Quarter-End Stress and 3 Questions To Ask Yourself To Set Up Future Success

This week I will be in the middle of yet another quarter-end. Whether It’s LinkedIn, Microsoft, or any other organization I have been part of, the feeling has always been the same, a mix of exhilaration and anxiety. Of course the mix of each depends a lot on where you stand against your targets. As a manager, my responsibilities are made up of a combination of the individual reps’ targets, the team target, and my own personal target. But regardless of where we all stand against these targets, we are always faced with the same question: do I change my style to help drive short term targets (and potentially confuse/surprise my customers), or do I play long and stay true to my engagement model (and potentially miss out on short term revenue opportunities)?

Years ago I was speaking with someone I’d met and asked them how long they had been at their current company. His answer? “7 quarters”. I won’t mention the company name but I have been around long enough to know that this is not an uncommon type of response, so naming that company would not add any value to this discussion. Many companies are squarely and solely focused on quarterly objectives. At an individual level, this resonates as a “what have you done for me lately” mentality, and I would never blame anyone for trading long term success for short term gain under this type of results-driven environment. I also know that in the short term, it is an incredibly effective way to drive revenue. Beyond the short-term, maybe not such a good approach.

Personally, I have been blessed to be part of a culturally-driven organization that measures success at a much broader level that is more focused around our company mission and values. Do we have aggressive targets where we are held accountable for results? Yes, yes, a million times yes! But this is where the art meets the science of sales. If you are doing the right things for your customer, over a demonstrable period of time, your customers will (usually) buy your vision, your approach, and ultimately your product or solution. There is an entire industry of thought leaders out there who have been preaching this approach for a very long time. Jeffrey Gitomer and Jill Konrath are two thought leaders I follow, and Simon Sinek still has one of the most watched videos on TED Talks focused around the value of “why”. 

So why do so many of us still fall into the vicious treadmill of the quarter-end trap (where anxiety can exceed exhilaration)? Here are some questions to ask yourself if you are dealing with quarter-end anxiety:

1.      Are my personal values aligned with what my company’s values? If your answer is yes, you will likely not be dealing with stress intrinsically associated with your role. Your thinking will be long term, and your customer engagements will be focused around long term objectives (both yours and theirs). If no, you are likely to be in a state of constant conflict. You can probably fool yourself and your customers in the short term, but in the long term you won't fool anyone, including yourself. Quarter-end is going to feel stressful because it’s an amplified version of your daily stress. It may be time to find a company you can be more directly and personally aligned with.

2.      Am I surprising or confusing my customers when I am proposing a sale to them? There is nothing wrong with asking for your customer’s business. In fact this is exactly what many of us are paid to do! But so many of us treat sales as a set of disconnected transactions that our customers cannot connect with. By the time you ask for your customer’s business, it should be the natural outcome to a set of conversations over a period of time. As a sales manager, nothing makes me happier than when we get our “blue bird” deals at the end of a quarter. Ever notice that some reps get luckier than others? It’s not luck, it’s because these reps have been adding value, and their customers are investing in the solutions that solve their business problems. And yes, your customers also have quarter-ends where funds become available (will they think about you?) or need to be spent. That is a very happy intersection!

3.      Finally, know that you will make mistakes (and sometimes your organization will as well), and things aren’t always in your control. I have seen some amazing individuals have epic fails in a quarter. As a sales rep, your job is to ask yourself if you understand what happened, why it happened, and adjust as appropriate going forward. As a manager, your job is know what your reps are doing, whether they are adjusting to current customer or market conditions, and are adding long-term value to both their customers and your organization. There are times you need to deal with a situation that needs to be addressed, but there is also the time to support your reps and help them focus strategically and for the long-term. This is where a manager’s values need to be aligned with their organization’s values. 

In full transparency, I know that in most cases quarter end is stressful, choosing the right approach is hard, and failure is not uncommon. Some of you might be customers I have dealt with and might not have had the experience I am striving for. Some of you might be employees I have managed and I haven’t felt had the experience you were entitled to. Hopefully there are more wins than losses! 

What does shared success (your and your customer) look like at the end of a quarter? It looks the same as it would at any other point in the quarter or the year! Your customer solves a pain, you retire your objectives, and both parties gain value. .  

So if you have a quarter end this week, good luck! But even more importantly, good luck with quarter-ends in 2017. What you are doing right now (e.g. this week) is the most important thing to ensure your future success. Your customers will thank you with their business.

One quick update: Yesterday I ate an entire bag of licorice, so yes the stress is real. :-)