The holiday season is one of the hardest seasons to close deals.
The simple reason is that your sales targets are taking the time to go on vacation. I mean, can you blame them?
Sales representatives are under the constant pressure of closing the quarter strong. You must adjust your sales approach differently to sell during the holiday season. The holiday season presents a small window of opportunity that requires precise planning if you're looking to close a deal before the years are over.
So if your goal is to end your year on a high note, leverage these four tactics to sell during the holiday season.
Determining your key dates can be a difference-maker if you want to close a few deals before the year ends. With the last quarter of the year having two major holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, you should try planning your sales activities around these holidays and set yourself up with the best chance to close a deal before the year is over.
For example, during Thanksgiving, the business has the tendency to slow down on Tuesday. Companies aren’t open the day after Thanksgiving, so you’d want to prioritize reaching out around Monday and Tuesday of that week to have your sales conversations. Key dates always give you transparency as to how much time you have to complete your objectives.
December is one of the hardest months to sell in because most employees and decision-makers take an early vacation to spend time with their families. Ideally, you want your cut-off month to be around between the 10th and 14th. That gives you the November and half of December to reach new prospects and push the ones you have to the finish line. This would be a great time to leverage the tactics you have planned.
If you want to offer a discount on your product or service, make sure you set your expiration date before your December cut-off. That way, when you introduce your discount terms to your prospect, and they ask for a few weeks to decide, you can say, “No problem, but this discount will expire on December 1st.”
Having the end of the year close can help you manage expectations with your team and keep everyone accountable.
Setting expectations for your team is key to selling during the holiday season. Look at your pipeline and determine the leads you will most likely close. Once you’ve identified them, create a plan to get them to the finish line.
You’ve already identified your key dates, so now you have your timeframe as to how you want to close your deals. Make sure that you are in constant dialogue with your likely prospects.
Nurturing your leads is important to establish a relationship and, ultimately, a partnership. If they respond to you with phrases like “We’d like to move forward” or “What are the next steps?” map out how quickly you can get them onboarded. When mapping out your onboarding process, plan for any pushbacks or technical difficulties so you can fix things quickly.
Once your sales process is mapped out for your favored leads, put your plan in motion. Make sure you are always following up and pushing the process forward.
Closing new opportunities in mid-to-late December is very tough. If I’m being honest, it can be damn near impossible. If you have prospects looking to start a trial or have a late demo in December, push the chat to connect in early January. Most businesses use the last month of the year to plan out their budget for the new year. Some companies will even start planning earlier in November. Pushing your new opportunities helps you start off the new year strong. It also allows you to focus on the current opportunities you have in your pipeline that you need to get to the finish line.
Although there is a small window for selling during the holiday season, it is a time to nurture your best prospects. Look at the ones you have the highest chance of closing and throw everything you can at them to get to the finish line. While you might not close all of your prospects, you’ll develop a dialogue with them that you can carry into the next year. New Year’s always provides a fresh start and a great conversation starter to pick up where you left off during the holiday season.
Take your sales to new heights this holiday season by outsourcing them to Key Outreach. Our specialized team understands the unique challenges and opportunities of holiday sales, and we have the expertise to deliver outstanding results. By leveraging our proven strategies and tailored approach, you can boost your sales, capture the attention of holiday shoppers, and maximize your revenue.
Key Outreach has got you covered whether you need assistance with lead generation, customer outreach, or sales follow-up. Don't miss out on the immense potential of holiday sales. Trust Key Outreach to drive your success and make this season your most profitable one yet. Click here to get started.
