Hit the Ground Running in 2018

Business activity always seems to slow down around the holidays, especially in sales. While some deals can still come in, a majority of them have either closed or pushed off until next year. Things can get a little boring without as many sales coming in, but I’m trying to approach this time of year a little differently this go around.

If you’re like most, you have things that aren’t so urgent on your to-do list, and we tend to push them off because other priorities come up. It could even be that you’re pushing them off because they’re boring, and that’s ok too! Whatever has been keeping you from checking off these tasks has probably been done by now, so what better time to knock some of those items out?

To get a head start on next year, here a few ways I’m spending my time over the next couple weeks:

1) Online training and certifications

Getting certifications never seems like a pressing issue, and that’s why most people push off getting them as long as possible. It’s sort of like cramming for finals when you’re in school. If you don’t really like the class, you push off studying until the last minute and something inevitably comes up that keeps you from studying; just how life works sometimes. So when there’s no real consequence for not getting certified or trained in a certain area, it’s probably going to get pushed off for a very long time.

There are so many learning opportunities online now it’s CRAZY not to take advantage of them. Take HubSpot for example; if you use their sales and marketing platform, you have access to free training classes and that can help further your career. The hardest thing here is actually making the time and having the discipline to sit down and watch the videos and take a test.

LinkedIn Learning is also a good option and has classes on Sales Navigator and using Social Media to connect with prospects. LinkedIn Learning does come with a small monthly fee, but it offers a free month so you can test it out and decide if you really want it. So far I’ve found it very helpful, and it adds certifications to your profile so you can showcase any areas of expertise.

2) Sales database cleanup.

No matter how great your database practices are, over the course of the year your records get a little “dirty.” If the prospect isn't in the buying cycle, it’s never really a pressing issue to fix the information or delete the record altogether. If you’ve ever worked in a CRM, you know exactly what I’m talking about. While it’s not the most important thing in the world, a clean sales database is a great way to be more targeted in your sales and marketing efforts. It keeps your sales managers from reaching out to “dead” prospects and also helps you know which markets you should target in the future.

It’s also important to clean up your current customer records. If you have different levels of service, you can use this information to make your clients aware of any additional ways you can partner together. If you haven’t already, it’s a great idea to have a blog that goes through a list of your services that you can share with your clients. You can also build the blog into a series of emails and use an email marketing platform to send information to your partners.

3) Knocking on Doors

The last way we are prepping for next year as a sales team is by doing some good old fashion sales work; knocking on doors and dropping off gifts to current clients and leads. In today’s online marketplace, a lot of people have lost the desire to do things like pick up the phone or knock on doors to connect with decision-makers. But there’s a reason the best salespeople have always done this- it works. I’ve actually heard some decision makers say things like “I won’t buy from someone if they don’t pick up the phone and call me” and I’ve even heard some go as far as to say they won’t buy from someone unless they show up and meet them in person. So use the end of the year to put some effort into generating some warm leads for next year. It will pay off and is a great way to start off 2018 with a full funnel.

Bringing it back together

Doing all of these things the course of a couple weeks would be no small feat, but knocking just one or two of these things off your list is a great way to set yourself and your team up for success next year!