A reader asks, "For my sales staff, August always proves to be a difficult month.  From clients and prospects taking vacations, to decision makers pushing back on signing contracts for no apparent reason, sales seem to grind to a halt.  How can I help them?  What advice should I be giving?"

August.  From sales departments everywhere I hear a collective groan.  Closing sales, always a difficult task, never gets easier during the last month of summer.

Don't Throw in the Towel

All businesses experience slow sales periods.  Listen to their issues, but avoid giving your reps a pass.  Not everyone goes away and stays away for all of August (it just seems that way sometimes).  Business gets done during every month of the year.

Encourage the reps to increase, not decrease, their call volume and to make the majority of their calls early in the day.  During August, many customers and prospects spend the morning in the office, then leave in the afternoon.  

Typical Delays

Usually reps have trouble closing business in August for one of three reasons:

• The rep's direct contact takes a vacation
• The decision maker takes a vacation so they cannot get her/his approval
• The committee making this decision doesn't meet that month

Look Ahead

Start strategizing for September. Meet with your reps individually.  Discuss those of their clients in an August standstill.  Together, come up with questions and a customized plan for each of those accounts for the month of September.

Direct Contact

When the rep's direct contact avoids finalizing a deal in August, coach the rep to try asking questions like:

• What is the first week of September like at your company?
• What projects do you concentrate on during that first week of September?
• When do you see yourself revisiting our proposal?
• What can I do to help with this process during August?

Decision Maker

In a situation where the decision maker has taken time off, advise the rep to ask their direct contact these questions:

• When does the decision maker return from vacation?
• What is her schedule like for the first few days?
• When do you usually meet with her?
• When will you revisit the topic of signing the contract?
• What can I do to help you between now and then?

Committee

If a committee chooses the product or service encourage the rep to ask:

• Which week in September do they usually meet?
• What topics are covered?
• Will my proposal be on the agenda
• When will you know?
• What can you and I do now to assist with that meeting?

Propose a Time Frame

No matter which one of the three scenarios the reps find themselves dealing with, have them ask a version of the following question:

"From our discussion, it seems like you will have discussed our product / service by [approximate date].  Given that, does it make sense for us to meet with week of September 22nd?"

Final Thoughts

Talking to a client in August, about September, allows them to think it through during a time when the fall still seems far away.  Often, they remember the reality of that time period:  How their boss really acts those first few days back, how many emails they need to answer when they return, or the true agenda of the first autumn committee meeting.

By approaching the prospect or client in this manner, the rep asks questions and discusses what September looks like for them before pushing for a meeting.  The key to success lies in listening when they talk about ramping up from the summer break.  In this way, you enter into a negotiation with them for a mutually convenient and productive September meeting.