Millennials Need More Than Social Media Skills to be Good Collaborators
We can foster breakthrough Millennial sales results by cultivating collaboration. Tapping the brilliance of every single sales professional in your company, from the technology-savvy Millennials to the knowledge-rich Baby Boomers, by raising the Collaboration Quotient of team members, is critical. In my recent Forbes article, I challenge business owners and sales leaders to cultivate a collaborative culture by redefining “collaboration” are more than social media activity or a new technology tool.
Collaboration is the catalyst that maximizes teamwork. This happens when your Millennial develops a capacity to value their own uniqueness along with the strengths of others on the team.
What is your coaching strategy to develop the Collaboration Quotient in your Millennial sales leader?
You can get more information on this topic here.
However, we often see a collaboration collapse. In the Forbes article, I discuss the importance of emotional control, both internal and external. In our research, we find that emotional control, or not being emotionally involved, is a characteristic of high performing sales people and leaders. Our internal research shows that 78 percent of all salespeople have difficulty with emotional control, which can have up to a 35% negative impact on sales performance.
I also discuss the findings of a group of social scientists that was published in Scientific American. They concluded that some leaders would often rather score points in a discussion than learn something new. This negative leadership behavior fosters a collaboration collapse. To learn about the steps you might take to fuel the Collaboration Quotient of your Millennial sales leader, read the full article here.
Strengthen Relationship Building Skills
Our research found that only 43% of all salespeople have strong relationship building skills.
What might you do to guide your emerging sales leader in building strong collaborative relationships with both external and internal customers?
I invite you to put my 3-Step Collaboration Booster Strategy to the test.
Step 1 – Listening with purpose
When coaching and mentoring your up-and-coming salesperson, be intentional to listen carefully to what they are telling you. You will gain valuable knowledge on what their career aspirations are. Based on their hopes, dreams, and goals, invite them to take a sales and/or leadership assessment. This will provide them (and you) with objective feedback on what their strengths are and where they might need to improve. They will get info on how they can strengthen their Sales DNA in order to gain more control of the selling process and increase their performance.
Step 2 – Debriefing with focus
Before you share the results of the assessment with your emerging leader, remind them of the following:
- Any weaknesses identified are sales related weaknesses only, not character flaws.
- The assessment will answer a number of questions about how effective they currently are, where there is room for growth, and how they can improve their capabilities.
In my experience, Millennials welcome constructive, regular feedback from mentors they trust. Sharing the results of their assessments provides you with opportunities to build a stronger relationship between you and your emerging sales superstar. If they feel you really care about their career development, they will be open to working with you on improving their sales weaknesses.
Step 3 – Investing with ROI intent
Be willing to invest in your up-and-coming sales leader by providing them with training, coaching and development opportunities. Before I start a formal development process, I invite them to answer these three questions:
Am I going about my job in the best way possible?
Are there important skills that I haven’t yet developed or mastered?
Are there weaknesses preventing me from being as effective as I could be?
The answers to these questions will go a long way in guiding you on the best way forward in your coaching and mentoring journey with your Millennial sales leader.
In the Forbes article, I’ve mentioned that 88% of Millennials prefer a collaborative work environment. What they really want is to see that their input is valued. They want to make a meaningful impact on the team effort. By assisting them to build strong relationships, you create a win-win situation. They feel valued and you advance your business growth by leaps and bounds.
Beat the challenges of our rapidly changing corporate world. Cultivate the collaborative potential of your Millennial leader and get the competitive edge your business deserves. Move collaboration beyond just social media and technology platforms.
Read my Forbes Article for more on this topic: Is Social Media Impacting the Business Results of Your Millennials?
Additional Leadership Resource: Millennial Sales Leaders and Emotional Involvement – Video
Leadership Lesson: Strong relationships assist your Millennial sales leader to boost their collaborative potential.
Leadership Question: What are you doing in your leadership coaching to model collaboration to your emerging sales leader?
© Copyright 2018 Danita Bye
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