Seasonality
'Tis the Season... but not for YOUR reason...
22 December, 2011 08:53
Seasonality is a very real issue when it comes to executive sales. And end-of-year issues affect everyone. I’m not talking about your internal end-of-year sales targets and end-of-quarter quotas. No one (at least none of your customers) cares about that. Unless you’re in the sorry habit of trying to cut low-margin deals just to hit your numbers because you haven’t been able to take care of business properly until it’s almost too late.
And those “last minute specials” really aren’t doing anyone a favor anyway. You trade away your credibility and standing as a true business advisor interested in the customer’s success for a little low-margin volume on product your clients probably don’t really want-- “empty” sales that will make your next target that much harder to achieve. And the customer is stuck with stuff they didn’t really need. More importantly, feeling that once again, someone who should have been looking out for their interests (YOU) was willing to sell them down the river just so you could get your personal bonus.
So forget about yourself. You should really be thinking about seasonality from your client’s perspective. And while the seasonality that affects the clients sales is important, there are cycles and calendar items that are likely even more important when you’re selling at the executive level:
And those “last minute specials” really aren’t doing anyone a favor anyway. You trade away your credibility and standing as a true business advisor interested in the customer’s success for a little low-margin volume on product your clients probably don’t really want-- “empty” sales that will make your next target that much harder to achieve. And the customer is stuck with stuff they didn’t really need. More importantly, feeling that once again, someone who should have been looking out for their interests (YOU) was willing to sell them down the river just so you could get your personal bonus.
So forget about yourself. You should really be thinking about seasonality from your client’s perspective. And while the seasonality that affects the clients sales is important, there are cycles and calendar items that are likely even more important when you’re selling at the executive level:
- Budget cycles-- when you pitch at the wrong time relative to budgeting and forecasting exercises, you will not only miss the window of opportunity, but you’ll have difficulty getting and keeping their attention at all.
- Earnings announcements—for at least a week before and after 10Ks and Qs (or international equivalents) are released, it is not only futile but shows a lack of insight to be putting YOUR stuff on a C Exec’s plate uninvited. Annual meetings, analyst meetings, fundraising roadshows and annual report prep time are all key deadlines that you should be aware of if you want to impress your customer that you understand their pressures and priorities.
- Marketing initiatives—major industry tradeshows, significant new product line launches, massive press junkets and new advertising campaigns can also make it difficult to command the mindshare you need to get the necessary audience for your proposals.
- Regional calendars—pity the sales executive that tries to schedule meetings in Japan between April 29 and May 5 (Golden Week) or in Australia the first Tuesday in November (Melbourne Cup). If you don’t know the local calendar, you don’t deserve their business.
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