Give yourself credit.
Your sales numbers’ are solid and there’s no slowing down in 2019.
You’ve managed to understand your target audience, qualify the right prospects, and turn them into loyal clients that rave about your company to their friends.
Most likely your current client base is millennials since their buying power has topped over two billion dollars.
But big changes are coming.
By 2020 Gen Z will make up 40% of all customers and they’re really different.
How so?
Gen Z doesn’t respond to traditional sales processes like millennials.
They’re not as interested in hearing how your product features add value only to them. Being born into the age of the internet, Gen Z is hyper-aware of how much you want their attention and are even more desensitized to hard selling.
You can try discounting, but it won’t entice them as much as millennials.
If you believe that internet ad campaigns speak to them more, think again; Gen Z’ers spend 70% of their time online, but only 59% tend to click on ads in comparison to 71% for millennials.
So what does Gen Z want?
Among all their preferences one thing is king- Authenticity.
But authenticity goes beyond being truthful and transparent to Gen Z’ers. They want to believe in your brand so much that they want to be a part of it.
In other words, they want to build a real relationship with you. It’s connecting with them on a deeper level than the typical roles of “salesperson” and “consumer”.
Gen Z’ers want you to be their sincere partner that makes a difference in their lives’ and others’. This is good news because they don’t see you as just another salesperson rather a potential lifelong business partner.
After reading you will know exactly how to use authenticity to not only sell but build a meaning relationship with Gen Z’ers leading to lasting loyalty.
Let’s start with the most fundamental of authenticity- Being you.
Tell Your Truth… Really.
Gen Z’ is known as the “No BS Generation” for a reason- They were so overwhelmed by digital ads since birth that their attention span has literally shrunk to eight seconds.
That’s why telling your truth rather than a traditional sales pitch is the only way to go.
Simple as cake, right?
For many salespeople, it isn’t. Putting away an automated sales process can be scary because it means being completely transparent with a step by step guide.
But as Janet Louise Stephenson put it, “Authenticity requires a certain measure of vulnerability, transparency, and integrity”.
It starts with asking yourself these fundamental questions which go above hitting sales goal:
- Who am I? What drives me?
- What is my personal and business mission?
- How do I want to give back to others?
These and other questions can help you to be and perceived as authentic by Gen Z. You will get back to your true core values and goals to approach business from a more sincere and heartfelt space.
Move Gen Z With Impactful Stories
We’ve all heard powerful stories that moved us so much that we’ve identified with the other person and began to like them a little more.
Gen Z responds the same way with socially conscious brands influencing purchase decisions by 50 percent.
Additionally, 67 percent believe they should be true to their values and beliefs. TOMS “One for One” movement is a prime example of using the power of storytelling.
The best part is storytelling effectively when selling only has one key to capture their attention and imagination.
Neil Patel said it best saying, “Simple stories are better. Science says so, and experience affirms it. While we may love the complexity of a Harry Potter plot, we can’t import that same complex model”.
When you tell an enticing story that aligns with their values with yours it creates a connection called neural coupling that is directly linked to increasing trust.
With that trust, you’re able to open the door to create a meaningful long term relationship.
Make Conversations, Not Monologues
Gen Z has grown up on social media platforms, so it only makes sense to be conversational.
It’s especially true when it comes to responding to their feedback as 76% of Gen Z’ers view “responsiveness” as a metric of a brand’s “authenticity.”
On top of that, if given the opportunity, they even want to be an integral part of submitting ideas for product design.
Through active listening and questions that dive into their needs, you create that sense of authenticity by showing that you see them as an individual, not just another prospect or client.
You can leverage those conversations by finding out what they’re passionate about. Knowing that you can send a thoughtful and personalized gesture of appreciation. It creates that spark of surprise and happiness while making them feel that you value their time.
Conclusion
If there’s one thing you can take away after reading, it’s this: Gen Z values the power of sincere connections. Selling to them as a means to an end will not only frustrate them but drive them away forever.
To learn more tactics to help improve your sales game, download our ebook, 7 Tactics to Move Prospects Through Your Pipeline Faster with Gratitude, and see how Pure Storage used Thnks as their most powerful sales tool. Interested in learning more? Sign up for a demo, or click here to learn more about expressing gratitude in business!