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Dear Quota Team,

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I'm 24 years old and sell enterprise cybersecurity solutions to C-level technology executives, most of whom are 20-30 years older than me. I have nothing in common with these prospects—I don't play golf, I don't frequent fancy restaurants, and I feel completely out of place at networking events where everyone discusses mortgages and kids' college plans. When I do get meetings, I can sense their skepticism about my age and experience level, often asking to speak with "someone more senior" or treating me like an intern rather than a legitimate sales professional. My older colleagues tell me to "just build relationships over time," but these executives won't even return my calls, let alone invest time in getting to know me. The few people I naturally connect with — younger mid-level IT managers and engineers — aren't decision-makers and can't influence purchasing decisions. How do I earn respect and build meaningful business relationships when I'm fundamentally different from my target buyers and can't compete with my teammates' established networks?

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Not Taken Seriously in New York 

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Dear Not Taken,

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Lean into being the rep who truly understands how younger employees create security risks through social engineering, mobile device vulnerabilities, and cloud-based threats that older executives often underestimate. Instead of trying to mimic your colleagues' relationship-building approach, become the expert who can walk into a room and immediately spot security gaps they've missed, speaking their language about emerging attack vectors and threat landscapes. Many seasoned executives will respect genuine technical competence over golf partnerships, especially when you're the one alerting them to blind spots their current vendors haven't identified. Focus on being indispensable through knowledge rather than social connections. Bringing a fresh perspective on modern threats is more valuable than another dinner invitation. Good luck!