Your Summer Slowdown Starts NOW!

Note: I actually covered this issue in a recent video sales tip, but it bears repeating. It is simply that important!

Welcome to the first day of spring! It is time to get your summer slowdown going.

That’s right! Because the selling cycle is typically three to six months (the time period between, “Hi, my name is Bill.” and “Thank you for your first order.”), you’d better get going if you want to have your fabled slow sales period this year. To make it easy for you, Printing Impressions has sanctioned me to offer you an easy check list:

1. Make the assumption that summer slowdowns are inevitable. There is nothing you can do about them.

2. Don’t make any new business calls (either to new or existing accounts).

3. Put in a minimum amount of sales effort.

That ought to do it, gang. Good luck.

Oh, and I was also asked to balance out the equation and write something for the minority of reps who believe in the insane notion that putting in sales effort now and for the next, say, two months will actually result in a busy summer of sales.

I know. Crazy, right?

It’s as if the summer slowdown is—get this—avoidable. The theory is that by doing an extra number of calls now, sales in June, July and August will be brisk and profitable.

Hey, some people believe we actually walked on the moon, too, so go figure.

To those misguided few, I offer the following advice as a way to avoid the summer slowdown:

1. Make a commitment to sales. That is, make it a priority to take any and all opportunities to make sales calls.

2. Starting this week, make an extra number of sales calls. Doing five more a week between now and the first day of summer is sufficient to create 10 new sales appointments. That’s just one extra call a day.