Don’t open until after Xmas; free competition

Do you suffer from “it’s the wrong time of year to be looking at this”?

Everybody is busy with the social side of business. Entertaining clients (and sometimes staff) takes priority. These things are important, but are we judged on how well we act as hosts and business Santa or how well we understand our clients? That does not change. A client is not just for Christmas (or should not be).

So in the opposite direction, when we are prospecting and we get the Yuletide fob-off, that really translates as “I do not see you as valuable or critical to my well-being”. If they did, it would not matter what day of the year it is. It is just that our prospects have this wonderful cover and can sound harassed or jovial according to temperament and we play along, validating their put-down.

We have to remind ourselves to ask the hard questions. What could be harder than “bah-humbug” question like “I get the feeling you are trying to politely tell me you do not see why you should consider my services, that’s right isn’t it?” That is to say we have to call their game. Even if it is wrapped up in tinsel. “Leave us alone. Merry Christmas”

Remember it is never the right time to do business. Now it is Christmas, soon it will be Spring budgets, then they are away for the Summer holiday, Autumn is far too busy and so we should wait till another January.

 It is never the right day to call either. Monday everybody is in sales meetings, Fridays everyone goes home early, and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday they are out seeing clients and suppliers. Empirically my worst day for prospecting and researching interviews is Wednesday. Has been for years. No reason. It’s just Wednesday.

So, accept the Christmas fob-off with good cheer, take another mince pie. Or dare to be different and gutsy and call it for what it is.

Here is a challenge. A free psychometric test plus phone debrief to the reader who has a closing opportunity meeting closest to Christmas. (Winner needs to close for some sort of commitment to a defined next step to qualify)