Sales Focus: Holidays

November 24, 2020 Posted by Kyle Fresh

The holidays…what a wonderful time of year where friends and family can get together and enjoy looking back at the year that has passed and begin planning on the year to come. Unfortunately, for the driven sales person looking to continue to finish the year in a strong way, the holidays can be a painful interruption in the flow of business.

While it can be tempting, and easy, to chalk up the normal slow times to just being part of the business cycle, the driven competitor will certainly start to take advantage of the season. During holidays it is paramount for everyone to find ways to remain productive. For sales people, the slower season should actually become an invitation to target new customers and prospect even harder. When the holidays slow down your business, you realize other people are also slowing down. People start reading more emails, responding to more voicemails…they become more accessible because they need to keep busy, too!

So, what is the key to using the time well? It is planning by developing a schedule and being disciplined to follow it. For the sales person, that means set time daily for prospecting. Use the time to creatively target new customers or rekindle relationships with old customers, but most importantly, stay busy! Do not accept, “Oh, well, it is slow.” Be creative in your outreach, also. If you have customers that are not seeing people, send food to be delivered. If you have a prospect that can get away, go to lunch. Take advantage of slow times and deepen relationships because your customers will have more time.

Operations should also be active during these periods. What tasks can be accomplished daily to help prepare to maximize profits next year? If you have a poor carrier following that is based out of the West Coast, are you researching what companies might be based there? What companies are posting trucks in the east looking to go home on the West Coast? What about ones in Canada getting into the South? Look at areas where you know we have opportunities in the new year and start cultivating relationships. Pick up the phone and start talking to the dispatchers at those companies you know you will need in the new year. Find your service partners! Develop your core carrier and start expanding them to find companies in hard to reach areas. Stay Busy!

This year is certainly a strange one, but do not let lethargy or boredom creep into your practices. Work daily at improving your situation. Whether it is on sales or operations, find ways to prepare by establishing relationships and deepening contacts. Make the end of this the start of a great new year and do it through creatively reaching others. Now is not the time to look back and say thank goodness 2020 is almost over. Now is the time to look forward and say I cannot wait to kick 2021’s rear! Plan, prepare, and execute!

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