The current generation entering the workforce, the Generation Y’s, are filing up call centres and front line customer service positions. Mostly under 30, this generation are being asked to cross sell, so how do they react? What are their beliefs when it comes to selling and pushing products onto poor unsuspecting customers?
As a generation, yes there are individuals who differ of course, but as a generation they don’t like salespeople, they mistrust them and they expect most salespeople to be out for something for them not the customer.
Their beliefs are limiting towards cross selling. Just look at their formative years, the years which influenced what they believed in.
What’s been in the news during their formative years? Financial scandal after scandal, financial services firms just seemed to be paying out compensation after each and every scandal. The blasé way banks are paying out for mis-selling PPIs just cements this view.
Mis-selling, corporate calamities, banking crises caused by drastic over lending, consumerism gone wrong, bank bashing and a general mis-trust of salespeople.
So what do you think the current Generation Y think and believe about cross selling?
Interesting isn’t, it but walk into any large corporate call centre and the vast bulk of the teams are Generation Ys.
The answer? Recruit different generations to cross sell for you. Take on Baby Boomers if your salary structure allows it. I’ve witnessed baby boomers in call centres. They’re fabulous, have a gift with handling people and are life experienced. People in their 50’s have a completely different belief structure and this helps them to be successful at cross selling.
Another answer? Influence their beliefs first before you do any training, otherwise you’re wasting your time. Period.
