Don’t look now, but summer is right around the corner. We’ve waited a while for this time to come. However, as the weather warms up, the sales tend to cool down. Ushering at the beginning of summer can also mean ushering at the beginning of the summer sales slump. The sunny days, weekday beach trips, and family vacations will soon serve as your business’ greatest distractions.  Whether it’s your employees cashing in on their well-deserved time off or prospective clients not answering their phones, summertime can be hard on your bottom line.

In an already highly competitive field such as sales, no business can afford to take some time off from generating leads and creating income. So, how can you work to “summer slump” proof your business? We offer a few actionable and proven tips to help your business stay on task this summer.

Planning Ahead

If you’re reading this blog, then you’re already ten steps ahead of your competition. Planning ahead is the single greatest weapon a business can have. If you know that your business is prone to experiencing a sales drop off during the summer, plan accordingly. You should have your summer marketing plan, business goals, assignments and responsibilities tasked out, and your operating systems updated. Don’t wait until the summer to think “I need sales this summer.” Start in the spring and work out a solid plan that will help your business thrive throughout the entire summer.

Don’t Wait
With employees and decision-makers taking vacations en masse, it’s important to get the jump on any qualified leads that come through. You want to work your efforts towards pushing short sales cycles and emphasizing closing deals at an efficiently faster rate. Don’t rush your sales process, but don’t drag your feet either. A sale in the summer should be closed faster than a sale in the winter. If you end up developing an efficiently fast sales process during the summer, it’s possible that you can keep this same momentum going all year long.

Maintain Relevancy
Some industries perform better than others during the summer. A photographer is a business that holds year ‘round relevancy. On the other hand, a professional speaker who specializes in speaking at school assemblies may only have seasonal relevancy. While it’s important to maintain relevancy all year long, your business should really focus its efforts during the times people find your product or service less relevant. Emphasize the aspects of your business that people may not know much about. “Yes, I speak at schools, but did you know I also speak at workshops, summer camps, etc.” Continue to push how you can maintain relevant to people’s needs during the summer. Invite people to take advantage of your online appointment scheduling for faster and easier appointment setting.

Employee Motivation
The laziness of the summer can be contagious. As your employees start to notice the office becoming increasingly emptier each day as their coworkers take vacations, the motivation to work can become nonexistent. Additionally, as prospective clients are taking their own vacations, the phones may be ringing less and less. This can also be discouraging to many. With prizes, free lunches, and other employee incentives, find a way to boost morale for your team.

Client Incentives
On the other hand, similar to how you are incentivizing your employees, prospective clients need the same wining and dining. They are also taking vacations. While they may be curious about your product or services, taking their vacation often holds precedent. You need to sweeten the deal for clients during the summer. If you can swing it, offer summer sales specials and booking discounts for online appointment scheduling.

Your business doesn’t have to fall victim the “summer sales” slump. With proper preparation, a good plan, and the right motivation, you can survive the slow sales season like the pro you are.

To learn more information and tips about how Bookeo can help your business, be sure to visit our site.