Three Tips For Targeting Sales Calls During Summer Holidays

In sales, you are expected to deliver results continuously, including times when a considerable share of the potential buyers is on a well-deserved vacation. For most of the Europe, that time is upon us as August is about the begin. In the Nordics, we are well into that season already. So as a top performer in sales, how do you identify whom to reach out and whom to leave alone for now?

The first step to avoid summer sales slump is to coordinate with your existing pipeline clear action points before, during, and after their (and your) holidays. One good idea is to have a checkpoint scheduled for the time both of you are back in the office. If this fails, or you need to prospect for new opportunities, here are a few tips to maximise your chances to get hold of people by calling.

1. Send an email before calling.

Send people whom you are trying to reach an email before the call. If there is no automated out of office reply, they are probably working. If there is an automated response, note the return date and schedule a reminder in CRM.

2. Call switchboard / PA first.

Even if you have a direct/mobile number for the person you are trying to reach, try calling their assistant or company switchboard first and ask if the individual is still in the office. If yes, leave a message or ask to connect the call. If not, note the return date for future calls.

3. Check social profiles.

While getting ready to call, check if your prospect has shared to Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter or any other social channel how they (are going to) enjoy their time off at the summer house, boat, trip, etc. Check the date on the post and coordinate your actions accordingly (three weeks vs. three days old update).

If you find no indication of your target being on holiday, go ahead and fire away! For those out of office, keep a list when people get back and reactivate prospects on your calling list when you have a chance to reach them.

Do you have any other tips to add to the list?
Happy hunting!

This blog has been published July 30, 2017 on Medium. See the original here.