TEN EFFECTIVE
STRATEGIES FOR
CLOSING OUT THE
YEAR STRONG
By Jim Marshall and Clint Babcock
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 131
It’s hard to believe the holidays are almost
upon us! Soon, “the meter goes back to zero”
and we’ll be starting another year anew. How
has your year been? Maybe you’re looking
to improve your numbers while you still can.
Or maybe you’ve had a terrific year and simply
want to coast to the finish line.
Whatever your current situation, here are
ten tried-and-true strategies for finishing the
year strong and positioning yourself for a
profitable and productive 2018.
1. Fine-tune your account planning
An account plan isn’t something you create
in January and forget about; it’s a living, nimble
document that sales teams and managers
should consistently update and share
collaboratively in a team selling environment.
Account plans are strategic and tactical
guides to help move future revenues into
the present, based on a clear understanding
of a client’s needs.
2. Devise an end-of-year strategy
Revisit opportunities from earlier in the
year that lost funding or were dropped
by the customer. Remember, funding can
be restored based on client need changes
or the brightening of a financial outlook.
Your understanding of client environments
increases your competitive advantage
and positions you to win deals that your
adversaries have dropped from their radar.
3. Understand customer financing
in Q4
Identify potential excess budget in your
customer’s organization through your
understanding of their historical spending.
Perhaps you can pre-bill for services yet to
be rendered and, in essence, “bank” money for
the client to spend in the next calendar year –
with you! Make sure you clearly understand
your client’s financial calendar and fiscal year.
Remember – it’s not about you!
4. Set actionable goals
If you’re a sales manager, don’t tell your
team, “We’ve got to finish the year strong.”
It’s too ambiguous. Instead, set an actionable
target such as increasing company revenue by
$500,000. Then, demonstrate how achieving
the company’s financial goals will enable
your team members to achieve their personal
goals. They’ll work harder! (For example, offer
bonuses or incentives with something
meaningful to them – cash, days off, vacations,
merchandise, etc.)
5. Optimize your team
Sales managers, now is the time to take
action on chronic underperformers while
there’s still time to salvage opportunity and
revenue from their territories. It’s also time
to onboard new, quality sales representatives
so they can “hit the ground running” in
2018. Even without quality replacement
candidates “on deck,” tolerating consistently
poor performers sends a negative message
throughout your organization. You never
hear sales managers lamenting, “I moved
too quickly on releasing Tom.” It’s always
the opposite.
6. Establish an active LinkedIn®
referral program
Since we all know that referrals have a much
higher close rate, be proactive and explore the
LinkedIn profiles of your existing customers.
If you see connections that you’d like to be
referred into, ask them to do so. Remember to
track your client organization’s LinkedIn page,
as well as those of your individual contacts.
Companies present themselves differently
on their LinkedIn pages than they do on
their websites. And they often update them
much more frequently, providing meaningful
information that you can act on.
7. Be ready to make “close the file”
calls
Don’t be afraid to get a “no.” If a customer
has gone dark on you, make a call and say,
“Since I haven’t heard back from you, I get the
feeling that you’ve gone in a different direction.”
Prospects who’ve moved on but never told
you so will allow you to close the file. On
the other hand, those who simply became
distracted will often move forward with a
deal after you’ve reconnected with them
in this way. Whether you close the file or
identify something new that will help you win
the deal, you’ve been given a gift!
8. Practice strong pre-call planning
and have clear next steps
Every sales call or prospect meeting should
have a clear purpose. As a manager and
salesperson, you should always be able to
answer this question: “Where am I in this
deal and what will it take to progress to the
next step?” If the scenario is ambiguous for
you, it is for your buyer, too. Clarity is key!
9. Schedule client review meetings
Now’s the time for face-to-face meetings
with customers who may present an
opportunity for additional business. Figure
out who they are and what new products
or services you could be providing to them.
Use your client knowledge from account
planning to identify these situations with the
most potential for current business.
10. Identify a “Monkey’s Paw” or two
Small pieces of business that help you
get your foot in the door are sometimes
referred to as “Monkey’s Paws.” Whether
you call them pilots, quick-starts or other
descriptive terms, they’re a great way to
kick off inexpensive initiatives that require
minimal client investment, but position you
to take advantage of next year’s funding and
a much larger engagement.
There’s a chance that not all of these
strategies and tactics will be actionable by
you and your team. But implementing a few
of them now will not only pay immediate
dividends, but will better-enable you to jumpstart
your business in 2018!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sandler Training provides
proven, effective sales, corporate and management
training to high-achieving companies and
individuals throughout Tampa Bay. Call Jim
Marshall or Clint Babcock at (813) 287-1500.
Visit our website at www.jmarshall.sandler.com.