Modern-Day Sales and Marketing Blog

I had a call with a manufacturing client of mine yesterday.  We were planning some dates for a series of training call for their reps.  We typically do our calls on Fridays, but a very forward-thinking sales person on the other line suggested that we start looking ahead at alternative days.  She stated that it might be hard to get people on the phone on Fridays during the summer.  Not only was she right, but she reminded me that I hadn’t posted my annual summer reality check yet, so here it is … straight off the copy and paste from the last several years with some edits to the specific dates.  This advice will be relevant as long as kids have summer breaks and buying influencers take vacations …

If you do the math, we have 14 work weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2016.  So, do you really think you have 70 business days of productive selling this summer?  Let’s do the real math… 

If you estimate one week of vacation for your decision makers and your two primary influencers at each of your accounts, two weeks surrounding the vacation to get ahead or catch up, and one week for the 4^th of July, you’re down to eight weeks.  Now, add the same for you if you take a week of vacation and you’re down to six weeks (I only took one total week for getting ahead and catching up since selling is your primary duty).  Now, let’s consider all the surrounding people involved in the buying process and their time off this summer and remove at least one more week.

So … you really have about five weeks of selling time this summer.  The interesting thing about this math is that you still have to produce 14 weeks worth of sales.

Do yourself, your management, and your customers a favor and plan appropriately.  Below are a few ideas.

1. Consider these factors when providing a forecast.  Be real now, and your boss will appreciate it later.

2. Ask now – meaning today – about your customers’ vacation time.  Simply ask them if they have any weeks that are bad and whether the opportunity you’re working on will really happen this summer.  Start planning now.

3. Remember – your competition is probably not doing this type of math and likely pressuring your customers.  Be aware of these tactics and take advantage of their unprofessional behavior.  It’s as simple as this: “I know your team is busy this summer and our project might slip to the fall.  However, our competition sometimes pressures customers so they can make their monthly numbers.  I won’t do this, but please keep me in the loop if you decide to move forward before Labor Day.”

Finally, plan a relaxing Labor Day weekend and be prepared to kill it between then and Thanksgiving!