I hear the same thing every year: the holiday season is a “challenging” time for salespeople to set up meetings or close a deal. Why do you think that is?
Often, the culprits behind these excuses are the salespeople themselves. They’re always saying things like, “My industry takes the month of December off,” or “I don’t like being sold anything during the holidays, so I don’t want to sell.” When these people realize that THEY are the ones causing bad months, then they will realize this time of year is a GREAT time to follow prospects or even close a sale!
While it’s true people will be with their family around the holiday season and might even be out of the office, that is no reason not to utilize every other skill you’ve acquired and put them into practice now. Here are just a few of my tips for a winning holiday sales season!
- If you’re spending a lot of time with family this season, my first advice is not to sell to them! They are not your target prospects here. What you should do, however, is give them a stack of your business cards to hand out. Chances are, if your reputation is bulletproof, the people in your inner circle carry the same weight so by them referring you—and you’re somehow RELATED to them—you’ll have a greater chance at a successful lead.
- You don’t want to come off as overbearing, but you certainly want to stay on the prospect’s or client’s mind! What better reason to send them a gift and token of your appreciation than the holidays? Not only is this gesture useful in keeping yourself relevant while they spend time with their families, but it shows you care about keeping the sale alive while they’re away. Plus, it keeps your brand looking sharp. After all, it’s what they remember about you that will almost always lead to a sale.
- For some industries (not yours, of course) December sees B2B business slow down quite a bit. This is when you have a great chance at getting someone on the phone or scheduling a meeting now that their calendar allows for it. And there’s an added bonus: the wonderful gatekeepers who otherwise block you from direct contact with a potential client often take time off this season, leaving only managers or prospective clients in the office. Use their freed-up time to make your proposal or have that meeting they’ve always been too busy for!
It’s important to keep in mind, also, that as quick as the holidays come, they quickly go and you’re left with a brand new year to completely expand your portfolio.
In addition to my holiday sales tips whitepaper and for a strong New Year for everyone reading this, I’m also offering my FREE 2017 GoalPlanner e-book. This is an exclusive resource I’ve developed that breaks down best practices and goal mastery tips for you to begin working on right now. All the content—from a peek into my book SalesMastery Book of Quotes to step-by-step goal integration worksheets—lets you know that we’ve laid everything out for your benefit! I’m giving away complimentary downloads of this fantastic goal-mastering resource as my gift to you so you can see the results of just how well Chuck Bauer Sales & Business Consulting works to help you implement your tasks and meet your goals!
You had a good year in 2017, but let’s make 2018 a GREAT year!