PreSalesTalks: Ending the Year Strongly

This blog is all about “Start strong, stay strong and finish strong”. It’s the holiday season, and a time of introspection as the calendar ends and we move to the next year.   It’s those final summit of the climb where those extra steps make or break you. We may have been waiting for a push all through the year. But mostly, it looks like an opportunity to slow our pace. Clients work fewer hours in the office, deadlines are pushed to “next year,” and everyone’s excited about the office holiday parties.  But not you since you know that “next year” is just a few weeks away and the best way to start a year strong is to work ahead in the weeks that you have left.  The following is how you do it. 

What is the best thing about the end of the year!

• Ending the week on a high note- Tread back to where you were at the start of the year. Consider it as an year-end audit to see how you have performed across the board. Doing such an audit helps us to look at our habits, how we’ve grown, and where we are receiving and giving energy across departments.
• Mental well being- Mental health is crucial to our overall well-being and is as important as our physical health. When we feel mentally well, we can enjoy our free time, work productively,  and make active contributions to our communities.
• Reclaiming your time- Focus on what really matters.  Possess an effective time-management skill that helps you to double your productivity and get things done.
• No double bookings- when you accidentally double book, Decide which client takes preference and communicate with the customer about the same. Further, provide them with a solution to resolve the situation. Find a way to provide value to the client that doesn’t affect your crux. Never agree for a financial incentive or a discount on the product. You can avoid the scheduling hiccups by using the right software.

Planning cycles

• Look to next year as well- Make a 2022 goal list-  As new year’s ahead of us, it’s important to take time to plan and prepare. Make a list of measurable, specific, relevant, achievable, and time-bound goals. This motivates you with smaller milestones. Make sure to start  off the new year with a clear vision. 
• Use the social event at the end of year to get closer to your customers- The personal touch could be extremely valuable and help you become a more trusted advisor.
• Not everyone celebrates the same holidays and events – Not everyone celebrates holidays at the same time, and not everyone celebrates holidays the same way. Be aware of your client’s geographical location and their holidays. Work around those and schedule your meetings and demos.
• Trade shows & expos- Attending a trade show gives you an opportunity to get on a new customer’s radar as a product or company that they need to watch. Create a pipeline of upcoming trade shows and expos relevant to your product. 
• Not all financial years are the same- The fiscal years/financial years differ from country to country. For eg, In Australia, the fiscal year runs from July 1st to June 30th. In the USA, the fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.  

The following are few other pointers to take into consideration

Individual metrics

• Methods of reviewing their personal numbers

• How they feel they are doing with their reps, their team etc.

Manager reports

• Managers discuss metrics with individuals

• As a manager how do you understand how your team rate you

Feedback tools

• Do corporate tools give an honest reflection?

• Personal conversations can be better

• Sometimes people only open up “too late”

• Silos – might miss cross functional feedback

• Use the period to gather reflection and 

Do sellers need support on the last week/day of the period?

• Usually those deals won’t happen

• Sometimes last minute support

Now is the crunch time. As the year comes to an end, make your efforts count. Finish the year strong, so it offers you the needed momentum, strength and focus into the New Year. This is the opportunity to push, and to take advantage of all the effort you’ve put in so far. 

Note:

This blog is an expanded version of a topic that was originally posted at TheSalesEngineerGuy website. The same topics were also discussed at Presales Collective Clubhouse.

Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash