• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, July 6, 2015

According to a report in Sales and Marketing, by Dustin Grosse, COO of ClearSlide, by 2020, nearly 50% of the workforce will be comprised of Millennials. They are diverse, tech-savvy, socially connected, and more comfortable “job jumping” to find professional fulfillment. Although they require new levels of flexibility, office perks and management styles, the potential return on investment is enormous, concludes the report.

Retaining and motivating Millennials is a continuous effort that is largely dependent on company culture, says the report. If the culture is to help high-performing and hard-working employees thrive in their environments, Millennials will stick around longer, and morph into better sales people. To tap Millennials’ true potential in sales, says the report, start with these things:

• Let Millennials be the radical shift. They are looking for purpose at work, and they want a job that not only advances their career, but is also fulfilling on a day-to-day basis. According to Deloitte’s third annual Millennial Survey, 78% of Millennials are influenced by how innovative a company is when deciding if they want to work there. An environment that encourages continuous innovation, and a space that allows for the implementation of new ideas, is what they seek.
• Give Millennials the flexibility to be creative in how they get their work done. The report says that the more Millennials are in the know, the more they are engaged and satisfied. Keep Millennials engaged with tight connections with sales managers who assign tasks and their employees, and make sales performance metrics accessible to all team members.
• Millennials tend to approach their jobs with a “grass is greener” approach, so they are unlikely to stick around if they don’t feel appreciated: rewarded with benefits and perks to make them feel valued; inspire a culture of public recognition.
• Millennials fundamentally have the same long-term objectives as Baby Boomers and GenX-ers, seeking continuous feedback and progress. They value being part of an important cause and to work in a transparent and innovative culture that supports their self-improvement and upward mobility.

Millennials are more diverse, more tech savvy and extremely socially connected, says the report, and are already disrupting the way we buy and sell. Sales professionals, sales managers and marketers must keep pace with the changing sales environment, concludes Grosse. 

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