On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount (People Follow You) sits down with Leigh Cantrell and Rob Matura who are Regional Vice Presidents at Cigna to discuss the keys to leading multi-generational sales teams. It’s a fascinating conversation in which you’ll learn about the challenges and rewards of building sales teams from diverse age groups.

Leading a multi-generational sales team can be challenging. The differences in values, work styles, communication preferences, and technological competencies will stretch you as a leader. These challenges include:

To effectively lead a multi-generational sales team, you must adapt to these differences and foster collaboration, communication, and teamwork across generations.

The good news is that multi-generational sales teams bring a diverse range of skills, perspectives, and experiences to the table. This  leads to numerous strengths over teams that lack this level of diversity.

By leveraging the strengths of multi-generational sales teams, you will quickly increase sales and deliver better numbers.

Leading a multi-generational sales team requires understanding and accommodating the differences and unique strengths of each generation. It can be rewarding, but it’s not easy.

Here are a few tips to effectively lead a multi-generational sales team:

By being proactive and mindful of the different needs of your team members, you can create a positive, productive, and successful sales team.

One of the key benefits of hiring a multi-generational sales team is the diversity of skills. For example, older salespeople may have years of experience in traditional sales techniques, while younger salespeople may be more familiar with leveraging digital sales tools.

Leaders who are adept at leveraging this range of skills build more agile teams that are more responsive to changing market conditions and customer demands. Younger salespeople may bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the team, while veteran salespeople may bring a wealth of experience and knowledge. This combination of skills, perspectives, and energy is exactly why multi-generational teams are so strong.

This also leads to cross-generational coaching. The veterans provide guidance to younger salespeople, helping them to develop their skills. At the same time, younger salespeople can bring energy, helping to keep the team motivated and engaged.

Finally, being open to hiring multi-generational salespeople gives you access to a wider pool of candidates. This makes it easier to recruit and hire top talent. The more talented your sales team, the more likely you are to crush your competition.

Download our FREE 25-page Interview and Hiring Guide that teaches you exactly how to conduct more effective interviews and engage sales candidates in deeper and more authentic conversations that allow you to make better sales hiring decisions.