The aging workforce in manufacturing sales, which was once a distant concern, has quickly become a reality. As seasoned sales professionals in manufacturing move closer to retirement, companies are facing a critical question: Who will take their place? Replacing the headcount is proving challenging, but it is even more than this. The aging of sales professionals is exposing deeper challenges to the generational work ethic, recruiting, and how sales work is structured.

Fewer Young People, Fewer Willing Replacements

The average age of the manufacturing workforce has seen a substantial increase and is expected to continue climbing. National data show a sharp rise in labor force participation among workers over 65, while participation among those under 25 continues to drop. This mirrors what’s happening in sales teams. In many industries, there are simply no younger people ready to take over when the most experienced reps move on. This shift is especially challenging within manufacturing, where technical knowledge, customer relationship-building, and industry fluency take years to develop.

At the same time, younger workers often approach work differently from older generations. Studies show many prioritize flexibility, purpose, and personal alignment over job security or company loyalty. These preferences don’t mean they have a poor work ethic, but they do reflect a different set of expectations that don’t always line up with how sales roles have been structured.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

It’s important to avoid painting entire generations with a single brush. Not all younger workers are disengaged or uninterested in meaningful work, and not all older sales professionals fit a traditional mold. There are plenty of young professionals who are open to careers in sales when it’s presented as a meaningful, growth-oriented path. The issue isn’t with individual work ethic. It is with volume and alignment—there are fewer young people entering the field, and among those who do, fewer are staying.

This disconnect is one of several aging workforce challenges that manufacturers now face. Replacing talent is no longer just a recruiting problem—it’s an organizational design problem.

Automation Helps With Aging Workforce in Manufacturing But Not for Closing a Sale

Many manufacturers are already adapting to labor shortages on the plant floor by investing in automation, robotics, and manufacturing execution systems for data analysis, process optimization, and predictive maintenance. These technologies have helped keep production moving despite a shrinking workforce. But sales is different. There are tools that can support the process—CRM systems, email automation, website visitor tracking—but they don’t close deals.

In a technical sales environment, customers expect insight, consultation, and reassurance. They’re not just buying a product; they’re buying the confidence that you understand their problem and can solve it. That can’t be outsourced to a bot. What technology can do is help sales reps focus their time where it matters:

CRMs to track and prioritize leads as they move through the pipeline, providing visibility and ensuring leads don’t fall off the radar.
Marketing automation systems to provide automated outreach and assist with regular social media posting.
Data enrichment platforms, such as Zoominfo, to improve targeting and assist with providing contacts.
A sales playbook, which outlines how to sell your product (messaging, objection-handling techniques, industry positioning, pricing guidance, etc.), to onboard new sales hires faster.

These tools make individual sales reps more efficient and scalable, but they don’t replace the human element, especially in industries where the buying process is long and complex.

The Cost of Doing Nothing to Mitigate the Aging Workforce in Manufacturing Sales

If the aging workforce in manufacturing sales continues without intervention, the consequences won’t be subtle. The sales pipeline will thin out. Customer relationships, especially long-standing ones, could weaken or disappear. As experienced reps leave, tribal knowledge about product applications, quoting strategies, and industry dynamics (e.g., competition, rate of innovation, customer preferences) will go with them.

It is clear that the aging workforce can create great hardships for manufacturers. Without a plan to address manufacturing workforce age trends, businesses may find themselves with a great product but no one to sell it, at least not with the depth of understanding that customers expect. New business development will slow, and existing accounts may drift toward competitors with more consistent outreach and support.

Outsourcing Sales Development to Bridge the Gap

Rather than waiting for cultural change or a demographic reversal, many companies are turning to outsourced front-end sales development to support internal sales teams. With outsourced support, veteran sales development reps can focus on relationship-building and closing, rather than spending time chasing cold leads. This approach also mitigates the impact of a shrinking talent pool, helping manufacturers keep their pipelines active even as they navigate workforce shifts tied to the aging workforce in manufacturing.

In a sector where margins are tight and cycles are long, delayed action has a compounding effect. The earlier manufacturers address these aging workforce challenges, the more time they’ll have to build a system that works across generations.

Athena Provides a Scalable Solution

At Athena SWC, we work with manufacturers to help offset the challenges created by an aging sales team. Our outsourced sales development programs focus on inbound and outbound lead generation, nurturing early-stage opportunities, and sales coordination to help move qualified leads through the sales pipeline, so your internal team can focus on building relationships and closing deals.

Our sales infrastructure model — providing people, processes, and technology — helps manufacturers stay competitive in the face of sales workforce shortages and generational shifts. Whether you’re experiencing turnover or simply can’t hire fast enough, we can help keep your pipeline active and aligned with long-term growth goals.

The Aging Workforce in Manufacturing Is A Sales Succession Problem You Can’t Ignore