| For decades, economists and sociologists have | | | | in and take their places. |
| been talking about the impending gloom and doom | | | | Devise good account tradeoff strategies. |
| that would come when the baby boomers | | | | There probably isn't any scenario where you want |
| decided to retire on a large scale. 72 million men | | | | to lose one of your best salespeople. But, the |
| and women, largely in management and executive | | | | good thing about retirement is that, generally |
| positions, would suddenly leave the workplace, | | | | speaking, you can at least see it coming. Use that |
| leaving a vacuum of profits and productivity. | | | | to your advantage: see if you can plan strategies |
| For the most part, it hasn't happened that way; a | | | | to transition accounts from one rep to another |
| large portion of my generation has decided that | | | | over the course of months or years. |
| continuing to work - at least for the time being - | | | | A good strategy for this is to let the retiring rep |
| would be preferable to aimless days spent on the | | | | keep some residual income from his or her |
| beach, and so we've hung around for a lot longer | | | | existing accounts. That way, they have a strong |
| than expected. Slowly but surely, however, the | | | | incentive to make sure that things go smoothly |
| change is coming. And as many of us are heading | | | | and that their best clients are taken care of - |
| off into the sunset, it's leaving some problems for | | | | even after they have formally moved on from |
| sales managers to fill. | | | | the company. |
| Whether you have a multi-generational sales | | | | Make sure your reps can sell to different |
| force, or soon will, here are a handful of tips for | | | | generations. It can be easy to forget that |
| getting the most out of your producers: | | | | retirements and career transitions are only going |
| Start recruiting today. | | | | to happen inside your company. Your clients are |
| This is definitely one of those problems that | | | | thinking about moving on to different challenges, |
| ignoring won't fix. If you have a handful of | | | | too. For that reason, it's especially important that |
| "veteran" salespeople who account for the lion's | | | | every rep on your team, regardless of their age, |
| share of your accounts, then at the very least | | | | be able to sell to different generations. This is an |
| create some contingency plans. Recruit some | | | | area where a little bit of training can go a long |
| newer salespeople, or at least have a handful that | | | | way; like determining personality styles, the |
| you could bring in if you needed to hire in a hurry. | | | | specific wording and tactics that one uses with an |
| And while you're at it, try talking to the men and | | | | older or younger person can be a little bit |
| women on your staff about their short and | | | | different. |
| long-term plans. Remember, with salespeople, | | | | Also, encourage your salespeople to make |
| things can go a lot of different ways: while some | | | | contacts throughout their buyers' companies. If |
| love the challenge and competition and plan to | | | | key contacts or decision-makers decide to leave, |
| work forever, others decide that so much money | | | | will they be able to retain the account? Baby |
| makes work unnecessary. Be prepared in either | | | | boomers aren't just selling, they are making loads |
| case. | | | | of buying decisions, too. |
| Give younger producers a taste of leadership. | | | | Unless you are a baby boomer who's quickly |
| In sales departments dominated by established | | | | approaching retirement yourself - and maybe |
| baby boomers, there is sometimes little room for | | | | even then -managing a team that's made of, and |
| growth at the top. If you sense this is the case, | | | | can sell to, different generations isn't an abstract |
| try to work some of the younger group into | | | | challenge. Get it right, and your company will roll |
| leadership positions. The void that's felt when a | | | | right through this ongoing process. Ignore it, and |
| handful of top salespeople leave isn't just in the | | | | you'll soon be reading about your colleagues who |
| bottom line; make sure others are ready to step | | | | paid more attention. |