Employing Millenials - Who does that?????

“All good things must come to an end”

I’m not sure who originated the saying but today it rings true for me. It’s mixed emotions as we say goodbye to Kiya Newnham, our Sales and Marketing Manager, as she leaves us to discover the world.

Kiya, started working with me in 2016 on a 3-month internship as part of the Santander Internship programme just after graduating from Bath Spa University, age 21. We still joke now about her interview where I had to convince her that working with me would be better than the Campervan Coffee Company which she was also considering.

During her time at The Entrepreneur’s Godmother we have achieved some amazing things that lots of businesses only dream of. NONE of them would have been possible without Kiya. Her focus, skill, drive, humour and determination have kept me on track, even when I felt I had no more to give.

We laugh a lot about the highlights of our time together which include, running the first event in the Middle East of its kind in Kuwait, visiting Facebook in Dublin, speaking at Quickbooks connect on the same line up as Lord Sugar, winning numerous awards, hitting our sales targets and getting our new MacBook Pros. But our biggest combined achievement was finally getting my methodology into a book, Secrets of Successful Sales http://amzn.to/2F5uxpg, without Kiya this would never have happened.

There is a lot of talk in the media about the negatives of employing millennials, but for me it is a truly rewarding experience. Kiya is not the only millennial I have had the pleasure of recruiting to my team. Gemma and Natasha, opened my mind to the world of words. Jordan, proved with grit and determination you can get a job anywhere, and Nicola showed with hard work you can overcome adversity. There are so many lessons to be learned from young people.

So, what have I learned?

Spend lots of time on your phone!!!

Social media is the way the world communicates, the reason my profile is high in the business community is that I spend a lot of time on social media. I’m probably an above average social media user for a woman of my age. The techniques I have learned from my team has led to me creating opportunities, building relationships and working with new customers which would not have happened without up to date knowledge.

Run fast

With the developments in tech, AI and IOT, things in business are evolving all the time. The world of sales is no different. There is the old adage, always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got, not anymore. I meet salespeople who have not developed themselves for years, they were selling since Adam was a lad and know everything they need to know!! Watch out the millennials are coming to get you, with their quick, slick new ways. It’s time for you to find your second wind and run fast.

You don’t always have to pick up the phone

Ultimately people buy people and I am a firm believer and educator in communication skills. The best way to sell is face to face, then Skype/Zoom, then phone, then web chat. But, what if you are selling to a millennial?? Most of my team when they started were phone phobic, because all though they have been brought up with mobile phones, they were not used for making phone calls but used text, Snapchat, Instagram, and WhatsApp. We are all getting used to buying online from companies like Amazon and eBay, but to me, this is not sales, it’s a hole in one for marketing. In today’s world, good marketing is more important than ever.

Be seen on The Tube

 That’s YouTube as opposed to the London Tube. Lots of millennials do their learning and viewing on YouTube, with people like Casey Neistat and Zoella being massive influencers it’s important to keep actively creating video content. Our recent trip to Facebook taught us 15 second sharp bursts with subtitles is a great way to get people to engage. I love the camera, and fortunately most of the time the camera loves me, although Kiya always recommends using the filter.

Forever young

Working with young people keeps you young and gives you an energy boost. I love hearing their stories from the weekend, what they have been doing at the gym and what they are watching on Netflix. By embracing their energy, it gives me a new lease of life and keeps me mentally and physically fit.

I want in NOW

There is talk that millennials are lazy and entitled, which makes them demanding and hard to please. My opinion is far from this. Yes, they have been brought up in a fast-paced society where we can download movies straight away and order something today to arrive tomorrow. To me, this makes them hungry to succeed which I think makes them work harder to get where they want to go. It also keeps businesses on their toes when they sell to millenniums as their expectations are high.

Today is Kiya’s last day before she spreads her wings to travel the world. I will miss her like mad but as a with my tips above, I know her phone will not be far from her hand, which means I will be able to keep up with her journey via WhatsApp and Insta Stories.

But who’s going to keep me young now? Today we welcome my new millennial Rebecca Dobson, who will be looking after my marketing and keep me learning new things. Let’s get this party started.