It’s almost the end of the year! You’re almost done. Almost – but not yet! It’s so easy to get caught up in the fun of the season that work rather gets shoved to the back burner. But in sales, this is the best time of the whole year! December has more opportunities for sales to be closed in record numbers than any other time of the year.
I find it ironic that, during the time of year where prospects are primed to purchase more than any other time in the year, some salespeople start to check out. They want a break – during the ripest harvest opportunity of the whole year!
It’s not time to throw in the towel – it’s time now to press forward more than any other time of the year. It’s tempting to take a “mental break” from a year’s worth of work and start mentally engaging in goals for 2017. But if you do, your month of greatest opportunity will vanish right before your eyes.
So don’t miss out! Here are 5 ways to close more sales in December:
1. Be the busy one during this season. It’s safe to say that pretty much everyone else in your industry is mentally checking out for the rest of the year. Most people do. It’s “the holidays” so they are rather putting their feet up and getting distracted by the glitter, tinsel, shopping, and social obligations. Your window of opportunity is greater now than in any other time of the year. Keep this in mind as you’re planning your days, and you’ll find that it is quite motivating to press forward.
2. Send small holiday gifts to your prospects. This makes it fun – both for you and for them. Face it – it’s fun to give gifts, and the holidays give you the best excuse to do so. So give a little. Everyone likes to receive gifts during the holidays. Personalized gifts add to the “high touch” that is so often missing in our high tech world. Gifts can be elaborate or simple – either way, they communicate on a personal level that your prospects are important to you. This, in turn creates a relationship connection that you can return to time and time again.
3. Remind your prospects that they may have budgets that they need to spend before the end of the year. In many industries, companies have a “use it or lose it’ policy with the budgets they allot to their purchasers. Reminding them of this can often times motivate an end of the year sale that would otherwise take some time. They are primed to purchase right now – make sure that you are in their calendar!
4. Host a special client celebration holiday party. Make it a fun social event. Allow your clients to bring friends or family. This, too, adds a high touch to a largely disconnected culture we live in. Spending time with your clients builds a relationship – the very basis upon which they will become repeat clients.
5. Give them a special discount if they act before the end of the year. This one seals the deal. In addition to being ready to buy, offering a specialized time-limited discount encourages your prospect to close the deal. This one works like magic during the month of December.
There is really only one “day” that counts as a holiday December – the other 24 days before Christmas are all full of opportunity. Make December your best month yet – it’s easier to sell now than any other time of the year. Enjoy the holidays – and do it by making each day count.
