How to Use Your Leadership Development Plan to Build Confident Millennial Salespeople (Forbes Articles)
The Forbes Coaches Council published two sales strategy articles I wrote about motivating your salespeople and building authentic confidence – pre-COVID-19.
I believe these articles are still relevant – even in the post-COVID-19 era. What are you observing when looking at your Millennial salespeople’s response to the current economic climate?
How to Increase Sales During a Crisis
A recent webinar with Bonnie Blair, retired American speed skater and winner of five Olympic gold medals, confirms my opinion. Bonnie shares leadership development tips that are invaluable for these uncertain times. She also confirms some of the key ideas in my Forbes articles.
How are your Millennial salespeople responding to the current economic climate? Is their confidence based on reality, and able to withstand the turmoil of uncertainty?
How to Increase Sales with Confident & Motivated Millennial Salespeople
Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit our shores, executives were often frustrated by a “know-it-all, over-confident” attitude in the Millennial generation. In Millennials Matter, I write…
“Some insist that this generation is confident enough, and we don’t have to address this topic with them. I question whether this is true. Authentic confidence is a belief in oneself that emanates from the school of hard knocks. Yes, all leaders grapple with their self-assuredness when it is rattled and tested. However, those whose confidence stems from a solid foundation will become stronger in the crucible and become even more confident over time.” ~ Danita Bye, Millennials Matter
I believe that truth still applies today…perhaps even more so in the COVID-19 era. Your leadership development strategies play a crucial role in building authentic confidence in your team members.
A Sales Growth Plan that Gets your Millennial Salespeople to the Top
Here are the links to two of the Forbes articles, with a short summary of the theme. As a bonus, I’ve added Bonnie Blair’s coaching insights that align with the principles discussed in the articles.
I invite you to read these articles to energize and equip yourself for your important sales leadership task, as you prepare for 2021. Going forward Leadership development is critical.
How Executives Can Inspire A Culture That Motivates Millennial Sales Leaders
Sir Edmund Hillary faced many battles, frustrations, failures, and breakthroughs to reach the top of Mount Everest. As a leader, you also seek win-win scenarios so that everyone on your team gets to the top. But where do you start?
Contrary to what many people believe, you can’t motivate your salespeople.
“What? Are you serious?” I hear you say.
Yes, I am! Motivation comes from within. Your role is to coach your salespeople to…
– Discover what might compel them to get to the top, and,
– Gear up to reach the summit of leadership and sales potential
Your leadership development plan is setting up the base camp that inspires your sales leaders to want to climb the mountain and reach the top.
Expert coaching tips from Bonnie Blair:
- Bonnie prepared for the Olympics by inviting herself to view every “ordinary” race as an Olympic race. By giving her very best in every situation, she won the gold medals in the big one – the Olympic race.
- In the Forbes article, I discuss the importance of “desire” to reach our goals. (Without an intense craving to be successful in sales, your salesperson may fail.) Bonnie agrees. She says, “I notice a high degree of competitiveness in my children – not because they have to, it’s because they want to.” When it comes from the heart, you will succeed.
Is Social Media Impacting the Business Results of Your Millennials?
In this article, I refer to a research article published by The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Their study examines the effects of social media usage on young adults. They found a definite link between the amount of time spent using social media and the possibility of sinking into depression. After all, it is easy to create a picture of an exciting, successful life on social media, even if it’s a façade.
How might you challenge millennial leaders to convert negative thinking?
Your role is to invite your salespeople to develop healthy social media habits and to couple that with a strong Sales DNA, including:
- A low need for approval
- The ability to deal with rejection
Now, in 2020, the impact of social media is still a hot topic!
The Social Dilemma, a 2020 American docudrama, explores the rise of social media and the damage it has caused to society. The movie focuses on issues such as data mining, and how its very design is meant to nurture an addiction. It also investigates the effect social media has on mental health and its role in spreading fake news.
Expert coaching tip from Bonnie Blair:
Bonnie says that reading newspaper articles about herself was distractive and pulled her down. “My coach advised me to stop reading them!” She suggested that maybe we should do the same with social media if it’s distracting us from our purpose.
Your Leadership Matters
Yes, these are uncertain times and your Millennial salespeople need your leadership even more. Go for gold, as Bonnie Blair did! Build authentic confidence in your Millennial salespeople and reap the rewards of increased sales growth.
Leadership Lesson: Create a culture that strengthens authentic confidence in your sales team so that they will not only survive but thrive in uncertain times.
Leadership Question: As their leader, what might you do to inspire your Millennial sales team to develop authentic confidence that will strengthen their sales performance?
Having challenges keeping your team engaged and focused in a productive direction? We invite you to schedule a free virtual coffee meeting with us. No charge, no obligation. Just 45 minutes to talk through what challenges are happening, receive personal tips, advice, and next steps on how to solve those challenges. To schedule, email me at danita@DanitaBye.com
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