Gaining a Competitive Advantage in August

Believe it or not, the dog days of summer actually present a golden opportunity for salespeople who want to either penetrate new accounts or get deeper, wider, and more strategic within their existing accounts.

Were you aware that in the summer, the average number of sales calls customers receive tends to decline significantly (up to 37% according to a recent survey)? This phenomenon happens because decision makers and project teams often take vacation during the months of July and August, while their children are out of school. This, in turn, translates into fewer follow up calls hounding your customers, and less initial sales calls, as sellers lessen their efforts by simply assuming they have a lower chance of success. And, the fact that less business tends to get transacted during the summer doldrums is something that perhaps you can use that to your advantage.

Learning how to selling effectively during the entire twelve month period is one of the secrets of over-achieving your sales goals year after year. While it is true that purchase decisions sometimes get pushed off during the summer months because of vacations, business rarely grinds to a complete halt. An opportunistic salesperson knows that not everyone goes on vacation, and they certainly don’t all leave at the same time. That realization creates windows of opportunity for the more creative salespeople to further solidify relationships, build momentum, and position their products to be the top choice when business resumes.

Essentially, you have less competition for the customer’s time and attention between now and Labor Day. Granted, you still have to call with a purposeful, relevant, and mutually valuable reason, but it’s definitely easier to get mindshare when there are fewer people knocking on the door. Of course, the week after Labor Day will see an explosion in the number of sales calls, as sellers all bounce back from their respective vacations and assume customers are ready to do business. Getting through during that busy period can be very difficult(if not mind-numbing), for both the salesperson and the customer.

I believe in getting ahead of the curve anyway. For example, by the time the actual request for proposal is distributed to the public, unless something out of the ordinary happens, the vendor who helped the customer craft the criteria for the decision is already in a unique position to win the business. So why wait?We are at the beginning of August and there are companies who are going to make strategic decisions in the next 60 to 90 days. If you are the one who picks up the telephone and initiates contact, then you could find yourself with a distinct advantage come decision time. And if the key decision maker happens to be on vacation, then make a note to follow up with them next week.

Me, I’ve always tried to avoid battling the masses. During the holidays, I tend to do my shopping during off-hours. And you will never see me lined up at the front door of a Walmart on Black Friday—the day after Thanksgiving. Likewise, I find the ski slopes are nearly empty in the mid- to late afternoon, and the beach clears out by 6:30pm. That’s why I always regarded August as a great selling month. Many of your competitors are essentially asleep at the wheel, and it’s a great time to plant seeds that will take root and be ready to harvest at just the right time in the fall. Especially if you haven’t ever tried it, put the pedal to the floor this month and see if it doesn’t bring you the desired return on your invested sales effort.