This the season for appreciation and prospecting

It’s that time of the year again. Holidays and the end of the quarter and year increase the difficulty of selling during the holiday season. But the holidays are a great time to take advantage of upbeat, cheerful, and money-spending spirit of the season by showing customer appreciation and engaging new prospects.

Show appreciation

As Eric Clapper, our Customer Advocate, would say, “Every day should be Customer Appreciation Day!” Unfortunately, most businesses don’t have the time to show their customers how much they care every day. The holiday season is a perfect time to show you haven’t forgotten your customers to build momentum going into the new year. There are many ways you can show you care, regardless of your budget. Some great examples are:

• Send custom cards: Hand-written thank-you cards are never out of style. But if you’re short on time, take advantage of a affordable business card service such as Cards Direct.
• Give referrals: Your customers love referrals as much as you do. Burst out your networking wizard hat and refer your customers to someone you know would appreciate their services.

• Give back on behalf of your client: If you have the budget, go an extra mile and donate to a charity in your client’s name. Good deeds make everyone feel better.

Engaging new prospects

Though it is a busy time for everyone, taking a mental vacation from Thanksgiving to the Monday after New Year’s Day and hiding behind the holidays will put your sales number in a slump in January. With proper planning and strategic prospecting, you can turn the holiday season into the best time to get your foot in the door with new clients and/or new customers. Try the following tactics:

• Reconnect with the old accounts: December is the time when people are making plans and planning budget for next year, so drop by with an appropriate gift and let them know about the new features or packages that are aligned that can fit into their planning for next year.

• Expand into new sales territories: There are prospects and decision makers who are in their offices planning for 2014. People are also more open at this time of year to engage with salespeople. Hence, it is the perfect time to pop in and introduce yourself.

Have other tips and best practices that work for you? Share with us on Twitter or Facebook.

Steve Benson

Co-founder | Badger Maps