4 Tips to Help You Close Q4 Out Strong
We’re in the home stretch of Q4, and all of this year’s goals are quickly barreling down upon us, for better or worse. Some people view this as a time to relax and take their foot off the gas, but the truth is that keeping up the momentum can help you not only close the year out strong, but get a head start on selling for 2022.
We wanted to help you end the year on a high note, so we’ve put together some tips to help you end Q4 on a high note. While none of these are a silver bullet, they can help you change your mindset and get where you want to be without begging for new deals.
Here are four tips to help you close Q4 out strong:
1. Understand where you stand
You can’t figure out where you’re going until you figure out where you are. Take stock of your pipeline, review your deals in process, and, perhaps most importantly, try to forecast as accurately as you can. Are you on track to hit your goals? Will your pipeline be completely empty come 2022? Or do you have a bunch of stalled deals that could potentially close with the right amount of effort? Once you have an accurate snapshot of where you stand, you can take the right steps to get where you need to be.
2. Circle back to the year’s “maybes”
Over the course of the year, you’re likely to have encountered prospects who wanted to hold off, or ones who asked you to follow back up with them a few months down the line. Now is the time to reach back out, especially given the end of the year. It’s a perfect time to let people know you’ve been thinking about them and want to see if they’re ready to pull the trigger before the end of the year is up. Some will say no, but you’ll be surprised at just how many prospects will appreciate the follow-up. So set aside some time, and start the outreach.
3. Get help from your sales manager
You are not an island, so you shouldn’t hesitate to use your sales manager as a resource to help you close. Especially now, at the end of the year, it’s a perfect time to ask for help. While it’s fairly uncommon, you can even ask your sales manager to call a prospect who is on the fence in order to “second-voice” the deal. Hearing from someone else will not only make a prospect feel valued, it might be exactly what’s needed to put them over the edge. No matter which approach you take, don’t be shy about asking for help. If there’s ever a time to do it, the end of the year is it.
4. Offer incentives
While discounting isn’t something you want to make into a habit, the end of the year is an excellent time to offer incentives. Not only do prospects expect a better deal, but your management is likely to be more flexible in order to hit (and exceed) their annual goals. But make sure you use the incentives strategically. Don’t throw them out willy-nilly. Instead, ask for a commitment in exchange for a discount. Get something in return for your incentive, otherwise you’re giving stuff away for free. But don’t shy away from using every trick in the book. If there’s ever a time to do it, the end of Q4 is it.