Is It Christmas In July For Your Inside Sales Reps?
Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a guest post from one of our Senior BDR's, Sarita Morrison
As I start out the month of July I can’t help but think back to December; as far as sales months go, there are similarities. I, like many people in the corporate world, have a vacation planned and I am excited for it to begin. Sales staff also must contend with time off from the 4th of July holiday, when a lot of decision makers take their family vacation. With all the time off comes the challenge of getting people on the phone. It is easy to get distracted while looking forward to your own vacation and to get discouraged by all the “out off office responses”.
The best way to handle this challenge is by starting the month out with a plan. Like any sales job, we all have goals to hit; whether we have vacation or people are out of the office, our clients are depending on us to still produce. I guarantee your vacation will feel better and more relaxed if you are hitting your sales goal and making bonus. So, I wanted to share some tips that have worked for me in the past.
Break your goal down to a weekly number to keep focused. The week of the 4th seems to be one of the biggest challenges, so I tend to use that week to strategize my month. I sort my activities/calendar by which contacts are the most important based on title and who expressed interest in the past. I spend that first week confirming the right contacts within an organization as the operators and assistants are generally in the office. I also do a lot of no contacting and sending emails looking to reconnect. By week two they will be getting voicemails and calendar invites from me to really try and nail down some time to speak. I also make sure to make reminders based on the out of office responses. For example, if someone is not returning from vacation till Monday I will make sure to contact them on Tuesday. I know if a cold caller called me the day I returned from my vacation I would not have time to speak with them. Be persistent but respectful. Also make good use of your management team if you’re having trouble getting conversations. In most cases they were doing the same job as you in the past and may have different strategies or ways to help from a list perspective.
By staying extra focused during a challenging month and making the time count that you’re in the office you will find that vacation can be more relaxing. This way you’re able to maximize your time out of the office and enjoy the beach without having to check your Iphone, Ipad or Blackberry.