Sales Motivation and Summer Prospecting

Sales motivation seems to always be more difficult in the summer months.  Staying motivated to sell when everyone around you is taking time off can suck the life out of nearly anybody.  Here’s the deal:  It’s during those periods when so many people are starting to slack off that you can have your most productive prospecting time. 

Next week, we officially kick-off summer in the US with Memorial Day.  Even though it hasn’t actually arrived yet, I’m already hearing salespeople say how slow it is and how they’re coasting into the long weekend.  Although it’s unfortunate for them, as a result of their lack of effort, the door is open for you.  I’ve found that making prospecting calls on the eve of a holiday or the day after it are always great times to reach people.  First off, many people are not in their normal work mode and, as a result, they’ll be more open to receiving a phone call.  Secondly, I’ve found people are often extremely impressed you’re making prospecting calls when most people are knocking off.  This gives them a level of confidence in you.  Finally, by prospecting during these “off” periods, you can many times reach someone who is in pain and ready to buy purely because you called at the right time.  They want to get their “pain” dealt with before they leave for the holiday.

As easy as it might be, don’t slack off this Friday or next Tuesday.  For that matter, don’t slack off on any other Friday throughout the summer.  Come fall, you’ll thank yourself for the additional business you’ve done.