Let’s be frank: All of this talk about Millennials is getting old, isn’t it?
Yes, Millennials are the largest generation (92 million) in American history.
Yes, it’s a fact that Millennials make up the biggest part of the American workforce.
Yes, it’s also a fact that Millennials spend $200 billion a year (and growing).
But enough already!
How can you keep all of these Millennials and their billions of dollars and immeasurable influence out of your dealership? Besides serving watery Folgers coffee in styrofoam cups, here are three kinds of “Millennial repellant” you can use right away:
- Don’t tell them anything unless you’re caught keeping it from them. Maybe it’s because Millennials grew up with the Internet that they seem to believe they have a right to know everything. Nothing drives a Millennial crazy like giving them information on a “need to know” basis. Do you have secrets? Keep them! Do you have information that would help the Millennial? Don’t share unless he or she specifically asks for it. Millennials just about lose their minds when they don’t have access to lots of information. So, don’t offer them any and they’ll go someplace else that does.
- Sell like hell. Want to make a Millennial recoil in visible disgust and run for the closest exit? Go for the hard sell! That’s right, play the classics! Spin like a vinyl record. Pull out every old slick sales line and let it fly. If sweet talk doesn’t work, go for pressure. The moment they catch a whiff of a sales pitch, Millennials will run like woodland animals fleeing a forest fire. They’ll become the problem of another dealership where they do silly things like listening a lot and talking a little.
- Make it all about the bottom line. Millennials seem to have a real fetish with squishy things like authenticity, community, culture, and quality. If you want to keep them away from your dealership, make sure it is clear as a bell that you’re all about the bottom line. Does your dealership have a family story? Cover it up. Does your dealership have deep roots in the community? Bury them. Does a culture exist in your dealership that brings out the best in people and rewards character, loyalty, and relationships? Nip that in the bud. You don’t need all that stuff. What you need is money, right? Make it clear that money is your focus and Millennials will gladly spend their money elsewhere.
You don’t ever have to put up with another Millennial again if you follow these three simple rules. They’ll become the problem of the dealership down the street.
That’s what you want, isn’t it?
