The classic question and answer in sales I remember about this time each year is:
Q: What happens between Thanksgiving and New Year’s?
A: Not much.
You don’t have to wind down your efforts because buyers ARE working. Sure they are making plans to travel, be with family, visit friends, or if they are in a cold place like I am they may go somewhere warmer for a week or two.
Buying Does Not Stop
Now is the time when budgets are being discussed for 2017 (if not finalized by now) where your products and services could make an impact.
That doesn’t mean you can spam your buyers with massive amounts of calls and emails.
Be Smart - Be Strategic
Watch for a weekly post about ways you can maximize your time now by focusing on these areas:
- Existing prospective buyers and the development of more
- Existing customers past and present
- Strategic referrers and how to gain momentum with them
- Systems and tools you need to have in place heading into 2017.
These posts will share tips, tools, and best practices worthy of team discussions.
For now, please be thinking about MINDSET. An abundant mindset is one where there is much opportunity ahead. A scarcity mindset is when you believe that no one is around, and there are no possibilities.
If you really feel like nothing is do-able in your industry or company you may be missing out on that one opportunity that’s right in front of you – or around the corner from you.
I have lost deals because I wasn’t thinking big enough or strategic enough for them to happen. I’ve had sellers on my team throw the towel in around now.
TIPS FOR KEEPING A STRONG SALES MINDSET
THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR
• Stay off shopping sites or anything that is not work related except for a specific time each day.
• Make better use of your time looking at email. Craig Jarrow, the Time Management Ninja offers Five Email Processing Tips that will be helpful if you don’t have a handle on email.
• When you catch yourself planning trip details for a holiday getaway, make yourself re-focus on getting a new meeting or having a good discussion with a more probable buyer first, then go back to that.
• Think more creatively. If some buyers are in and out, who else can you reach out to? CEB recently revised their stats that there are now 6.8 people involved in a buying decision for complex purchases so clearly there are others you can speak with or learn from (or research) at your prospect company.
• Involve others collaboratively in your company from marketing to product management on how to penetrate the companies you’ve made no headway with. Author Tim Sanders talks about this here.
• Keep upbeat. Read inspirational blogs you can find at Sales.Alltop and Top Sales World.
Watch for this series on Mondays and keep focused!
Lori Richardson helps mid-sized companies grow revenues by solving key issues in their sales department - like recruiting, retention, diversity hiring, process, pipeline and leadership. She speaks at CEO groups on topics of sales growth. Clients include companies in the technology, telecom, manufacturing, distribution, and professional services industries. Subscribe to the award-winning blog, follow her on Twitter
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