School is almost out at my house and I feel the vibe changing. We're making plans for day trips, road trips, and a vacation. We pack in a lot during the fleeting weeks of summer vacation. And now that it's so close, we're getting excited!
How to Prepare for the B2B Sales Seasonal Slump
The experienced sales leader in me is also a little concerned. Everyone takes time off this time of year, whether they have kids at home or not. Adding an additional layer of complexity to B2B sales. B2B sales is already complex, and it hasn't gotten easier in recent years. Deals can tend to stall or slow during summer vacation, which can take a toll on B2B sellers. We want our sellers happy and productive, so I've created an entire series on strategies and tactics that will help B2B sales in the summer, and carry momentum through the close of the year. You can skip to the actionable items if you're ready to get moving.
At any time if you're ready to jump in and get specific actionable insights tailored to your team, grab a quick chat with me.
This is a weekly series that will run through Labor Day, so let's get started!
Set Realistic Goals
The first thing you need to do is be very realistic. Set clear and concise goals that are achievable. The best way to set achievable goals is to review data - check the sales during this time of year for the last 2-3 years, that way you get a decent average. This will give you a good idea of what you can sell during the third quarter.
Pro Tip: If you're stuck or the last few years have been a bit all over the place, load the stats into ChatGPT and ask it to generate goals for you. Avoid loading any confidential or proprietary data.
Plan Your Tactics
Now that you have your goals set, make a plan for how to achieve them. And once again, use stats to get you there.
What's the closing ratio during the 3rd quarter?
What's the length of the sales cycle for the deals that close in the 3rd quarter?
How many MQLs are generated in the 3rd quarter?
How many of those MQLs convert to SQLs?
Use those stats to figure out how many first meetings you need and how many outreaches you need in order to get those first meetings. Then set weekly targets to keep you on track.
Actionable Items
Conduct your research on relevant stats for the 3rd quarter.
Write out a quick plan with your goals and tactics.
Calendar those tactics and track your progress.
Need help? We've got a coaching exercise that covers this topic in much greater detail, it comes with an unbiased review of your plan. (Very few people get it right the first try.) Inquire at theriseofus.success@gmail.com.
What's Next
Next week we will cover strategies and tactics for a pipeline health check-up, subscribe so you don't miss it. Share with anyone you know who's in B2B business development, we can all use all the help we can get.
Rise of Us is a practice run by Summer Poletti, specializing in revenue growth: sales, strategic partnerships, customer success, marketing alignment. We generally work with financial services and SaaS companies from $2MM - $20MM ARR and help them plan and execute for their next stage of revenue growth. We concentrate on strategy, coaching, and organizational alignment.
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