{"id":1165,"date":"2016-06-28T09:00:57","date_gmt":"2016-06-28T13:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.comblog\/b2b-sales-career\/"},"modified":"2021-12-09T19:40:39","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T19:40:39","slug":"b2b-sales-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/b2b-sales-career\/","title":{"rendered":"The Career You Never Thought of: B2B Sales and Millennials"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A breakdown of the\u00a0B2B sales career:\u00a0why it\u2019s lucrative, what makes stand out salespeople, and the assets required to excel.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

This article will break down exactly what B2B sales looks like today and explain why it\u2019s a mistake to pass over a sales career as a lucrative profession\u00a0for a generation that cares more about lifestyle and meaningful work than money alone.<\/p>\n

\"6a19afb8-54b5-4c7a-a482-940b5267af0d\"Peak recently conducted a survey on Millennials, aiming to understand and\u00a0develop insight into how this generational cohort views and understands B2B sales. The survey revealed that B2B sales is a vocation often overlooked and improperly understood\u00a0by Millennials. In fact, the study found that 17% of Millennials have no knowledge of what B2B sales is.<\/p>\n

With companies planning to expand their sales forces over the next several years and a large number of unemployed or underemployed Millennials, we examine exactly what comprises this type of career, and why you, as a Millennial, should care.<\/p>\n

What is B2B Sales?<\/b><\/h3>\n

In its most basic form, business-to-business (B2B) sales is the process of selling that occurs between two businesses. It usually comprises of selling a supply, product, or solution. While at a basic level all salespeople serve the same functions, there are significant differences in the skills and competencies <\/span>required of each<\/span><\/a>. For example, a <\/span>software solutions company might sell website analytics performance solutions; another B2B company might sell the digital marketing software to a business to execute their online marketing campaigns. While all great salespeople are driven, persistent, and work with a sense of urgency, B2B selling involves sales cycles that are longer and more complex, and include multiple buyers and stakeholders.<\/span>
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Like almost every aspect of business, the tech revolution has drastically changed the w\"c08694c6-e3b2-4edc-b846-bf163eb4c91d\"ay B2B selling\u00a0is both conducted and understood. The market research company Marketo notes that 93% of consumers, both B2B and B2C (business-to-consumer), begin their purchase journey online. This should matter to Millennials because it positions this\u00a0generation as potential workforce leaders because\u00a0they use and understand technology with more proficiency than any generation before. In fact, David Goldin, founder and CEO of Capify, explains that \u201c<\/span>millennials are actually the most creative, entrepreneurial, and technologically savvy of all in the workforce.\u201d A far cry from <\/span>the lazy and entitled labels<\/span><\/a> that often follow Millennials around, Millennials actually hold a leadership position in the workforce as a whole\u00a0in terms of how they utilize and harness the disruptive power of technology.
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Required Assets<\/b><\/h3>\n

The most basic qualifications required by a B2B salesperson includes the ability to communicate effectively, build relationships, perform research, listen actively, and present solutions. These are considered entry level skills for a sales position and are the first skills looked for by employers. While such skills are necessary, any qualified person entering the workforce should possess them. <\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to these baseline abilities, top performing B2B salespeople possess: <\/span><\/p>\n