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A new generation of sales executives is reimagining how business is getting done, Oliver Staley writes.
Hyper-connected and digitally native, 20- and 30-something execs would rather connect over LinkedIn than make a sales call. When they do meet in person, it’s more likely to be over coffee than a long lunch.
And when out with older clients, “I will order the lightest possible lager and let them have their fancy whiskey,” said William King, 29, co-founder of SuperCopy.ai, an Atlanta-based AI marketing startup. “I don’t want to be drunk when I’m doing business with people.”
But the shift isn’t just about personal preferences.
“The bar for selling is so much higher that a lot of those party tricks don’t really work anymore,” said Kyle Norton, 38, chief revenue officer for Owner.com, a startup that sells technology to small restaurants. “You can’t just wine and dine and buddy up to somebody and expect to get a result.”
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