Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/307185
13 Cover Story T hink about the salespeople in your business today. How many of them are over 50? How about 60? How many of them will be retiring from your business in the next fi ve to seven years? If the answer is a signifi cant number, it may be time for your business to start preparing for its next generation of salespeo- ple, says Jim Pancero, professional sales advisor and consultant. "This younger generation does so many things differently than my generation — the generation that's dominated [sales] for decades," he says. "A business that plans to hire this genera- tion has to be ready for those differences." For the better part of 40 years the heavy-duty aftermarket has been just one of many industries that has relied on the sales strategies and tools created by Baby Boomers. But that won't be the case for much longer. With more and more of these sales veterans reaching the twilight of their career, the aftermarket is about to experience another genera- tional change. There's a new group of salespeople on the way, Pancero says, and like the Boomers decades before, they are going to revolu- tionize the industry. Businesses willing to take time now to look at the future makeup of their sales staff can ensure they are well positioned to hire this generation, and bring them into an environment where they can succeed, Pancero says. "We are at a changing of the guard," he says. "This younger generation is moving into business — and moving into power in business." He adds, "If you're a business owner with older [sales- people], and you know you're going to start losing people in W W W . T R U C K P A R T S A N D S E R V I C E . C O M M a y 2 0 1 4 | T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E Teamwork will defi ne the aftermarket's new generation of salespeople