summer prospecting strategy for sales

What is your summer prospecting strategy for sales?

I was enjoying the beginning of a New York City summer today when I realized next weekend is July 4th. So it’s officially summer, in my book, on the East Coast. To many people, summer brings vacations. But the first thought that popped into my mind was sales and sales and sales and sales : what a perfect time for outbound prospecting efforts during these next two months.

It’s crucial to keep the business active and ensure a steady flow of opportunities, even during the summer months when customers and prospects may be enjoying their vacations. How often have you heard someone say, “No one is around”? The key is to maintain your outbound prospecting efforts, rather than putting them on the back burner.

Here are three key reasons to have a summer prospecting strategy:

Your market’s needs are still there. Your prospects and customers may be like you and me, doing more with less, working longer, harder, and more innovative to get results. They may appreciate your efforts and relate positively.
There’s less noise. If there is a belief that prospects or customers may be less available, that may mean less outreach activity for more opportunities for those who reach out to connect with prospects and customers.
You’re more likely to find opportunities when you look for them. Keep up the momentum of outbound prospecting to target audiences. The best analogy I can think of is the shopper who is discouraged from attending a sale, thinking it will be too crowded, vs. the shopper who attempts despite the crowds. The shopper who attends despite the odds has a chance to get a great bargain, while the shopper who stays home misses a potential opportunity. Likewise, the prospector who continues outbound prospecting during potentially slower months has a chance to build a pipeline, while the prospector who decreases their outbound prospecting efforts can miss an opportunity and maybe even their number.

What are your thoughts on building a summer prospecting strategy for sales? Do you believe it’s important to maintain outbound prospecting efforts during the summer months?