Long, hot summer for your sales team?

Here in the Philadelphia area, temperatures have been off the charts this summer. Are your sales spiking too, or are you feeling the pinch from sales reps who are dreaming about their next beach vacation instead of logging cold calls? Summer is often a slow time for companies, but it doesn’t have to be. We have some tips for keeping your summer sales productive, at least until Labor Day.

1. Have a contest. Sure, we’d all rather be snorkeling, but it’s possible to have fun at work while increasing sales revenue. How? Try throwing in a summer-long sales contest or put a few bonuses up for grabs to keep your team focused and working towards a goal. A little healthy competition can enliven the summer months, and you’ll likely see results. Sure, it’s not a margarita at the poolside bar, but it will get your sales reps going.

2. Reward your sales team. You don’t have to stage a summer bash complete with Polynesian flame jugglers and mai tais, though you could. A dress-down day or pizza in the break room can be a much-appreciated reward for your team’s hard work. Your employees will be motivated to keep on increasing sales even when other companies are slowing down for the summer.

3. Switch up your approach. Keep in mind that many of your prospects will be vacationing over the summer, which means an email blast might not be the best way to reach potential clients. Who sifts through a week’s worth of accumulated emails when they’re still dreaming about the sun and surf? A catchy direct mail piece might do a better job of capturing your prospect’s attention, and there’s no risk of ending up in the spam folder.

4. Try and try again. Again, the vacation problem. If key contacts are out on vacation, your sales team’s follow-up attempts might be unsuccessful. When it comes to cold-calling, persistence is key. It takes an average of 7 attempts to get a prospect to hear you out, but plan to make even more calls in the summer when vacations claim the attention of many decision-makers.

Can smarter sales software keep your team motivated this summer? Learn more about InsightPRM!