Salespeople are getting older. Buyers are getting younger. So: a disconnect.
In raw terms, the average age of a professional B2B salesperson in the United States is 47.1 years old. Fifteen years ago, that number was 42, so the sales profession is graying. Meanwhile, the average age of a B2B purchasing agent right now is 36 years old. In fact, according to a 2024 survey, millennials (aged 29 to 44) make up to 73% of B2B buying decisions.
While an 11-year age gap doesn’t sound like much, it can be a chasm as wide as the Grand Canyon. Society underwent significant cultural and technological changes between the tail end of generation X and the leading edge of the millennial generation, and those changes greatly impact what millennials want and expect from salespeople and from the companies that employ them. Generation Z, which is coming behind the millennials, have the same tendencies — just amplified. In this case, “younger buyers” refer primarily to millennials and Z’s.
This doesn’t mean it’s necessary to age-match; millennials and Z’s will certainly engage with, and buy from, more seasoned salespeople. What it does mean is there must be a style-match. In other words, the salesperson needs to sell the way they want to buy. While this seems intuitive — and it is — it means that some salespeople who were acculturated to different methods of selling and different buyer expectations have to do some serious adapting to stay relevant. Here are three things sales professionals must know about style-matching in order to sell to younger buyers:
1. Younger buyers flip the relationship-building script. The conventional way to build a relationship with a buyer was pretty simple: Walk into the office; look around for family pictures, hobby pictures, college diplomas, or other clues as to the buyer’s personal life; then start a conversation based upon those interests. This approach has become so hackneyed that it has a name: “Fish on the wall” selling. “Hey, you like to fish? I like to fish, too! Let’s talk about fishing and then I know you’re going to want to buy from me.”
It sounds a little disingenuous because it is. Salespeople have, for generations, been starting conversations about personal issues they didn’t really care about. That’s because, for generations, finding the personal connection came first; bond over it, second; and then the salesperson had earned the right to talk business. Younger buyers flip that script completely. Younger buyers are business-first. They aren’t going to schedule an appointment to talk football for 30 minutes. Instead, the key to getting the appointment is offering them help in doing their jobs better. Once in the door, it’s important to get to the point with great business-focused questions and show them solutions to help them do business better. If the salesperson is able to actually solve their business needs, then they are open to lunch, drinks, golf or personal conversations. For salespeople used to the old ways, this is a significant but very important shift — but it’s critical in order to succeed.
2. Younger buyers demand versatility in communication. “All these younger buyers want to do is text! They don’t want to have phone calls!” That’s a common complaint from older buyers. The solution? Get good at texting. Learn how to send a persuasive, grammatically correct (yep, that’s important) message in 240 characters or less. That’s hard for salespeople who are used to lengthy phone conversations or meetings, or, for that matter, who write long emails. The good news is that tools are available to help with this. AI apps like ChatGPT or Claude.ai are very good at distilling longer communications down to their essence while retaining persuasive ability. Of course, it’s important to be able to write good AI prompts and edit when necessary.
Texting isn’t the complete solution, however. Younger buyers have a variety of preferred platforms, and what works well for one might not work well for another. Video conferencing ability is mandatory — and not just one platform. It’s wise to become conversant with Zoom, Teams and Google Meet. And other tech is on the way. If the buyer says, “I want to talk on WhatsApp,” better to not be the salesperson who has to say, “What’s that?” Younger buyers respect adaptability, especially when it’s coupled with experience and expertise.
3. Younger buyers are social media savvy — salespeople had better be, too. Buyers today have a variety of ways of learning about the person and the company contacting them, and social media is one of their primary tools. Salespeople who leave a prospecting message for a younger buyer must be aware that there is about a one in three chance the buyer will look them up on LinkedIn before that buyer thinks about calling back. And anyone who doesn’t look legitimate on LinkedIn is not going to get that call (or email or text). “Looking legitimate” is more than just having a profile on LinkedIn. What’s needed is a good professional head shot, “about me” verbiage, a complete professional history and some activity (i.e. posting and engagement). Recommendations and a strong network are a definite plus. Anyone not using LinkedIn as a professional tool won’t be taken seriously.
LinkedIn isn’t enough. Salespeople also need to be aware of other ways buyers can research them. For instance, knowing what their company’s Google reviews say. The buyer probably will – and the salesperson better have explanations for recent bad reviews.
Here’s the exception to the “younger buyers” rule: Many older buyers are learning from, and copying, habits of younger buyers. That means salespeople can’t just stereotype by age — they have to be versatile, smart and adaptable to buyer needs, no matter what age they are.
Troy Harrison is the sales navigator, a speaker and the author of Sell Like You Mean It and The Pocket Sales Manager. He has trained salespeople from 23 countries on three continents and has spoken all over North America and Europe. He helps companies navigate the Elements of Sales on their journey to success. He offers a free 45-minute Sales Strategy Review.
