Change focus

Skip the pipeline review. Forego the sales forecast discussion. Ask each salesperson to make a list of those 2, 3, or 4 (or hopefully more) accounts they honestly feel they can close in '09. Focus on those accounts through the end of the year.

Have in-depth discussions

Come to staff meetings with a list of questions for the sales staff, and don't accept anything less than detailed, thoughtful responses. After all, they put these particular accounts on their list of '09 "closables."

Such questions can include:

• Why do you feel you can close this account by the end of the year?
• Why would they benefit from buying before the end of the year?
• Why haven't they bought before this?
• Who is in favor of purchasing?
• Who is against purchasing?
• What are their key objections?
• What do they like about the product?
• What other vendors are they seriously considering?
• What do we need to do to get their business?

Ruthlessly purge

If the sales representative cannot answer all of these questions for each and every account on their list, send them back to get the information. If they don't come back with answers, the account needs to be taken off their list.

This is not the time to allow the salesperson to "sell" you on the idea that they can close this or any other account. The likelihood of the sale taking place without this information is nil.

Avoid a full-scale price reduction

I am not an advocate of dropping the price "in the hope that" the prospect sees what an unbelievable deal they're getting and signs the contract. Rather, I advocate determining their interest level in buying the product at year end, then working to get any obstacles out of the way. This can include lowering the price. But only after they have agreed that if you offer a 20% discount, they will purchase.

Offer additional services

If a client typically pays for any special products or services in addition to their primary purchase, it's fine to offer those items at a lower cost or no cost at all as a year-end incentive. As with the price reduction, offer these deals after they tell you that purchasing those items separately is standing in the way of their buying from you, and that they will buy before the year end if those items are included or reduced in price.

Coach your sales reps

During this time of year, good sales reps speak to their closeable prospects with a sense of urgency - not desperation, anger or impatience. Rehearse and role play with the reps to make certain that they are conveying the right tone when they make these calls.

Add incentives

Find additional money for fun, inexpensive rewards somewhere in the budget. If you want to produce a sense of urgency in the reps, give them something to be urgent about. For obvious reasons, gift certificates to shopping malls are quite popular during this time of year.

Missed opportunities and disappointing year-end sales can result from reviewing accounts as usual in the last month of Q4. Focusing on the accounts that could legitimately close before year-end can make for a productive December.