Thank you for listening to the Champion Forum Podcast! If you want to be a successful sales-person or sales manager during the holidays, you have to change your expectations and perspective. The strategies you use in July will not work at the end of the year! In today’s episode, we’ll discuss some practical ways that you can adjust you can maximize your impact and prepare for a successful new year. With just a few changes, you can alleviate the self-imposed pressure to perform and enjoy the holidays too.
Set clear expectations with your team.
Your expectations should be different than at other times of the year. You might need to set different expectations as to when your team should be in the office, prospecting numbers, CRM, marketing, etc.
Commit to an aggressive discovery call schedule in December.
Instead of trying to set up calls and close deals in December, focus on filling your calendar for January, when people are more ready to buy. Then, January will be filled with qualification conversations, which will propel you forward.
Spend time on internal activities at the end of December.
Take some time in December to work on internal activities that will benefit you. Meeting with colleagues in different departments will give you a clearer idea of the direction the company is going in the upcoming year. This is a great way to make emotional deposits and drive the critical relationships you will need to win.
Take a vacation.
Seriously! If you can, use some of your vacation days in between Christmas and New Years Day. Some offices are closed, and the ones that are open are probably not looking to make major decisions. It’s better to take a vacation when your audience is disengaged than to take one when your audience is ready to buy!
Create incentives and contests.
Create a realistic incentive for your sales team and keep track of their points daily. Update your team frequently and celebrate when people perform well! Friendly competition can bring out the best in your team and encourage them during a difficult season for selling.
Show appreciation.
Have fun with it! Think about the kinds of gifts your sales representatives would like. You could even dress up like Santa! Some good gifts might include car washes, a day with the manager to do their prospecting or sales calls certificates, coffee mugs, mints, gums, snacks, ice scrapers, small air compressor, etc. Find creative ways to reach out to the team and build community.
Double down on training.
December is a great time to invest in personal development. Other times of the year it seems forced and rushed because you are so busy. During the holidays, the pressure is off.
Q: How would you describe your workload this holiday season? How does that make you feel? Would you rather be busy or slow? Why?
Q: What did this year teach you about managing your time? How do you feel when your schedule is light? Busy? Relieved? What are you doing to make the most of the last month of 2020?
Q: How have you showed appreciation to your team members, whether you are the leader or not? How do you feel when others show appreciation to you? Describe a time when a leader missed the mark. How did it affect your performance and relationship?
Application Activities:
Are there any expectations you need to adjust? Before the end of the day evaluate your expectations in terms of sales volume, CRM, sales calls, in-person meetings, office time, professional development, and anything else that seems important to you. Get your team on a call tomorrow to discuss the expectations and make sure everyone is on the same page.
Think about the personal development books or courses you have put off in the past because you were too busy. Use this time to invest in yourself so that you can be more efficient and successful next year! If your schedule feels light, find a professional development course you can complete over the next two weeks.
Have a discovery call competition. Challenge your sales team or co-workers to see who can make the most calls and/or confirm the most appointments. Set up a scoreboard and have your team update at least once per day! If possible, create a prize! Even if it is just a small trophy for bragging rights or a restaurant gift card, it will add to the competitors’ motivation.
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