Summer is Here, and so too is Q4. |
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Early June is a great time of the year, no? A bunch of good things happen in June that most always means we're having fun. Certainly the season is coveted and distinctive for many reasons: we just witnessed a Triple Crown winner for the first time in a long while, the Warriors and the Cleveland LeBroners are duking it out (dunking it out??) for the NBA Championship, and of course, baseball is in full swing marking this a great, carefree time of the year. And while many of us are blessed with "summer Fridays", others reply, "what a lark, I'm 24/7 as it is!".
The start of summer also means Q4 is here...well okay, not exactly on our doorstep, but given how fast time flies, it's right around the corner. If you're feeling behind the curve in getting your plans set for the most important selling time of the year, then click here to read about six requisite actions you can take this month to prepare strongly for the year's finish! You know what else is here? Q4 is here too. Not sayin’ Santa is on his way, just sayin’ the year is half over and we’re all staring down the barrel at the most important sales period of the year. Are you prepared? To have a successful year, you have to think beyond next month. To have a successful year, you have to be smart about how you plan for Q4. And if you don’t have your plan in place now, then read on for six specific things you can do to position yourself and your team for success this year. 1. Think about your top customers: get a coverage plan in place for the top 10% of your customer base so that you have something unique or new (or both) to take to them in the next few months. Top clients deserve your top attention, so sit with your team and make sure you are thinking about them in a smart and strategic manner. Do you have any new product offerings to bring them? Service enhancements? What about simple love...is it time for another visit to show you care? Take nothing for granted when it comes to your top customers. Speaking of new products and/or features…check out #2. 2. Product enhancements: is there anything new coming out of your product team that you can use to present in July that will help make Q4 rock solid? Schedule a meeting between you, your top sales managers, and the product team so you communicate about what is needed for Q4. The dialogue between 'Sales' and 'Product' is vital to ensuring that customers will receive what the company says it can deliver! And sometimes, those meetings will create new ideas that drive incremental revenue, which could be the difference between not hitting and hitting your number. 3. Team assessment: do you have to make any personnel changes that will better position you for Q4? Don’t think of it merely as replacing the old with the new (or "top-grading"), think of it as similar to shopping for groceries and cleaning your house the morning of a party, not hours before. Making changes to your team is stressful in the best of times, but distractions are not needed when you’re trying to mobilize and focus people to make their big push for the year. Make sure the right people are on the right assignments now. (It’s good to review that concept every quarter.) Review those who you think are not going to contribute for the big Q4 push and try to find another department in the business for them. Or, make the tough decision and make the change now. 4. Culture boost and attention: what can you do to create the right morale and tone for the final year’s push? Do you have events or anything else (contests, outside speakers, off-sites) planned this summer that will set a positive tone in your work environment? People will work hard if they feel supported, inspired, and challenged and able to succeed. Think about the things you can orchestrate that will fuel those fires. (Hint: think broader beyond summer roof parties and events inspired by booze!) 5. Executive collaboration: schedule 1:1 time to meet with your CXOs and key department constituents to learn what they are thinking for Q4. Obviously your regular executive team meetings will cover important topics, but often people don’t talk in those meetings. Well ok, they talk, they just don’t share all that you need to know. Seek them out individually and dig in to it. Communication is vital. Be the one who drives communication and you’ll learn a lot that will help you for Q4. 6. Sales plan. Review your sales plan, quotas, revenue pipelines, and target accounts with everyone on your team. Make sure everyone is on board with what is expected of him or her, not just in terms of revenue goals, but behaviors too. Be specific in setting all kinds of goals and explain how behaviors drive results. June is the month that you should begin to have a strong grasp for how the year is materializing, i.e. understanding sales cycles, obstacles, personnel issues, product challenges, revenue realization, etc. The list goes on. USE that knowledge to your advantage and re-set your sales plan for the year. And by all means, don’t keep it a secret. Share, share share! Share it with your team and your CXOs and watch the communication channels open to help you. Everyone knows that Q4 is the make/break quarter for the year, so why leave anything to chance regarding how it can turn out? Days are long in the summer, but the season is short. Don’t get seduced by summer hours, get to work now and you’ll be able to sleep more soundly come fall. |