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How to Beat the B2B Sales Slump: Practical Tips

We all know the struggle when you enter a new quarter with ambitious goals only to realize that it’s the middle of June. Panic. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance.

 

By the end of July, you’re probably closer to the stage of acceptance and start looking for ways out of the summer slump. And that’s exactly how you ended up reading this article. 

 

It’s your lucky day! We’re about to show you how to make the most out of the slow season and stay productive. And these tips work for any type of slower period in sales.

 

Stay tuned for the practical tips to help you beat the sales slump!

 

The Summer Sales Slump In Numbers

 

You probably can’t wait to read that a bunch of researchers have already proven what you knew all along – the summer slump is a curse, and it affects all salespeople worldwide. 

 

The truth is… the struggle is real. The sales statistics plummet significantly in the summer season for B2B companies. 

 

The fun fact, though, is that the numbers seemed to have improved during the pandemic summers compared to pre-pandemic results. 

 

In 2021, businesses experienced an increase in deal closing rates compared to previous years, especially in Leisure and Hospitality, Manufacturing, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities. 

 

But closing rates alone don’t show the whole picture. 

 

Website traffic, responsible for lead generation, dropped significantly in summer 2021 compared to pre-pandemic times. 

 

Less website traffic means less qualified leads and fewer opportunities for salespeople. 

 

In summer 2022, we can already observe salespeople struggle to keep the sales prospects moving through the sales funnel as travel restrictions are no longer in place. This means no more obstacles for your prospects to embark on a month-long vacation, leaving you to your devices. 

 

Luckily, it’s not a reason to abandon hope to achieve great results and even hit your quota. 

 

Let us show you why.

 

Practical Tips On How To Beat the Sales Slump

 

We could write an entire article filled with encouraging pep talks like: “You got this!” or “Stay motivated!” or “Energize!” But we all know that doesn’t really help.

 

So to make our tips as practical as possible, we incorporated the wisdom of seasoned sales leaders in 6 bite-sized tactics. Enjoy. 

 

Fill Up Your Pipeline

 

While spending days on end calling your prospects in the hope that they came back from vacation may be a solid strategy, it would be even better to spend that time productively. 

 

Refilling the top of your pipeline can be a tedious task for some, especially if you do it for days on end. However, you are sure to thank yourself for that later. 

 

Remember that maintaining your sales pipeline’s health is one of your priorities as a sales professional, and the more time you have for this task now, the easier it will be for you to reach all your targets and hit your quota later. 

 

Catch Up With Existing Clients 

 

By keeping a good relationship with your clients, you ensure they stay loyal longer and don’t churn away. 

 

In summer, don’t miss the chance to reach out to your top clients and ask them how they’ve been doing. Additionally, don’t feel shy to ask for referrals. 

 

Summer gives you a perfect opportunity to reconnect with those you once strived so hard to build a good relationship with. 

 

Use the Opportunity to Upsell

 

Another reason for reconnecting with existing customers is the possibility of finding out whether they are happy with your services, what they would like to change, and, ultimately, upsell. 

 

Sometimes sales are about looking for opportunities in places you never thought you’d find any. 

 

It could just happen that one of your clients suddenly decided to upgrade to unlock new features. Or maybe they don’t even realize they need them. Then it’s your time to shine. 

 

Review Old Leads

 

Remember the prospects who told you to come back to them in six months? Yep, there must have been many of those. 

 

It’s summertime, and it’s high time to revisit these leads and deals. Just follow up on them and find out whether they have any updates on their use case or budget. You’ll be surprised.

 

Ideate Solutions with Managers

 

If you’re struggling to get any good leads in the summer and the deals are not moving forward for you, chances are the same is happening to your colleagues. To know that for certain, bring this topic up in your next team meeting or directly with your sales leader. 

 

Your manager must help you find ways to beat the slump and give good advice on how to make prospects bite. 

 

Never leave your problem unattended, as it may seem like a lack of motivation and productivity on your part. Instead, ask for advice and help from more experienced colleagues or sales leaders. They MUST have something up their sleeves to help you get through to your prospects. 

 

Team Up With Marketing

 

Summer means more opportunities to connect with other departments in your company and develop mutual strategies on how to attract new leads. 

 

You should never underestimate the power of marketing-generated leads, even if their quality sometimes is lower. 

 

Discuss together with marketing managers direct feedback you get from your prospects and clients and the ways it can be used in marketing campaigns. Because no one knows the customer better than a salesperson, which means you can bring a lot of value to the marketing team. 

 

You snooze, you lose

 

Reaching out to your prospects and leads in summer is one hell of a challenge. And if you’ve been in sales for quite a while, you’ve probably learned to anticipate it.

 

Unfortunately, as it often happens, the people who don’t really have time to worry about the summer slump are the ones responsible for setting your quota target. So instead of realistic numbers, your quota goes through the roof. 

 

However, instead of blaming it all on the vacation season, you can embrace the challenge and make the most out of it. It’s all up to you!




Written by

Hanna Karbowski