Ways to Avoid Catching the Holiday Unproductivity Bug

Joe Weinlick
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The holiday season brings a unique set of challenges for every sales professional. Unfortunately, too many sales associates become burned out and unproductive. Consider how you can maintain high productivity during the merriest time of the year.

Get on a Schedule

It will be easier to maintain high productivity once you establish a routine. If you sell products door-to-door, commit to a daily travel schedule to make more sales. If you work in the office, set up a schedule for calling contacts, and prioritize tasks accordingly to get results where you need them most. Start working on any year-end projects early to gain momentum over time and reduce last-minute worry. If you deal with customers in-store, meet and greet clients at the door and start helping them right away if needed.

Set Clear Sales Goals

It is crucial to set reasonable sales goals if you want to avoid frustrating yourself while trying to maintain high productivity. Define what minimum sales goals you must reach to stay productive each day. Keep a record of your advancements to determine if you are on track periodically through the day, and don’t be afraid to reward yourself to harness more motivation during the stressful holiday season.

Build Sales Credibility

It can be difficult to achieve greater sales during the holiday season if you lack sales credibility. Although customers are looking for deals to save money, they are also wary of holiday scams and salespeople who may not be credible or trustworthy. If you lack sales credibility with the customer and want to overcome the issue, take the time to understand the needs of your customers and offer only products and services suitable. If a customer has a problem, offer a reasonable solution comfortably within the person's price range. Let customers know you are there to help, and project an amiable service quality instead of relentlessly pressuring folks for the next sale.

Use Technology

Sales associates can maintain high productivity if they take advantage of technology. If you work with clients face-to-face, master the use of the point-of-sale system to perform sales transactions faster and keep customers at bay. For everyone on your sales team to maintain high productivity, communicate with your fellow workers on a mobile device to ask questions and gain reinforcements if necessary. Keep track of your sales goals on a tablet, laptop or smartphone for easy access, and use alarms as gentle reminders to stay focused.

Rest Up

During the restless holiday season, it is important to rest well if you want to maintain high productivity. Customers respond negatively to sales agents who lack energy and enthusiasm, and they may believe that you hate your job. Make sure you rest sufficiently every night and east well so you body can function optimally, whether you are out in the field or making sales calls from the office. When operations grow hectic, take short breaks to prevent burnout on the clock.

It can be difficult to maintain high productivity when your sales job starts to drain your energy, but you can rejuvenate yourself. Reduce the stress surrounding holiday sales using proper preparation, the right tools and good time management.

 


Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net


 

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