Apply these proven strategies to prevent a summer slump
Oooh summer… A time for relaxing, vacation and enjoying the outdoor life. Swimsuits are taken out of the closet, the barbecue is used on a regular basis and the suitcases are taken from the attic to pack for vacation. However, for sales and marketing organizations it could be a time of reduced productivity and a potential summer slump. It is not unusual for companies to experience a drop in sales during the summer months, but with the right strategies it is possible to avoid this relapse and to even boost your sales during the summer season.
Download our checklist for
a daily LinkedIn summer routine here
Why do sales and marketing organizations experience a summer slump during the summer?
There are a lot of reasons why companies experience a summer slump during the summer months:
🏖️ Vacation period: Many people take a vacation during the summer months, both at the sales organizations as well as the customers. Therefore, there are fewer contact persons available to take decisions, causing the sales process to slow down.
🏖️ Seasonality: Some industries know a seasonal cycle and the summer may be a quieter period for some sectors. This can lead to less demand and thus fewer sales opportunities.
🏖️ Less urgency: There can be a lower degree of urgency among customers during the summer months to take decisions or to start up projects. This can result in a slower sales process.
🏖️ Budget cycle: Many companies operate with a fiscal year that ends in December. During the summer months, they have often already spent much of their budget, leaving less room for new investments.
🏖️ Changing priorities: In the summer, the companies’ focus may shift towards other priorities, like planning events, training or team-building activities, leaving less time and attention for assessing and establishing new business relationships.
🏖️ Competition: Other sales organizations may try to take advantage of the quiet summer by conducting aggressive sales campaigns. This can cause your potential customers to have more options, making it more difficult to close sales.
During my career, I noticed that something else was at play… In the run up to the summer, you notice that sales professionals already expect a summer slump to occur. It is a kind of culture that was created over the years and that plays into the perception that everything shuts down during the summer. This perception can lead to people acting like it, resulting in an actual decrease in activities and results.
Even though these factors can contribute to a summer slump, it is important for sales and marketing organizations to remain proactive and to take action to also maintain momentum during the summer months.
According to a study of LinkedIn, B2B decision makers are still active and involved during
the summer months, of which 63% of the respondents said they do not take time off
during the summer.
How to avoid a summer slump and to boost the summer sales?
Here are a few proven strategies that sales and marketing organizations can use to boost their summer sales to prevent a summer slump:
🏖️ Plan ahead: Start the preparations for the summer well ahead of time. Set specific sales objectives and develop a plan to reach them. Consider offering summer-specific promotions or discounts to attract customers.
🏖️ Stay connected: Stay in touch with crucial decision makers and stakeholders during the summer months, even when they are not at the office or on vacation. Use virtual meetings and other means of communication to stay connected and to help projects move forward.
🏖️ Focus on seasonality opportunities: Look for chances to capitalize the summer season, like selling products or services specifically pointed at summer activities or events. For example: a clothing store could present a summer clothing line or a catering company could focus on outdoor events.
🏖️ Invest in training: The summer can be a quieter time of the year, which makes it the ideal time to invest in training and development for sales and marketing teams. Consider organizing workshops, webinars or other training events to sharpen the skills and improve performances. Discover our summer school!
🏖️ Make use of social media: Social media is a powerful tool to stay connected with customers and to promote products or services. Use social media platforms like LinkedIn to show summer-specific offers, to be in contact with customers and to build awareness. Download our checklist for a daily LinkedIn summer routine here.
A report of Marketo showed that B2B companies have a 9.3% higher conversion rate during the summer months in comparison with other times of the year.
Even though the summer season can pose a few unique challenges for sales and marketing organizations, it is important to remain proactive and to focus on maintaining the dynamics. Act now to make sure your organization is well prepared to be successful during the summer months and beyond.
Have a nice summer vacation! 😎
