How to connect with millennials

Pareto Law

The millennial generation are now fast-approaching their prime spending years poised with new expectations, new attitudes and a new approach to buying.

The period of growth and change during the millennials’ childhood means that they expect new ways to buy and sell, which forces businesses to remain on the curve of upcoming technology and innovation at all times.

Born between 1980 and 2000, millennials have grown up in an era of rapid change, rapid progression and fantastic innovation. This has set their expectations and their standards at a completely different level from the generations before them.

Millennials as a workforce

In order to be successful both employing and selling to this market, you have to understand them. Millennials represent an increasing share of the workforce but one that always has ‘one foot out the door’. Research from the 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey, which collected the views of 7,700 individuals from 29 countries, suggests that one in four millennials would quit their current job within a year to do something different. The priorities of this younger workforce are different and their lack of loyalty could be a sign of neglect. More than six in ten millennials (63%) say their “leadership skills are not being fully developed” – which demonstrates a belief that not enough is being done to bridge the gap for a new generation of business leaders.

However, this group of individuals continues to express a positive view of the business world, with 73% believing business has a positive impact upon wider society. This is an active and intelligent workforce with all the information they need at their fingertips – and so it’s essential to keep this in mind when selling a role to them. Millennials want to know that a business’ ambition spans further than just profit and that it invests and values its people. This age group judges a business by what it does and how it treats people; 78% say a company’s corporate social responsibility record influences whether they want to work there. This workforce is one that wants to continually improve and learn new skills, work in an exciting and dynamic environment and also provide a service or goods which make a positive difference to peoples’ lives. Some of the key opportunities that appeal to this market are those enabling career progression, flexibility in working hours and remote working, a good work/life balance and a sense of meaning within the role. In order to engage with the millennial demographic, you need to present them with opportunity, show what a positive impact the company has, provide investment and progression – and you will get a hardworking and loyal employee in return.

Millennials as buyers

This is the generation of connectivity, with 95% owning both a smartphone and laptop. The American Press Institute researched just how connected this group are, with the results showing 90% are online and connected much of their lives. In order to appeal to this market, businesses need to step up to this online arena and keep in mind the priorities and mindsets of the millennials. When it comes to marketing, a strong brand isn’t enough to lock in a sale. Thirty-four per cent (34%) of 18–35 year olds agreed that when a brand uses social media, they like the brand more, with just 16% of 36+ year-olds agreeing with the same statement (Source: Association of National Advertisers, Barkley, SMG, BCG). Their market and their playground is online; the millennials socialise, research, learn, share and buy in the online world and so brand presence needs to be strong. A responsive website with a simple and easy user experience will win over this demographic every time. You may think with the stereotypes attached to this generation that millennials have less money to spend, and therefore their priorities would be price-driven, but research from the US Millennial Loyalty Survey actually shows that quality is still key.

Millennials are a health conscious generation, with exercise for many being a daily pursuit. This is a group who exercise more, eat smarter and use intuitive technology to track data and provide them with tailored advice. This may not be relevant to your exact product or service, but the mindset remains key. Millennials expect innovation, they expect user-friendly journeys, and they expect the best of the best because that is what they are used to in most aspects of life. Instant access to price comparisons, unlimited product information and peer reviews are all essential in creating a connection with this group. If you manage to pique their interest on social media by creating engaging content, then you have a fantastic opportunity to build a responsive community who will connect with you.

Whether you are recruiting, training or selling to the millennial market, it’s imperative to keep these key themes and messages in mind. Millennials’ first port of call when researching a business is to go to the online community, read reviews, look at shared interactions and access all the information they need with a few clicks. A positive and strong brand message is essential in the digital world, and is especially important when targeting this group. This is a fast-paced, dynamic environment, which requires innovation and flair in order to remain successful with the savvy millennial.

Pareto Law is the UK’s leading sales recruitment and sales training firm, providing a unique alternative to traditional agencies through its graduate recruitment and training processes.