The holiday season is here and many salespeople tend to Take your foot off the gas. And while this time of year is full of vacation and big spending and chaos, with careful planning you can meet your sales goals during the vacation and beyond.
Here are some tips on how to keep your sales team productive during the holiday season:
The first thing you should do is not make assumptions about what your prospects are doing. It is a common assumption that buyers are too busy or out of the office and currently unable to deal with the purchase. It's entirely possible that your prospects may actually be more willing to buy than usual during the holiday season!
The end of the year is a matter of urgency for buyers as they assess their needs and budgets for the fourth quarter and plan to start their year over. Change brings us all new opportunities. Call those old prospects and see how they are doing what they think. Hit the gas again.
If you are having trouble selling to new customers, you can always focus your efforts on your existing customers. This is especially important when you are selling a changing product. Now is the perfect time to check in with old customers and let them know you are thinking of them. They're probably evaluating their situation in the fourth quarter as well, and you could be high on their list for contract renewals or product upgrades right now with a simple phone call.
Many new prospects have to make phone calls, which is not easy at this time of year when everyone is on vacation and business calls are avoided. So it's time to get creative!
Take a day to check news sites and find companies in your target industry or market that have recently raised large amounts of capital or hired many new employees. These growing businesses may need your services. Also, look for other social websites and forums. Just because no one picks up the phone doesn't mean you can't get new leads.
If you've stayed motivated, avoided assumptions, and been creative, you have likely gained some new leads. This means it's time to get them on the phone or in the zoom for meetings and demos. Since the holidays are usually full of business and personal events, you may have difficulty figuring out a suitable time to meet. No worries. Just make sure you schedule an appointment within a reasonable time after the vacation. Find out exactly when your clients will be back in the office, then schedule your meetings.
As a salesperson, it's easy to get too involved in selling, and it's easy to stick with whatever has worked for you. This time of year reminds us that change is inevitable. Use this season to reevaluate and refresh your approach – you may have hit your best year yet.
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