Why the age of who you sell to does matter
Young managers still want to build their career as they have still a long time to go.
Senior managers want to keep their career save as their retirement is nearing (up to 15 years).
Difference in selling due to age
This should reflect in the way you sell to them:
Young managers:
Present the opportunities, possibilities and challenges for your solution.
The risk involved will be balanced against the excitement and possible career growth.
The young manager still wants to prove himself and sees himself still climbing the ladder of hierarchy as nothing will stop him now. Any change can be an opportunity.
Senior managers:
Present the limitation of risk of the solution and trust of your company. The conservatism of your solution could be decisive.
The lesser risk involved in your solution compared to the competitors’ the better as in their view career moves can only be downwards and excitement in work is a memory of the past.
The older manager will avoid all risks as he wants to conserve his current situation as long as possible.
His resistance to change will be big: giving a chance to a youngster with a opportunistic and challenging solution is a danger for his own career.
Set of mind age vs real age
It is not always the real age: some people can obtain the mindset of a senior manager even before their fortieth birthday (salaries top at 40)and are as conservative as sixty year olds. Whereas others at fifty still have the spirit of someone of thirty-five as they have high hopes for a career over the next 15 years to come. It is all about their set of mind.
Before any cold call or during the initial phase of a sales cycle you should know about the age or the real age of the buyer, decision maker and influencer in order to know how and what part of your proposition will require most focus and interest.
The young manager will want to surpass the senior managers, whereas the senior managers don’t want to give the young managers any opportunity to disrupt their secured career and way of life (into retirement).
How old are your typical buyers or how old is their age mindset?
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