Over the years, I’ve heard owners complain; “We might as well close down in December.  No one’s mind is on their business; it’s all about the holidays”.

Following that thinking means you can’t do business in January because no one has any money, summer’s bad because everyone is on vacation, spring and fall are bad because of school breaks and on and on.

Thinking like that is self-defeating – you are missing out on untapped opportunities.  Let others languish in December while you dig in and work smart.

Make your 2024 more abundant!

Prepare for a January sales increase.  Ramp up your sales contacts now in anticipation of fresh budgets and buyers anxious for the new year.

Give customers a buy-it-later option.  Fact: people can’t buy everything they want.  They’ve spent their entire budget; thus, they want it and can’t get it.  How can you accommodate them?

Create a “Wish List” opportunity.  What would customers buy from you if they could?  Give them convenient ways to let you know what they want.

Launch something new.  A new product, a new service, an e-book containing valuable information you can give your customers.  Think outside the box, it doesn’t have to be big, but it has to be different.

Sell next year’s items.  What your customers buy in January may be very different from what they buy in December.  What could you sell them NOW?

Add extra charges.  Be very careful when using this technique.  During hectic seasons customers’ tolerance for added freight or expediting fees is higher.  They need what they need, and they need it now.  If you have incurred extra costs meeting their needs, you should be compensated.

You can believe December is a lost month, or you can boost sales and sail into 2024 with a smile on your face and a healthy backlog of orders.

The road is easier together,

Linda Laitala, President
Raven Performance Group