Q4 is upon us again; that crazy time of year when your team is under extreme pressure to finish strong, but they must contend with holiday distractions and vacations. Here are some tips to help your sales reps nurture accounts and even land new ones in between all of the hustle and bustle of the season.
Directly Target Senior-Level Prospects
It’s true: There are a lot less people sitting at their desks answering phones between November and December, but remember that odds are high that gatekeepers are among the people out of the office this time of year. That means that the decision maker is easier to get ahold of. Q4 is a crazy time for every company, and managers and critical leaders must be there to close out the year. It takes persistence to get ahold of them, but encourage your reps to take the most direct route possible.
Reconnect With Every Warm And Cool Lead
Q4 is the ideal time for your reps to go through their entire list of interested leads, even those that have cooled in recent months. It’s worth reaching out before the holidays to close the deal while the prospect is trying to find ways to spend the last of their budget dollars or to set up appointments in the first quarter. To encourage your team to reach out, hold a mini-contests for heating up those leads.
Hold A Year -End Sale
A great way to encourage prospects and clients to pick up the phone or reply to an email is to make them an offer they can’t refuse. Put together packages or deals that will incentivize people to sign before they check out for the New Year.
Incentivize Upselling
Your reps should be upselling all year, but add-on sales are a great way to help everyone hit their goals at the end of the year. Incentivize clients and prospects with enticing bundled discounts, and hold upselling contests with your reps. If the prize is strong, your team will find a way to get those products and service sold.
Do You Have The Right Team In Place?
Fourth Quarter does not always have to come with a sales slump. Keeping revenue flowing is really a matter of having the right people in place who possess the capabilities to meet and exceed goals all year long. If you have reps that struggle every year-end, revamp your hiring profile to reflect the qualities and capabilities of your highest-performing and most consistent reps. You must also work on cultivating a culture that attracts top performers and keeps your existing rock stars engaged and happy.
Are you looking for other strategies to lead your sales team to success? The expert sales recruiters at CSS are here to help. Whether you need to attract and retain top sales talent, or advice on how to manage them for success, contact CSS.