Engaging Millennial Buyers—Best Sales Techniques, Tricks and Approaches
Why do companies bend over backwards for millennial customers? And why are advertising campaigns, marketing communications and sales techniques catered to buyers between the ages of 28 and 43?
While Gen Z is now the largest generational segment worldwide, millennials are still in control. Americans born between 1981 and 1996 comprise the majority of the country’s workforce. By extension, they’re also the biggest spenders and consumers. Companies are falling over themselves, trying to get their share of millennial money.
But money is money, and sales is sales, right? Not exactly. Each generation requires a different set of marketing and sales techniques.
Selling to millennial buyers takes a different mindset than selling to older generations like Gen X and baby boomers. Let’s get to know this key demographic and look at the sales approaches that move them to action.
Two words best describe the millennial buyer: digital natives. Computers and the internet may predate millennials, but they’re the first generation who had widespread access to digital technology.
Growing up in the 80s and the 90s, millennials watched as the world slowly shifted from analog to digital. They had computer classes at school and dial-up internet service at home. This has shaped who they are and how they respond to certain sales techniques.
Skeptical Research Advocates
It’s no secret that millennials aren’t fans of traditional advertising. Thanks to computers and the internet, millennials have access to information at unprecedented levels. They don’t trust brands to tell them what to eat, wear or do. Instead, they listen to recommendations from friends and family.
If millennials still need more data to make a decision, they perform the research themselves. They’ll go over product reviews, testimonials and research reports before they ever reach out to the seller.
Apart from their family and friends, many have social circles that extend far away from home. It also helps that the millennial’s growing-up phase coincided with the emergence of social media.
Web-based community pages such as Multiply and Angelfire attracted people who shared the same interests. Early social media sites like MySpace and Friendster helped them make even more connections. These communities have made millennials much more wary of salespeople than the generations before them, so traditional sales techniques rarely work.
Millennials Are Value-Based Shoppers
Unlike previous generations, millennials are less prone to excessive and impulsive purchases. In fact, 83% of millennial buyers look for sellers that align with their values.
For one, they don’t want to give their money to entities with a history of sketchy business practices or nonexistent customer service. At minimum, they prefer companies that offer free shipping and delivery, with an emphasis on speedy and less expensive services. Millennial shoppers also prefer sellers that have comprehensive and uncomplicated return or exchange policies.
Finally, millennials like dealing with sellers who are as socially aware and responsible as they are. They favor brands that incorporate social responsibility and environmental initiatives into the products and services they sell. Millennials will gladly support brand programs that give back to the community or support recycling efforts.
The Role of Social Media
The love affair with social media is more apparent today than ever. Millennials are among the heaviest social media consumers, second only to Gen Z. But despite the shared interest, the two generations differ in how they consume social media.
For instance, millennials use social media to follow brands and small businesses, while Gen Z users are heavy consumers of trending and viral content. In terms of sales techniques for social media, marketers should pay heed to what millennials want to see or hear.
Social media is the main source of content for millennials. They look beyond what’s trending and rely on social media channels to stay updated on news, sports and other world events. Millennials will also use social media to look for information about brands and products. As a result, “Generation Me” devours all things social. In fact, in a 2023 survey, 54% of millennials admit to spending too much time browsing social media.
Still, both millennials and Gen Z users find social media to be a great source of popular products. The two generations are more inclined to make purchases on social channels than Gen X and Boomers. Millennials, however, will plumb the depths of social media to find more information on products and brands before committing to a sale.
They’ll steadfastly look for competing products and compare factors such as price, features and benefits. Millennials will also look into reviews and testimonials that can validate their choices. Then, in return for the information, millennial buyers will gladly share their impressions, reviews and testimonials to guide the next wave of customers.
Sales Techniques To Engage Millennial Buyers
Marketing and selling to millennials requires brands to use sales techniques and strategies designed for this particular demographic. One thing stands out when marketing to millennials: you don’t want to look like you’re trying to sell them something. So, don’t try to create an artificial sense of urgency by using phrases like “Buy Now” or “Hurry!”
Instead, think of selling as a way to provide solutions to a customer’s problems. The sooner millennial buyers realize that you’re the answer to their questions, the sooner they’ll accept the offer. Use these sales techniques to connect with and sell to today’s biggest consumer generation.
Focus on Personalization
Forget the one-size-fits-all approach when selling a product or service. Millennials see themselves as owners of unique problems that require unique solutions. Getting that right off the bat can guarantee you a seat at the negotiating table.
This makes personalization one of the best sales techniques. It shows your customers that you’re treating them as an individual case and not just one of many.
Even the simple exercise of using sales and marketing materials that mention clients by their names can create a lasting impression. This level of personalization assures customers that you’re working on custom solutions for their unique situations.
You can also make personalized recommendations based on a customer’s demographic, previous purchase or recent store browsing activity. Just make sure that when you use customer data to create personalized services, you have their permission to do so.
Leverage Social Media
We all know the mantra, “If you can’t beat them, join them.” One of the strongest sales techniques is to meet clients where they already are. And because social media is among a typical millennial’s favorite places to hang out, it’s time to get comfortable using these channels.
Your brand should create and maintain credible accounts across social media platforms. But which ones? Facebook continues to lead the pack, with 87% of millennials using the site at least once a week. But Instagram and YouTube are popular too. Use research or customer surveys to uncover the channels your specific audience prefers.
Then, develop and post content that resonates with your target audience to engage with them. Generate fresh content on a regular schedule and respond to comments and questions. Also, be sure to accept customer friend requests.
Finally, use search engine optimization (SEO) best practices to keep your brand above your competitors’ noise. Most importantly, maintain an aura of success and invincibility (not invisibility). Customers will look to you as an authority figure who’s willing to help them out.
Highlight Value
Most millennials put a lot of effort into research to get the best value out of their purchases. This is why sellers need to emphasize what customers will gain from their product. Don’t focus too much on features; instead, highlight the benefits.
Among the more effective sales techniques aimed at millennials is proving your authority. As an expert in the field, customers will place more value on how you can solve their problems.
But being an expert requires more than bluster and bravado. Take the time to learn about the market you serve. Be sure to have some facts and statistics ready to back up your assertions. You can also share insights and industry tips and tricks when the occasion arises. Plus, you can offer additional training to help customers learn how to solve problems the right way.
In every communication, position your product as the solution to the customer’s problems. Framing it as a necessary component instead of just another item to sell can convince buyers that you have the answers they need.
Don’t Waste Their Time
Millennials like doing things on their own and will often grow impatient when conversations drag on for too long. At the same time, their inquisitive minds welcome new perspectives or approaches to age-old problems.
So, when sharing your wisdom or offering a solution, don’t spend too much time on fillers. Instead, get right to the point and present your solution along with the relevant facts and figures.
Don’t worry if you feel like you only presented part of the story. After listening to your pitch, many millennial buyers will happily look up your presentation and check it for accuracy. Of course, this means you must make absolutely sure that your presentation includes the latest data. But it can be very rewarding for your audience to independently confirm the points you made.
Emphasize Realness
There was a time when a company only needed a good celebrity endorsement to sell its products. But this is one of those traditional sales techniques that no long works for millennials.
Instead, this group prefers their circle of family and friends (and maybe industry influencers) because of the perceived authenticity. The authentic experiences of actual users can convince millennial buyers far better than paid actors. So when you talk about your solutions, share reviews and testimonials submitted by other users.
Of course, part of being real and authentic is accepting that not everybody will like what you have. Don’t whitewash your social pages and sites by removing negative reviews. Instead, leave them there and address any unfavorable comments. Thank users for their honest assessment and emphasize that the team remains committed to quality and reliability.
Provide Exceptional Customer Support
Let other experts in your organization speak up as well. Customer support teams should be available as much as possible to answer customer concerns. Emphasize that no question is too small or too complex to answer.
What’s more, having a robust customer relationship management (CRM) system on standby can also add to a great customer experience. Instead of having to continually ask customers for their information, support staff will only need to look at their screens to get useful information.
More importantly, exceptional customer service means being everywhere the customer is. Omnichannel support is a great way to capture a millennial buyer’s attention. As this demographic likes to jump across email, chat threads, phone calls and social media accounts, it pays to have all these channels connected so you can pick up where the conversation left off.
Successful Sales Techniques for Millennials Should Include Interactive Presentations
Communicating your solution to the customer takes effort. But many of the sales techniques that millennials respond to can be captured in interactive presentations. More than a simple slideshow, a dynamic sales presentation lets viewers steer the conversation to get their questions answered.
Ingage is cloud-based, interactive presentation software that can help you tell the entire story of your product. Its interactive features let you present your solution clearly and concisely. Interactivity also allows viewers to click on objects to view additional information.
What’s more, powerful online collaboration means entire teams can work together on a single document from anywhere. Thanks to Ingage’s excellent content management system and collaboration tools, members can remotely connect to a file, look over the draft, add comments and edit elements.
Once completed, teams can send the final copy to clients via email link. There’s no need to download the file, and the audience can review the presentation on their own time. Analytics monitors feedback and reports back on which sections captured attention and which ones need more work.
Learn more about how Ingage’s interactive presentations can help you reach millennial customers. Sign up for a free demo today.
