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Most salespeople believe that prospecting during the holidays tends to be a waste of time because of anticipated vacations and hectic personal schedules. Business tends to be slower during the holidays, so now is the perfect time to prospect! Often times, customers obtained during the holiday season are on average more profitable than those acquired the remaining months of the year.
Make a plan for holiday season prospecting. Examine your pipeline and identify those contacts that asked you to call back at a more convenient time. People tend to be in better moods around the holiday season. With many of their employees and gatekeepers out on vacation, managers and decision makers are left to cover. With less interruption and fewer emails to answer, your prospect has more time to talk to you. Sending a simple holiday greeting through the mail also keeps you top of mind.
Another great approach to prospecting during this time is to help with New Year’s Resolutions. Show your creativity with tips, programs and ideas that can help their business reach their resolution goal. Don’t forget to remind existing customers or prospects that you are still around! When gifting during the holiday season is done correctly, the return on investment can prove fruitful.
So don’t fall into the misconception that because everyone is out for the holidays you should be too. Chances are your competition already has this mentality. Prove to your prospect that you are a trusted resource. While everyone else is out of the office, you are available and working hard. You send the message that you are always reliable, no matter what time of the year it is. Who knows, you might even pick up that last minute project because their regular supplier is out of the office!