Selling in the lead up to the Festive Season

by Karen Andrews | November 29, 2009 | Business Strategies | Sales

Guest Contributor: Karen Andrews

Well it’s hard to believe but it’s only 4 weeks until Christmas and this time of year always brings with it challenges for both business owners and salespeople.

As we approach the festive season and the business year draws to a close, many decision makers prefer to put off decisions and new business meetings until the New Year. This is both challenging and de-motivating for salespeople but also frustrating and stressful for business owners, who need to keep generating revenue.

To help overcome this, it’s important to keep prospects focused on the value and benefit their business (and they) will experience now, rather than later and to keep your language focused around their buying reasons. For example:

How you are improving their current situation i.e. quicker sales, improved productivity, increased profit
How much time or money you save them
How it will solve a problem, challenge or frustration e.g. computers or network continually down, losing customers
How you can fulfill a need or desire i.e. look great at the Christmas party, see your picture in the paper or achieve that goal

You might also like to:

Mention success stories or outcomes that other customers have noticed
Suggest they utilize the quiet holiday period to minimise disruption to the business
Suggest finalising the paperwork now for delivery or installation in January

No matter whether it’s face to face or over the phone, when you communicate what’s in it for them, rather than what’s in it for you, it helps your prospects to make an informed decision on the priority and importance of the meeting or decision.

So unless your product or service is geared to retail, corporate gifts, entertainment or holiday and travel (and many more of course) where there are still new sales to be made next month, start getting busy with your marketing and prospecting and get in front of as many people as possible in the next couple of weeks.

Once we hit December the end of year is in sight and decision makers want to close off, not start new business discussions.

Contributed by Karen Andrews . Karen Andrews is the Director of Shine Sales Solutions, a Sydney based Sales Coach and Sales expert, that works with businesses to increase sales and increase sales confidence through strategy development, sales management, sales coaching and mentoring. Since its inception in 2003 Shine Sales Solutions has been assisting businesses to manage and motivate their sales staff to achieve success and increase profits. P: 02 9437 6500, E: kandrews@shinesales.com.au Twitter: karenandrews.

Karen Andrews has written 9 article(s) for us.

Visit http://www.shinesales.com.au

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Karina Hogan

Thanks Karen for reminding us of focusing on the customer and their need.

What I'd like to highlight and draw your attention to is FOCUS. If we believe it's a tough time of the year to make a sale we can often create our own reality. What I mean here is if we believe it's a tough time of the year are we looking for all the opportunities out there, are we noticing them when they come along or are they passing us by because we aren't seeing them and focusing on them as opportunities?
Notice the difference when you take on board that it's always the best time of the year to make a sale. There is always someone out there that wants/needs my product or service. As well as seeing the opportunities what do you need to do to turn the opportunity into a sale. Merry Christmas and Great Sales