Crunch Time – My Plan to Drive Q4 Sales and How You Can Leverage It!

Welcome to the fourth quarter! And it’s not just any fourth quarter. It’s crunch time in one of the most difficult years that most of you have ever sold in. Some of you are working towards Club, others are still trying to make quota and a few of you are just working to keep your jobs.

Unusual times call for unusual tactics. This month I’m sharing four key strategies that will help you grow your business over the next 90 days. Some of you will be quick to dismiss these ideas, but the successful sales person always adapts to the environment.

I realize these four ideas won’t work for everyone, but I can guarantee they work. Stop dwelling on what can’t be done and start focusing on what you can do to help your customers and grow your business this quarter.

Strategy #1 – Buy now, pay later
There is a good chance that you have prospects that need your products or services now, but they’re waiting for next year’s budget dollars. This phenomenon takes place every fourth quarter and it’s become the bane of many a sales person’s year-end performance.

Why not put together a program that allows qualified prospects to enjoy deferred invoicing or extended payment terms? This takes extra effort on your part, but the sooner your prospect buys, the sooner they quit shopping.

As I start finalizing my fourth quarter calendar, I’m approaching prospects that might need high impact sales training now, but won’t have funds until after the first of the year. My goal is to create a flexible payment plan that works for them and works for me!

If this sounds valuable to you, give me a call and we’ll find a way to make this strategy work.

Strategy #2 – Cash isn’t always king
Most of you are in the business of exchanging goods or services for cash. Cash is king for growing your sales but for many of your customers it’s currently in short supply.

Have you considered bartering? Imagine the new business and relationship opportunities you could create by trading goods and services.

As a business owner I purchase computers, printers, phones, office equipment, marketing collateral, web services, IT support and lots of supplies. Odds are that some of these businesses would benefit from sales training but in 10 years no one has ever approached me about working out a trade.

Finding strategic bartering partners is a key 4th quarter goal for me, should it be one of yours?

Strategy #3 – Build more value into everything you do
Adding value is a concept that many salespeople and sales executives have a difficult time understanding. Please don’t fall into the trap of believing that every customer values a polo shirt with your logo on it, because they don’t!

Start today by asking your best customers how you can add more value to the relationship. Use this conversation to set yourself apart from every other rep that stops by just to ‘check in’ and see if anything new is going on.

As a result of feedback from my customers, I’ve created a new series of audio sales training tools. I’m bundling tuition to these tele-seminars as part of every live workshop that I conduct. Customers value that I’m able to reinforce great selling behaviors in this cost effective way.

What are your plans to build more value over the next 90 days?

Strategy #4 – Reward people for doing the right thing
In the perfect world everyone likes you, everyone is thinking about you and everyone is sharing leads with you. In reality people have too much to do and you’re not always at the top of their list. So how do you get others to be more proactive in providing you with leads?

Reward them!

In times like this it difficult to get and keep mindshare with others who can help you. Increase your chances by implementing a valuable referral system and reward everyone that helps you get closer to your goals. You could use cash, a gift check, tickets to an event or maybe even a discount on future purchases.

Know of someone who is looking for a great speaker or sales trainer? Facilitate an introduction on my behalf and when that opportunity books, I’ll send you $200 cash!

Until then,

Tim