Much has been written about “the coming of the Millennials, ” and the fact that in just four years’ time, workers in this age group (18-34) will make up more than 50% of the entire U.S. workforce. Given that the average age of U.S.-based sales reps is 40 years old, B2B sales leaders need to take stock of how they will evolve their enablement programs to satisfy the workplace needs of this important demographic.

This is a sales management challenge we hear quite often from customers and prospects, so we were thrilled to be included in Forrester’s report last month, May the Force of the Millennials Be With You, by analyst Mary Shea and her colleagues, which explored this exact issue and offered some timely advice. Here are some of the key take-aways and how Qstream can help:

Millennials value – and expect – investments in new technology that will make their jobs easier and their work hours more productive.

Millennials are the first generation of “digital natives” and are not just comfortable with technology, they crave it, demanding the same access to products at work that they use in their personal lives. For sales managers, this means mobile apps and social selling techniques, along with the flexibility to use them anytime, anywhere.

As a mobile-first solution, Qstream has been architected from the ground up to be easy to use and easily accessible via any mobile device, browser or CRM based on an individual’s preference. And, because the application syncs responses in real-time regardless of the access point, your reps are always up-to-date and able to view their individual performance metrics.

Millennials desire highly collaborative, competitive work environments.

Speaking of performance metrics, Forrester’s report makes the point that Millennials value healthy competition and transparency about how they stack up against their peers. Many organizations can be challenged by the demands of Millennials who come to their jobs with high expectations for career progression and professional development. One path to keeping Millennial workers satisfied is to set clear goals and establish timelines for reaching the specific milestones required to advance. When these action plans are supported by technology that allows Millennial sales reps to monitor performance against their colleagues, and measure their progress independently, both individuals and managers win.

With weekly reporting and dynamic dashboards that go beyond financial or productivity metrics to help individuals understand their unique strengths, Qstream supports the desired work style and performance improvement of these young employees -- whether it’s a clear understanding of the features and benefits of your new product, or mastery of key selling skills such as prospecting or competitive differentiation.

Successful approaches for helping Millennials identify and reach their goals is also highly connected to motivation, and here too there are some important generational differences. Millennials tend to be more idealistic than their older co-workers, and while they may be more competitive, they also want to feel appreciated by the organization. Financial compensation, while highly valued for some, may not be the best motivator for Millennials. Managers should be prepared to explore and tap into other incentives that recognize and reward success, whether it’s the opportunity to work on a high-profile project, an extra vacation day, an ice cream social, or a team outing to a local attraction. And don’t be afraid to get creative -- Millennials love fresh ideas and they want to be inspired by their managers!

Millennials want leaders that understand how to coach, not micromanage.

Research shows that Millennials value high-touch, high-frequency engagement with their managers. But this doesn't mean they want to be micro-managed. Because Millennials tend to be quick learners, they also value quick delivery of information. Once it's understood what they need to do, they want the autonomy to perform. This requires managers to clearly communicate a structure and process for Millennial workers to follow, then remain accessible as questions or issues arise.

This style of team oversight can be challenging for both highly experienced and novice sales managers alike. Some managers appreciate that Millennials don’t want daily, hands-on supervision -- they simply don’t have the time in their day -- while others will feel the need to have a more controlling presence in the day-to-day work life of more junior team members. (After all, isn’t that how they’ll learn?)

Regardless of the frequency that works best for a given individual, both sales managers and reps appreciate the effort to make every conversation count. Based on responses to scenario-based challenges, Qstream’s data engine instantly bubbles up targeted, highly individualized coaching actions, making it easy for managers to provide quick feedback and direction on particular topics or skills. This type of “micro-coaching” helps supervisors provide the most relevant ideas, techniques and tips closer to the point of need, while maximizing the time and attention of everyone involved.

Traditional sales enablement methods are not likely to be effective for these multi-tasking, on-the-go workers.

As Forrester points out, Millennials are more interested in learning by doing versus spending hours in training reviewing abstract concepts and procedures. This requires sales enablement pros to rethink development approaches to make them more relevant and more engaging.

Most of the information that new sales reps receive during onboarding, kick-offs, sales meetings and other training is forgotten if not put into practice. Qstream’s data-driven sales capabilities platform solves all that by helping to reinforce critical knowledge and keep skills fresh. And because the platform includes social, reputation and game mechanics, reps have fun and stay engaged.

Regardless of these challenges, Millennials are the future of the workforce, and organizations must adapt to help them grow and improve in a way that helps the company succeed as well. Qstream can help. Request a demo today.