Do Holidays Help Or Hurt Your Sales?

Tis the season and for some of us it can be good or bad. In my industry (life insurance and employee benefits), it can be a very slow time of the year. People have their priorities in other places, like buying gifts for people they don't like. Yet for a many in sales, it can be the time of year when they make bank.

When I worked retail many moons ago, the holiday season was busy and that translated to my bonus, which came just in time to do my own personal shopping. Car lots do well as they have their "year end" sales events.

And if you're in real estate, selling can still be worthwhile. As Rachel Frentsos says in her blog, "While spring and summer are considered the 'peak seasons' for real estate, many buyers are still shopping this time of year. There are several advantages to keep in mind if you're thinking about buying or selling this season - especially the benefit of less competition."

And that's a great point! Many of your competitors may be spending time doing things other than working during the holidays. I know colleagues who will take all of December off because "no one is buying".

Don't throw in the towel if your sales are down during the holidays, but make sure to keep your pipeline full and you're ready to hit the ground running when the new year starts.

Chris Castanes is a speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. For booking information, click here.

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