6 Ways to Close More Deals This Holiday Season

Salespeople, it’s time to start hearing the sleigh bells! This can be one of the brightest and most gratifying times in sales history. The level of creativity, resourcefulness and partnering has never been healthier.

But selling in pre- and post-holiday time requires a different approach, different mental stamina, and different selling techniques. Some prospects expect everyone to be checked-out and pick up on the lack of energy themselves. But the holidays also get people thinking about values and personal connections.

MORE ALLBUSINESS:

So, my favorite people, start your engines! Prepare to fly in full sales control, and spin your offerings with your sales fuel food for a winning flight. Integrate more talk about values (yours, your company’s, and your customers’) into your pitches and try out a more personal tone for the holiday season. You will change your business as you move into 2014.

Here are six ways to do it:

Sell Green. Polls show that Americans tend to favor economic growth over environmental protection, but the gap has been closing this year. Green is still a popular angle and if you’re selling to China, it’s been a top concern on people’s minds since 2012. If its sounds, tastes, or acts Green, there just might be a budget. How can your product be recycled? How does it affect the environment? Spin it Green!
Sell Self-interest. People always want to hear how it will affect them, them, them. They’re looking for ways your solution will change their lives, and also how it will impact their social and ecological values. Tell them!
Sell your Smile. Web cameras continue to take the place of making an in-person appearance. So when you call, remember the webcam. Dress for success —at least from the waist up. Set up Web demos now as a fun holiday treat, and check in on your prospects.
Sell Multiculturally. Today, about 24 million Americans work in the 24/7 culture, and they don’t all look like you. Educate yourself on their buying habits, values, and simple etiquette. Be prepared to speak with a culturally diverse group.
Sell Loyalty. According to a Huffington Post poll, people’s employment outlook is still on the low side. Even when the economy eventually recovers (and I mean more than “officially”), pervasive dissatisfaction and anger will not disappear. Treat your employees to holiday cheer now and all year round. Their loyalty will grow and you won’t experience high productivity slumps.
Sell Smart. Everyday there is a new sales intelligence tool out there to help you sell smart. There’s no such thing as cold calling when you have so many ways of finding out about your prospect. Do your homework and come in prepared.

Josiane Feigon is author of Smart Sales Manager, nominated for Top Sales & Marketing Book 2013, and the best-selling Smart Selling on the Phone and Online.