---
title: "Data: How Millennials Want to Do Business"
id: "12695"
type: "post"
slug: "data-how-millennials-want-to-do-business"
published_at: "2015-07-13T15:56:00+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-03-15T02:51:08+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/07/13/data-how-millennials-want-to-do-business/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/07/13/data-how-millennials-want-to-do-business.md"
excerpt: "In a survey of executives responsible for business-to-business purchasing decisions, millennials showed clear preferences for researching and engaging with vendors that differed from their organizations’ current practices. Association membership recruiters and industry suppliers, take note. Millennials: How does your organization..."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Marketing / Communications"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "ASAEcenter"
  - "Identity Groups"
  - "industry partners"
  - "Marketing"
  - "millennials"
  - "Sponsor"
  - "vendor management"
  - "Vendor Selection & Management"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Industry Professionals"
---

[Home](https://associationsnow.com/)
 » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/)
 » Data: How Millennials Want to Do Business

In a survey of executives responsible for business-to-business purchasing decisions, millennials showed clear preferences for researching and engaging with vendors that differed from their organizations’ current practices. Association membership recruiters and industry suppliers, take note.

**Millennials: How does your organization engage with vendors during the sales cycle currently, and how would you prefer to engage with vendors?**

**Face-to-face meetings:**

Current:

69%

Would prefer:

24%

**Email:**

Current:

37%

Would prefer:

69%

**Phone:**

Current:

22%

Would prefer:

62%

**Social Media:**

Current:

21%

Would prefer:

19%

**Live/video chat:**

Current:

20%

Would prefer:

21%

**Text message and other IM:**

Current:

18%

Would prefer:

24%

*Source: “[To Buy or Not to Buy? How Millennials Are Reshaping B2B Marketing (opens in a new tab)](http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?htmlfid=GBE03658USEN&appname=skmwww)
,” IBM Institute for Business Value, 2015*

Tags: [#Identity Groups](https://associationsnow.com/tag/identity-groups/)
 [#industry partners](https://associationsnow.com/tag/industry-partners/)
 [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/)
 [#millennials](https://associationsnow.com/tag/millennials/)
 [#Sponsor](https://associationsnow.com/tag/sponsor/)
 [#vendor management](https://associationsnow.com/tag/vendor-management/)
 [#Vendor Selection & Management](https://associationsnow.com/tag/vendor-selection-management/)

**Stay Informed**

[Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/)
, *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day.

## You Might Like

- [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Industry Partner Edition-Sponsorships That Deliver Real ValueJuly 9, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/09/associations-now-presents-industry-partner-edition-sponsorships-that-deliver-real-value/)
- [Video2025 Sponsorship Recap VideoJune 17, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/17/2025-sponsorship-recap-video/)
- [VideoPartnerships that Drive Success: ASAE Strategic Partnership AllianceAugust 26, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/26/partnerships-that-drive-success-asae-strategic-partnership-alliance/)
- [VideoGenerate Leads and Brand Awareness: Master the ASAE MarketplaceJune 18, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/18/generate-leads-and-brand-awareness-master-the-asae-marketplace/)

## Comments

**Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/)

[Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F07%2F13%2Fdata-how-millennials-want-to-do-business%2F%23comments)
 to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/)
!