Working with Millennial Decision Makers

I remember one of my first jobs as a head nurse in an acute care hospital in the 1980s. I was 20-something and there was one member of my staff who was somewhere between 50 and 60. (Back then, I had little conception of age; when one close friend turned 30, I, at 25, was horrified. Thirty was so old!)

She was a lovely woman and a fine nurse, but at every lunch break she went on and on — and on — about her grandchild. What new-fangled disposable diaper her daughter was using, what he was eating now that he was (fill in the blank)-months old, how he was creeping, crawling, toddling, or running. It was an ongoing commentary on the life of young child that overtook every conversation at the table. And, being in my twenties and nowhere near the same spot in life as my nurse colleague, it drove me nuts!

Why do I bring up this anecdote in a promotional products e-zine? 

Today, it is not infrequent that I meet with purchasing decision makers who are young enough (sigh) to be my children. Many are bright and knowledgeable (just like my own kids who graduated magna cum laude!). In short, these guys and gals "get it." And then...

In my somewhat limited experience, I have found three types of customers and to be truthful, my typecasting, in many ways, crosses all generations but right now I'm focusing on the millennials, which I'll put in three groups: 

1) The know it alls

2) The know it nothings

3) The "let's work together and get this done!” (Because I, the millennial, want to go out and have a couple beers. Just kidding. Really.)

Unless this decision maker (I am assuming all three types are decision  makers) is part of a family business or has tons of experience ordering branded products and apparel (secret question to ask them: Do you have vector art?), he/she may think they know everything about what they need to do so we can produce what they have pointed their finger at. But you and I will have to stifle our guffaws and bring them back down to earth. ("What do you mean you can't use our logo from this napkin?") Back to them in a second.

However, don't you LOVE working with the "know it all’s" who actually do know their stuff (vector art, turn-around time, minimal quantities, shipping costs, embroidery vs. screen printing, additional color runs)? And let's bring in #3. They may not know everything, but time is money and they want to learn what they need in a hurry so they can, indeed, get it done. You and she can bang out a $10,000 order in 15 minutes – it’s a lovely thing.

Back to the know it alls who don't really know it all. All they know is what they want, in blue, of an item they found in a magazine. Big sigh here, as now we can include #1 know it alls with #2 know it nothings because what both groups need is LOTS of education.

Those who have been at this game for years can probably bring these folks up to speed in a whole lot less time than I can, as the words probably just roll right out of your mouth.

I, on the other hand have what I call "the mature person [or Jewish Geography or Six Degrees of Separation] syndrome." With my life experience I have come to know a lot of people in a lot of places. Add to that my kids' friends, parents, and colleges. So after some introductory small talk about them (I want to show my interest and that I care about who they are), I have to make it a significant point to hold my tongue and not jump in with a "my daughter graduated from there! What year were you? Do you know so and so?" This brings us to another whole conversation for which I am not there to have.

The best way to utilize any information they may talk about is to see if there is, perhaps, a current customer among their friends or someone who knows you well and can speak about you as an upstanding business person (assuming you are). Or maybe you do actually have their Midwestern college of 1,100 as a customer.

 We all know that, unless they are doing someone a favor there is some need to be met. The challenge. The pain. And you're the solution. So yes, it pays to have all the education they need in your back pocket and bring out and share with them, because you never know when you'll need it to develop and cultivate a long-term and successful relationship with someone young enough to be your child.

Annette Kurman, an award-winning writer, holds bachelor degrees in journalism and nursing, an MBA, and Accreditation in Public Relations. She has been a newspaper reporter, director of public relations at several non-profits, a senior living administrator, and is a registered nurse. She recently joined Allstates Business Solutions and is learning - and living - the life of a distributor. She can be reached at akurman@allstatesbs.com.