The summer sales excuse

Gary Harvey //July 19, 2012//

The summer sales excuse

Gary Harvey //July 19, 2012//

Summer is in full swing. The weather is hot, vacations are plentiful – and so are the excuses for not prospecting. 

Be honest, do you say or think the following excuses for not prospecting?

“Everyone is on vacation this week (this was a great one to use the July 4th week), there is no point in making my dials, no one returns calls in the summer” and many more. If you’re using these excuses, you are not alone, but you are missing out!

One of our sales associates shared his prospecting results for Tuesday afternoon, July 3, plus the Thursday and Friday after Independence Day. Our sales associate reported a much higher than normal record of “significant conversations” because business owners and executives were often the only ones in the office and answered the phone themselves. The gatekeeper took a vacation that week.

We know that amateur salespeople frequently don’t even try to prospect on those days, as well as many other summer days, because they believe no one will be there to answer; or they buy the “call me next week” or “call me after the holiday” stall. The bottom line: that’s a myth. Many business owners or key decision makers are working, and if you are not prospecting them, your competition will.

Remember: Your client is your competition’s prospect!