There’s a popular, albeit unfounded, belief that summers are slow for business. Sandler Training disagrees, and dares to say that professionals create a self-fulfilling prophecy by telling themselves that despite great efforts, their summer will be tough.
Sandler trained professionals believe that outreach and other activity might need to be increased in the summer, there’s no need to succumb to the idea that you won’t find new business, close deals and meet new and promising business connections.
Below are five myths to dismiss this summer when it comes to your work productivity.
- Don’t cold call, no one’s there. Sandler experts agree that summer is the perfect time to make calls, because your competitors are conforming to this myth. They recommend you seize the opportunity when phones aren’t ringing as much. With less inbound calls, people will be more likely to take your call, listen and engage in a dialogue with you about why you’re calling.
- Fridays are a wash. While a lot of companies offer ‘Summer Fridays’ that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a way to combat everyone’s favorite day of the week. Sandler recommends that salespeople overcome ‘Summer Fridays’ by building in a little extra performance Monday through Thursday. Increase your daily goals earlier in the week and you can enjoy those Summer Fridays just as much as your clients and prospects.
- Decision makers ‘disappear’. Don’t let the assumption that everyone’s out of the office stunt your ability to sell. Get to know your clients and prospects and learn about their vacation and travel plans for the summer. This will allow you to navigate through the summer without the mystery of when your contacts will suddenly be MIA and you’ll be able to plan accordingly.
- It’s a slow time in the budget cycle. Before succumbing to this myth, remember that there’s no way of really knowing how a company is fairing financially. Furthermore, prospects may also be operating on a fiscal calendar and they could be more open to sales calls and new vendors come July 1.
- Prospects and clients don’t care about your vacation. Remember that we’re all people. Your vacation matters, too. Be upfront, communicate your schedule and do all that you can to make sure everyone has all that they might need while you’re away. While you’re at it, schedule a time to connect after your vacation before you leave.
In addition to summer, seasonal productivity myths exist throughout the year. What are some that you chose to debunk?
