BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS SELLING AND THE EMERGING GENERATIONS

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1 BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS SELLING AND THE EMERGING GENERATIONS Robert Wendover, Managing Director, The Center for Generational Studies -to- Selling and the Emerging Generations -- Selling is being transformed by the emerging generations. Face-to-face and phone is being replaced by social media and Skype. Discover five trends that will impact your marketing and sales efforts as Millennials become a driving force in the -to- marketplace. Robert Wendover is the long-time director of the Center for Generational Studies. For the past 25 years, he has been assisting employers to profitably manage the generational transition within the workplace and marketplace. The author of ten books, his latest, Figure It Out! Making Smart Decisions in a Dumbed-Down World, will be released this fall. This is the second time he has been asked to speak at AMT's Global Forecasting and Marketing Conference. The Center for Generational Studies 7595 South Elkhorn Mountain Littleton, Colorado Telephone: wendover@gentrends.com

2 to Selling and the Emerging Generations Robert W. Wendover The Center for Generational Studies Our topics Consumer experience and business Practices Mobile technology as the coin of the realm Penetrating don t call me. I ll text you. 1

3 Consumer experience and business Practices The Influence of Influences The Influence of Influences Matures Family Stories Schools Places of Worship Radio Billboards Newspapers Magazines Movies Neighbors 2

4 The Influence of Influences Family Stories Schools Places of worship Radio Billboards Newspapers Magazines Movies Neighbors Television Calculators Portable Radios Portable Tape Recorders Cordless Phones Personal Computers Millennials Pagers Cell Phones Global Positioning Technology Menu-Driven Software Presentation Software Digital still photography Text Messaging World Wide Web Meta-Search Engines Digital video photography Electronic Shopping Carts Video Phones Global Positioning Systems Swipe Technology Downloadable Entertainment Mobisodes Cookies Social Networking Sites In-text Advertising Blinks Avatars Motion Capture Microblogging Smart Phones Deep Packet Inspection Go-Tags Addressable Ads Phone Bumping Mobile Wallets Near Field Comm. Consumer experience and business Practices The Influence of Influences Competition for Share of Mind Money in the Abstract Menu Driven Thinking The Amazon.com Effect Deficit of Comprehension 3

5 The take-away questions How can your firm best develop a clear understanding of the typical emerging customer? What steps can each part of your firm take to respond to these expectations and behaviors. Mobile technology as the coin of the realm Speed and Reliability Product Information Search Engine Optimization Service and Instruction Corporate Reputation Pricing and Delivery 4

6 The take-away questions Where does your firm s sales and service fall along the analog digital continuum? What steps does your firm still need to take to respond to the digital expectations of today s customers? Penetrating Don t call me. I ll text You. Access to Industry Insiders?????? Industry Insights Connection to likeminded customers Product Education The Goals? Trust and Reliance 5

7 Penetrating Don t call me. I ll text You. Electronic Chat Blog Video Library Webinars FAQs QR Codes Glossary Weekly Tips Teleseminars Coaching The take-away questions What steps can your firm take within the next quarter to enhance the experience of emerging customers? How will you measure the outcome of these efforts? 6

8 The Bottom Line Millennials are the first worldwide generation. Digital technology allows them unprecedented power to influence societal norms, politics and commerce, all without conscious effort. The firms that will thrive will learn to meet these consumers where they are, destroying many of the traditional sales and service practices of today and times past. The reward will be exceptional sales and on-going relationships. Robert Wendover, Director The Center for Generational Studies