Inside Sales Telesales Tips Blog

How do I train my younger reps when they think they already know everything?

  

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I had a meeting last week with a potential client for my inside sales training courses, who posed a provocative dilemma. She asked: “Geoff, how would you deal with training a younger demographic of inside sales rep, who tends to think they know everything (but doesn’t)?” She noted several challenges in working with this demographic. I mentioned one or two concepts, but I think this whole topic is worth addressing in its own blog post. Although this post is geared to Managers, it’s got some value for inside sales reps, too. And it’s not just about training, it’s about team communication, workflow, motivation, ethics, and best management practices as well. 

It’s of value to point out that these workers, who generally fall into the age 20-26 category, aren’t all that different from past generations of young people that grew up in a world not of their making, but which, frankly, stood for some improvement. Think of the rock ‘n roll era of the 1950s, the Vietnam era of the 1960s-1970s, and the Punk Rock era of the 1980s as just three examples. I’ll make a wild guess here that the majority of the managers reading this post can personally identify with one of those eras, too. So I’ll address a few elements regarding today’s younger working generation, why I think they’re all-in-all positive, and suggest some ideas to keep in mind in working with them. Here goes: 

1) For the most part, they didn’t choose this career. It chose them. Very few in this demographic foresaw inside sales as a career choice when they were in high school. And today, they still might not have even realized that it’s a career yet, perceiving it --- at least for today --- as a way-station. Some of them may leave our profession, but many of them may very well return when another direction doesn’t pan out financially. They will remember that they were good at inside sales, enjoyed it for both its rewards and intellectual challenges, and realize it was a pretty good career choice. And those returning people are often among the best performing reps you’ll have. 

2)  They have a strong sense of global ethics. They really think about the world’s problems, are keenly interested in their solutions, and want to ensure that whatever they’re doing, workwise, will somehow make the world a better place. They’ll keep a keen eye on how the company for which they work is perceived among their social peers. 

3) They pro forma don’t trust authority figures. They feel their trust has to be earned, and don’t automatically buy into work-related programs just because a higher-authority individual tells them to. Taking the time to reason and explain directives goes a long way to getting buy-in. 

4) They’re skeptical. A lot of what they were told about the world when they were growing up turned out not to be true. So they don’t tend to believe in many concepts unless they’ve experienced them themselves, or know a peer that has. Expect them to question everything. 

5) They are teaching themselves to learn, making mistakes, and learning from their mistakes. Many of their missteps will be in the areas of personal interaction, company policies, and company politics. Learning by experience is one of life’s great pleasures and great challenges at the same time.  

6) They have a strong sense of personal ethics. Many of them have direct experience being on the wrong end of ethical breaches, so they’ve cobbled together --- or are in the process of cobbling together --- their own ethical identities. Expect them to come to you if they feel a customer has a legitimate beef, even to the point of acting as an in-house advocate for that customer. 

Some recommendations: 

1) They’re going to make mistakes, particularly how they engage socially and politically with people at different levels within the company. Use each situation as a “learning moment,” where you can provide new and valuable data that will assist them in avoiding similar situations in the future. When you do that, they’ll share the data with their peers, where others will become informed as well. And don’t forget: we’re all prone to occasional lacks in judgment, at any age. 

2) Instead of giving orders without explanations, provide the logic behind every directive, and strive to communicate how it will positively impact them, the company, and the customers. Typical challenges include setting a standard to getting to work on time, hitting key performance indicators, and making quota. 

3) Listen to what they have to say. For the most part, they’re trying to make the workplace, their companies, and their solutions better. They are, in many cases, your company’s future leaders, and they’re trying to find an ethical and cultural fit. Welcome their input, because you want them to feel they can talk to about anything, any time. 

4) Encourage them to come to you with solutions, not problems. Every company has problems, but you want your folks to think through the problem first, and attempt to come up with a workable solution. As an example, almost every company has challenges with its CRM database, but not all solutions are doable within a given company’s financial constraints. That doesn’t mean, however, that free or low-cost creative workarounds can’t be found that will make the CRM more usable. 

5) Have a relatively relaxed dress code. I don’t mean flamboyantly risqué fashions, but you’ve probably already got HR directives on that anyway. Your team is going to wear wild and occasionally verbally or graphically provocative t-shirts, and is going to sport tattoos, piercings, and rad haircuts. None of this affects the work they do on the telephone, and loosening up the dress code will make it a funner place to work. And you want it to be a fun place, so they can help to bring their intelligent friends to come to work for you, too. 

In working with this younger demographic, you’ve got to be a teacher and a mentor, as well as a leader. There are tons of teaching moments in every work week, and even though your job description probably didn’t include the word “teacher,” if you’re working with a younger demographic, you are one. The great news is that you’re working with tomorrow’s leaders, and you’ve got a tremendous opportunity to be a difference in a positive way. So add understanding, teaching, and embracing a younger work demographic to your Best Management Playbook.