‘Tis the season for fall festivals, trick-or-treating, meal planning, turkey carving, tree trimming and decorating, and gift giving. While many entrepreneurs and business owners utilize the slowdown of the end-of-the-year season to break away from the day-to-day grind, others are focusing on ramping up their efforts for the holiday quarter in order to effectively close out the year as strong as possible and get a jump on the new year. While many businesses find that the holiday quarter is the slowest time of the year, most realize that it is the absolute best time to increase revenue and generate success. In this brief guide, you will learn how to run a highly effective holiday quarter.
1. Plan Effectively
It is a known fact that nothing in the business world happens by mere “chance”. The overall success in which your business will experience during the holiday quarter is based on effective planning. If you fail to plan, your plan for holiday success will fail. You should determine methods that will aid in improving the overall morale of those that work in your company, the customers that depend on your products and/or services, and creating an unforgettable experience for all.
2. Focus on Tasks That Drive Success
The next method to ensure an effective holiday quarter is to focus on tasks that drive the success of your company. Examples of these tasks include generating leads, following up with leads, marketing your products and/or services, presenting what your company offers and closing. If you focus on these tasks, you will quickly discover that it is possible to reap numerous rewards during the holiday season.
3. Promotion Motion
If you are seeking to harness the potential of the holiday quarter, it is important to get a promotion in motion. You may offer special discounts, sales events and even festivities that get customers moving around on your site or in your store – the choice is yours! Simply use the excitement of all of the holidays during the months of October, November and December to generate buzz and excitement. You should utilize all possible promotion outlets to get your promotion in motion. These include email marketing campaigns, social media accounts, traditional mail and even video marketing campaigns!
4. Fun in the Fourth
The next step to an effective holiday quarter is to have a little fun in the fourth! Most of your customers and previous leads are ready to relax, unwind and enjoy all of the festivities of the holiday season. This is the absolute easiest and the best time of the year to reconnect and establish relationships with your clients and your leads. People are, naturally, more social this time of year. They are more open and receptive. They are more willing to “give” and more opt to “buy-in” to your offers – especially if they are fun and festive!
5. Prospect
The final step to ensuring an effective holiday quarter is to engage in a bit of prospecting. You should assess all opportunities at your disposal. You should evaluate your old prospects, and once finished with your review, start the “reload” process of attracting those prospects. You should search for key markets in your industry and develop a plan to integrate them into your final quarter. While the year is drawing to a close, you have the ability to initiate a new start for your company. Endings are often just what is needed to create new beginnings. Join the festivities, get excited, and have a little fun! If you follow these steps, you are sure to find that your revenues increase and that your holiday quarter is filled with success!