Another Auto Reply in December? Uggg…

Maintaining focus during the holiday season can be tough. Between travel, visitors, and time out of the office, your normal schedule and routines are off — and there’s a good chance your prospects’ are too.

But even though December isn’t business as usual, you can’t stop selling. You’re still responsible for meeting quota. Letting your pipeline suffer this month will definitely have a negative impact on your results next year.

If you need a little motivation, rally yourself with these four reminders.

1) The Likelihood You’ll Reach the Decision Maker Is Higher Than Normal

To connect with decision makers, sales experts suggest calling early in the morning or at night. Executives and senior leaders are hard to access during normal business hours — assistant or more junior employees typically take your call instead.

But the logic goes, at 6:30 p.m. the CEO might be the only one in the office to pick up the phone.

The same principle applies to the holiday season. While many people are away, those at the top of the ladder may stick around or come in to get some work done while it’s quiet.

Keep this in mind next time you start dialing. You could get sent to voicemail, but there’s also the chance you’ll reach the economic buyer.

Additionally, there are a lot less salespeople vying for their attention in December so you chances of having your pitch heard are definitely greater.

2) Set Appointments for “After The Holidays”

Many decision makers are not in business mode and may have their heads halfway out the door. However, by requesting a meeting for “after the holidays”, most execs will be acceptable to such a request. Lock in a date in January and you will be the first in their fresh calendar for 2017.

3) Capitalize On “Use It Or Lose It” Budgets

While some of your prospects have already exhausted their budgets for the year, others will be looking around to spend their remaining funding. Many departments have “use it or lose it” policies: Unspent money disappears rather than rolling over to next year’s budget.

In addition, companies often review last year’s spend to figure out how much to allocate for the coming year. Suppose a senior manager only uses $600,000 of her $700,000 budget in 2016. She’ll probably get $600,000 in 2017.

That manager will probably jump at the chance to spend her remaining $100,000 on a valuable solution while securing her budget for next year.

Others may be looking for a last minute tax deduction.

Don’t let the holidays interfere with your ability to hit — or even crush — your quota. There may be some factors playing against you, but there’s an equal number working in your favor.

Happy Tuesday & Happy Selling!

Kevin