It’s only September, but if you’re not starting your year-end sales push, you could lose out on big money. In sales, Q3 and Q4 can be panic-inducing if you’re not on track to hit your quotas, and that panic can be exacerbated by the fact that both your reps and their decision-makers are going to start “checking out” at the start of the holiday season.
Even so, now is not the time to let your team go on auto-pilot. Yes, people take off work around the holidays and they are preoccupied with family and personal priorities, but the good news is that your competitors are having those same issues. If you start making your year-end push now, you’ll have the upper hand when it’s time to start carving the turkey.
“The more your held accountable to forecasting, the better you perform with qualified prospects and managing expectations! Drive your reputation with being the “Go to Person” for bringing in consistent quality business and growing the profitability of your company! When you have your annual performance review, the negotiation on your compensation and future promotions will be easy!” says Sharon Tsao, EVP Sales & Marketing, Contemporary Staffing Solutions.
Schedule A State-of-The-Year Meeting
This October, sit down with reps both individually and as a team and look at where they’ve been so far and where you need to go to blow out their goals for Q4. We doubt this is the first time you have reviewed the forecast but we encourage you to take a very different approach. Go over things that went right, things that went wrong, and develop a plan of attack for the last three months of the year.
Use these strategy sessions to get feedback from reps on ideas for sales or promotional offers you can package up for decision-makers who are still on the fence. The right deal can entice someone to sign and use up their budget dollars before the New Year. Soliciting advice from your team also shows that you understand their struggles in Q4 and you are willing to go the extra mile to help them hit their targets and earn their year-end bonuses.
Hold Warm Lead Contests
Account Representatives can be reluctant to hit the phones in Q4 since they are managing a large pipeline already. However, leads still need to be worked and there are plenty of decision makers who actually work harder in Q4 because the budget allocation goes away at the end of the year if the money isn’t spent.
Pull each rep’s list of warm leads, and hold a contest that rewards people for the number of calls made, appointments set and deals closed from those lists. Dangling a carrot for reconnecting with those leads can encourage people to stay focused on working their lists through the end of the year. You might even put individual “bounties” on things like lead to sign a deal, largest contract, last contract of the year, etc.
Embrace The Upsell
New deals can be difficult to close in Q4, so to keep people motivated, incentivize upselling, as well. Add-on sales are a great way to help everyone boost their numbers in Q4. Entice clients and prospects with bundled discounts and hold upselling contests with your reps. With the right incentives in place, your team will be motivated to move your products and services.
If you are looking for new ways to attract and retain top salespeople and sales managers who can help your organization achieve annual revenue goals, the expert recruiters at CSS ProSearch can help. Contact us today to learn more about the ways we can help you cultivate a profit-generating team.