How Gen Z Can Master Sales: Winning Tactics

After graduating, I was hired by Pareto USA, a sales company. Initially, I joined their recruitment team. Within seven months, I transitioned to the sales team and eventually climbed the career ladder to become a sales director over five years.

The onset of the COVID pandemic found me making cold calls from my childhood bedroom, isolated from support. This situation led me to start posting live cold-calling tips and videos on TikTok, quickly finding a community of others experiencing the same struggles.

Towards the end of my tenure at Pareto, I began receiving requests from clients eager for me to train their sales teams. They loved my videos and wanted me to deliver sales training on cold calling as a guest or motivational speaker.

This demand inspired me to establish SellingSara, a company dedicated to offering actionable tips for sales professionals across various industries, about 11 months ago.

My clientele mainly consists of C-suite executives who hire me to train their sales teams. These teams often include many Gen Z members since sales roles are typically entry-level, often filled by recent college graduates or those with few years of work experience.

My training sessions are concise, 60-minute workshops focused on practical application rather than theory. Often, I advise young sales reps, particularly Gen Z, to simply make those calls—sometimes, that direct action can secure a meeting with a targeted executive.

The Challenge of Rejection in Sales

As someone bridging the Gen Z demographic, I notice this generation often struggles with rejection—sales involve facing refusal daily, sometimes without respite for weeks. Even top-performing salespeople face such downturns.

The nature of sales is a roller coaster of emotions. Frequently, Gen Z exits during these tough periods, missing the chance to significantly increase their earnings if they had persisted for another six months.

Overcoming the fear of rejection repeatedly presents the biggest hurdle for them. Here’s my guide to tackle that.

Establishing a Routine

Recently, overwhelmed by social media and uncertainty, I asked myself how to return to peak performance. A consistent routine helps me regain focus. My regimen includes a morning exercise and brewing my morning coffee, which invigorates me and minimizes any daunting tasks upon awakening.

I advise establishing a personal morning ritual that sets a positive tone for the day.

Create Job-Life Balance

Lately, I've embraced reading on my Kindle as a form of relaxation, a break from social media distractions. Since I've never been an avid reader, this digital shift has surprisingly been refreshing and beneficial for mental relaxation.

Finding a hobby or activity completely detached from work and online distractions can significantly ease your mind.

Seek Mentorship

The sales environment quantifies success in numbers, making performance obvious—falling to the bottom of a live office leaderboard can be disheartening. During such times, find the top-performing salesperson and seek their guidance by listening to their sales techniques.

Never hesitate to reach out for assistance. Approaching colleagues with humility and asking, “How can I improve?” can yield new insights. Engaging with sales leaders or utilizing numerous available resources like sales books or LinkedIn sales experts—myself included—can aid in moving past difficulties.

While sales teams may appear fierce, supportive teams are commonplace—they thrive on collective success, with everyone's win resulting in shared rewards. Thus, despite individual contributions, sales maintain a collaborative essence.