they are putting in cars can prove to be quite overwhelming for older folks. It is important to realize that for many of these customers the relationship they form with you is more important than the technology itself. They are looking for an old fashioned sales pitch, so take your time and make a friend- they aren’t in any hurry.
Its funny, I experience this sort of thing every day when dealing with my dad. He’s an older guy and although he really tries to understand technology, he really is nowhere close to the understanding that our generation has of it. I have tried countless times to explain to him the benefits that technology could offer to his sales business, but he doesn’t seem interested in those potential benefits.
I really liked how you mentioned the idea of “putting out feelers.” I think this is a good universal concept when dealing with what people think about _____ (fill in the blank). Whether it be innovative tech improvements or new car improvements or new technology, it is important to feel out what the customer perceives of these new features. But honestly, I kind of disagree about how most of our customers will be “baby boomers.” When it comes to technology I find more older adults trying to ride the tide that is technological advancement. Now I am not talking about 80 year olds but as we become sales reps I think will be very surprised.