This time of year can be one or more of the following emotions for sales leaders:

• Frustrating
• Exhausting
• Exciting
• Relaxing

Pushing Deals vs. Taking a Step Back

Are you the type of sales organization that wants to push deals at the end of the year to hit your ‘numbers’? Of course, everyone wants to close out a month and year with as much revenue as possible. The question is more of – is that number critical to the business or is it a vanity metric for reps and the team?

Do you have the type of team that takes the foot off the gas at the end of the year? (Don’t read that with any negative judgment…some industries do not benefit from a end of year push, and most teams need some for of off season/down time.)

Or…is it some combo…you want to finish strong, yet some/all of your team wants to check out?

The Key to Effective Year-End Sales Leadership

The key for sales leadership, that I have found from the successful teams I have been a part of and observed, is that first you must determine the appropriate game to be played at this time of year and then set the proper expectations for everyone involved (especially the leadership above you). 

I mean, really this should be how you operate all the time, but I think this time of year can cause issues where the company’s expectations do not match the team’s desires.

And of course, a lot of this can stem from the target prospect’s feelings about buying your type of product around the holidays. Is it important to them? Do they have the budget? Do they care right now? Or are they distracted with work, life, holiday parties, vacations, holiday shopping, spending money on other things, etc.?

Like I wrote in the Selling Effectiveness article [https://www.sellingeffectiveness.com/push-forward-sell-more-take-a-break], I always think you can close deals – you might just have to work harder, longer, and do more. But what makes sense for your team?

The Sustainability of Constant Sales Pressure

Again, if not careful, some level of leadership might just try to assume that everyone should be making sales all the time.

That is just not sustainable. Sales is a hard profession. Even for great salespeople, they are constantly trying to sprint through a marathon. Time is money. Money never sleeps. Taking time off (for most salespeople) means they aren’t making money. Sure, they might get some PTO, but they aren’t there for the base pay…hopefully.

If you don’t plan an off season, and set that expectation throughout the organization, then your team will burn out. Some will leave. Some will get sick. Some will just tire out and perform less.

Is Now the Time for an Offseason?

So is now that time of year for an off season? That is only something you know.

Here is the main key…if it’s the right time of year to take the foot off the gas, then do it fully. If that time of year is somewhere else during the year, then keep supporting the team to do everything that can.

If someone is still feeling they “should” work and be busy, but they need some downtime, then they won’t get either of them done very well. They won’t work hard or be focused. And they won’t get to relax like they need.

Balancing Work and Rest: A Personal Insight

I can be the same way, if I am not careful. My mind is constantly thinking about work, business, writing, recording stuff, ideas. Moreso, my mind is constantly running through the list of all the things I could and/or should be doing. And I mean always…always telling me “you should be writing _____” or “instead of sitting around, you should be recording _____”.

If I let it run out of control, while I am trying to take a day off and being with my wife or even just hang out – I feel guilty for not getting more done. Then what happens is that my mind is feeling guilty, and I not present. I am stressed internally. So I am not enjoying the downtime. I am not getting to relax AND I am not getting “things done”. I am not winning in either category.

I have learned that when I am working – I am all in. When I am not working, I give myself grace to just turn it off and relax. Now there are times, like on the weekend, where there are things that I feel I could do and it would help my brain check the box. Then I can get back to relaxing. But most of the time I do what I can during the week to leave it all on the field each day, such that when I work I work, and when I relax I relax.

Conclusion

For your team – where can you support them in the same way? If you don’t, they wont be productive AND they won’t get any needed downtime. No one can sprint a marathon perpetually. What makes the most sense this time of year for your team?