Small-business owners (those with fewer than 500 employees) make up nearly all businesses in the United States. Less than 20 percent of those owners are under the age of 35.

Here are some insights for millennial producers on how to sell to those prospects and clients of other generations.

If you are a newer producer, chances are you belong to the millennial generation. If you are a commercial producer, chances are your prospects and clients are not millennials. The majority of today's corporate executives and senior managers are Generation Xers and baby boomers, with the current average age of 50.3 years for a small-business owner. The generations break down into these groups:

  • |
    • Baby boomers: Born 1946–1964
    • Generation Xers: Born 1965–1981 
    • Millennials: Born 1982–2003

Here are some insights for millennial producers in how to sell to those prospects and clients who may not share your perspective.

|

1. Dress for success

“Believe it or not, it is more important to look successful when selling to small-business owners than it is when selling to professional buyers or corporate executives.” 

Recommended For You

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader

Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:

  • Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to asset-and-logo-licensing@alm.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.