Finish 2023 Strong with 5 Essential Year-End Sales Tactics

I am sitting here writing this blog on Halloween, one of my favorite holidays, and as much as I am looking forward to the parties tonight and the trick or treaters, I am a bit distracted thinking of ways to finish 2023 strong in spite of the looming holiday season.

Distracted not because of the endless parties, the shopping, and overeating that comes with the holidays, but because I am realizing I only have two short months to implement my year-end sales tactics and get all the business done I want to happen before the end of 2023.?

Can You Sell Through The Holidays?

Now I know what you are thinking – it’s the holidays – it’s the end of the year – shouldn’t you be thinking about pulling back rather than ramping up? Aren’t customers winding down, getting ready to take time off, and isn’t it awkward to be bothering customers when they are spending time with family and tending to their own holiday stress?

Quite the opposite. Employing effective year-end sales tactics during the holiday season is not only the best time of year to call on customers but also one of the most crucial. If you are going to finish 2023 strong, now is the time you need to make calls, now is the time you should be doing your end of year push to see those last few clients, and put together those final deals.

Why Selling In Fourth Quarter Is So Important?

If you want to finish 2023 strong, you need to be selling in the fourth quarter. The end of year is when customers have a little extra money in the budget; It is the time of year when they are (or should be) thinking about what they need to accomplish in the first quarter; and it is the time of year when most of your competitors have taken off or slowed down.

Even if you have hit your sales goals (and I hope you have by now), the amount of effort you put out in the fourth quarter will determine the level of success you have in the coming year and will ensure you finish 2023 strong. If you wait until January to get started selling, then you can pretty much guarantee you will be behind all year long.

5 Strategies You Need To Finish 2023 Strong?

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started – here are five strategies you need to finish 2023 strong.

Make a Plan

When we talk about year-end sales tactics, first and foremost you must make a plan. Think of it as charting a map for a journey. Without a clear direction, even the most motivated teams can drift off course.

Given that November and December are packed with holidays and personal commitments, it's easy to lose sight of professional targets. You need to make every moment count.

A detailed plan provides a daily, even hourly, guide to what needs to be achieved, helping prioritize tasks and allocate resources efficiently.

And remember, the plan isn't just for you; it's a tool to synchronize the entire team. Regular check-ins, team meetings, and progress trackers based on this plan can be the difference between a year-end that fizzles out and one that finishes with a bang.

Harnessing the power of year-end sales tactics with meticulous planning ensures that when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, you'll look back with pride at what you've achieved.

Establish Behaviors

After laying down the foundation with a well-structured plan, it's essential to shift the focus to behaviors - the practical side of your year-end sales tactics. Think of behaviors as the nuts and bolts that bring your plan to life.

It's one thing to have an abstract goal, but what will propel you towards it are the tangible steps you take every day. Start by breaking down the larger objectives into daily and even hourly tasks.

For instance, if you goal is to contact a certain number of prospects by the end of the month, how does that translate into daily outreach? How big is your prospect list? How many proposals do you want to write per week?

By focusing on these actionable behaviors and regularly measuring allows for real-time adjustments, ensuring that you remain on track and optimize your year-end sales tactics for the best possible results.

Review the Year

Reflection is a powerful tool, especially when strategizing your year-end sales tactics. So as you sift through your client list, take a moment to journey back through the past months. Analyze the highs and the lows, the wins, and the near-misses.?

What new business did you land? What prospects did not quite close? Which longtime customers do you need to reach out to?

Don’t just go into these last two months of the year blind – Use this introspection to craft a strategic approach for the final push.

By reviewing the year, you will be able to choose the right and best customers to call on – the ones you want to do more business with, the ones you want to keep, and the ones you know that just one or two more calls could seal the deal.

Embrace the Holidays

November and December bring some major holidays, and you tend to not want to make a sales call at this time, but you should embrace the holiday. Oh, don’t go knocking at customers’ doors and try to get them to meet at 3 am on Christmas Eve, but you could send a gift to their home or business. Thanksgiving is a great time to throw a little party and tell customers how grateful you are for them.

Book January Solid

And lastly, use December to book January. I will admit making calls this time of year can be tricky, and you need to be sensitive. For those customers who are too busy to meet or are shutting down for a few weeks, use this last call to set up a meeting for the first week in January. Tell them you want them to enjoy their time with family and friends, and to ensure they start the year strong, you’ll buy them lunch on January 3rd.

I don’t know about you, but I am pumped and motivated to go out and make some calls. But not before I put my costume on and greet the kids coming to my door for a candy bar or two. After all, Halloween is the first celebration of the holiday season.