How can Millennial salespeople grow and fulfill their potential while also ensuring they have the mindset, motivation and drive to achieve critical business and revenue objectives?

 

As more Millennials join the sales profession, they are driving their organisations to adapt their learning strategies and methods. They have clear expectations:

Utilise the latest technology platforms for learning, provide just-in-time feedback, make learning instantly accessible and self-paced, and offer more opportunities for collaborative learning.

Moreover, they’re not just looking to acquire knowledge; they aim for personal enrichment and professional fulfilment as well.

This trend is something Kevin King, our VP of Healthcare, increasingly observes in his engagements with pharmaceutical and medical device companies. These sectors often recruit younger, inexperienced sales representatives, many fresh from university.

However, this shift isn’t confined to one industry. Millennials have grown up with technology and expect learning to be fun, engaging, social, and readily available—on their terms. They are not only comfortable with technology but are captivated by it and demand its integration. This has pushed many L&D professionals to step out of their comfort zones, devising new strategies and revising their delivery methods.

Despite technology’s pervasive role, it remains just a tool. The essential question we need to address first is: how can we help Millennial salespeople grow and realise their potential while also ensuring they possess the mindset, motivation, and drive necessary to meet key business and revenue objectives?

 

What We Can Learn From Millennials?

In a recent podcast interview, Kevin King, our VP of Healthcare, shared insights on managing, developing, and retaining younger associates. He noted that while continuous learning has always been vital for achieving sustained results from sales training, the Millennial demand for ongoing education is intensifying its importance.

And this is beneficial. We know traditional performance management systems are ineffective. It’s time for a fresh approach.

Here’s the good news about understanding what Millennials seek. Their expectations offer a solid foundation for structuring a more effective long-term performance and talent management strategy.

Some of the expectations Kevin highlights in the podcast include:

• Personal Development: Place personal growth at the forefront.
• Supportive Feedback: Offer feedback early and often.
• Integrity and Respect: Operate with honesty, integrity, and respect.
• Purposeful Coaching: Align coaching with broader purposes, meaning, and inspiration.
• Regular Follow-ups: Counter today’s endless distractions with frequent follow-ups.
• Collaborative Opportunities: Provide chances to collaborate and excel as team players.
• Rewarding Experiences: Offer enriching work experiences.
• Work/Life Balance: Prioritise a healthy work/life balance.

If you’re exploring how to transition from merely managing performance to actively developing it, this list is an excellent starting point.

 

Are Your Sales Managers Ready?

This challenge isn’t just about your sales representatives; it’s equally about your sales managers.

Millennials seek trust, engagement, and alignment with their work, starting with their manager. To meet the evolving needs of both the workforce and the business, the traditional command-and-control management model must shift to a more collaborative, participatory coaching approach. As Kevin suggests, today’s sales leaders need to approach the workplace with an open mind and a flexible leadership style.

Many managers view these changes with skepticism or frustration, perceiving them as additional work in an already demanding era. However, this is a minor upfront investment that can yield substantial long-term benefits.

In fact, communication can be as straightforward as a quick email, a text message, or a one-minute conversation. Millennials expect immediate gratification, and “in-the-moment” feedback is often the most effective coaching method. The task for L&D and sales executives is to ensure your sales managers possess both the skills and the coaching mindset to meet these new demands—and then hold them accountable to these new expectations.

Regular, effective coaching should resonate with the salesperson’s values and interests, pushing them to expand their personal boundaries and remain engaged and driven in their work. This approach means fewer challenges for your managers.

Listen to the podcast to hear more insights from Kevin, and download our coaching ebook for tips on developing your coaching game plan.