March 25, 2008
How To Run A Gen X Meeting
As a Gen Xer, this article caught my attention on the Selling Power website. Some of the points from the article:
Do remember this group has an entrepreneurial spirit. “They are individualists,” says Fishman. “Treat them as independent agents. They like to be in charge of things. If you have 100 people at your sales meeting, you have 100 entrepreneurs there.”
Don’t hire motivational speakers. “This is not a group that needs to be motivated,” says Fishman. “They don’t like spin, hype, or touchy-feely. They want something that they can take back to the office that will help them sell. Sharpen their skills; that’s what they’re there for. Give them tactical information.”
We are not an easy generation to manage – I speak from my own experience. I am not manageable, just ask Lee. The entrepreneurial mindset is fairly prevalent amongst many of my Gen X friends so I think there is something to that statement.
We are a bit of a cynical group and spin does not play well with us. However, I’m wondering if there is a generation where spin is enjoyed? Motivational speakers are disdainful so I am with the author on that topic too.
Sweeping generalizations are always a bit risky when trying to categorize such a large sample (i.e. an entire generation). However, I think these types of articles do help open up cross-generation discussions so there is value to them. The greater importance is to understand selling/communication styles and to identify your own preferences. This knowledge does more to open up communication than any other item we have found.
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