Salespeople are quick to use December and the holidays as an excuse as to why they can’t close any sales.  Yes, December is different than any other month of the year, but for that reason, it creates some huge opportunities to close sales.

Here are 7 advantages to selling during the holidays: 

1. It’s the end of the year for a lot of companies, and that means residual budgets need to be spent. 

This has been a good year for many companies, and as a result, many are willing to make buying decisions they were hesitant to do earlier in the year.

2. The New Year offers new budgets, allowing for sales to be made and invoicing laid out to bill some this year and some next. 

Working with your finance department can open up any number of new opportunities to help customers now.

3. The year-end brings a lot of internal meetings and discussions about the year ending and the year ahead. This creates opportunities for you to leverage now.

4. December is the month where people are most likely to reflect back.  In that reflection, they better understand problems they didn’t deal with properly.

There is nothing quite like a customer realizing they have a problem you can help them solve.

5. People tend to be more relaxed and more open with their comments, which allows you to gain new insights.

Many companies find themselves slowing down in December, which can make customers more willing to share with you information they wouldn’t normally share with you.

6. The end of the year is a perfect time to call every one of your customers to thank them for their business. 

Your calls can and will open up new opportunities.

7.  The gatekeepers are often the people with the most vacation time to use up in December, meaning your calls to the person you can’t reach at other times of the year may just get through.

Contrary to traditional thinking, December is a great month to be selling. Don’t allow yourself to be swayed by the masses. Don’t look at the holidays as a time to kick back and relax. Let your competitors take that route while you go out and make it happen. 

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter,” is author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price. He is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. He was named one of the Top 50 Influencers in Sales by Top Sales World.  To receive a free weekly sales tip and read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com. You can also follow him on Twitter, on Facebook and on LinkedIn.

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