It?s common to hear sales professionals complain about a decline in sales at this time of year. The phenomenon goes by many different names?the summer downturn, the seasonal slump, the vacation drop-off?but they all share one thing in common: slow sales that we tend to blame on time of year.

What?s Behind The Summer Slump?

Certainly there are seasonal variations in many industries. But there are also reasons for slumps that we fail to consider. And unlike true seasonal variations, they?re reasons that are within our control.

Summer, it seems, has a way of taking us off our game, and there?s a fine line in sales between being fully engaged in the game, and simply going through the motions of our daily routine.

Many sales professionals work hard through the first half of the year and, naturally, look forward to enjoying the summer. And that tends to dull our edge. Add to that the temptation of the golf course, the outdoor patio, and the cottage, and what little edge we have left is often parked next to the marina or the beach.

When that happens, we?re not as quick to return calls. Our prospecting and lead follow-up efforts get put off till tomorrow (and we all know that tomorrow never comes). We arrive to the office a little later and leave a little earlier.

We still go through the motions, but without the intensity, without the urgency and without the edge. We are physically present, but mentally checked out.

5 Ways to Beat the Summer Slump

The real cost of the summer slump can be much greater than we realize. Sales has a cycle, and it?s the efforts of the next sixty days that are rewarded in the sixty days after that. Drop the ball in the first sixty, and before you know it, November has arrived and the year is almost over. The summer slump can become a fall disaster if you don?t maintain some momentum.

But, isn?t it fair to enjoy summer? To have some cake and eat it too? Let me share with you a few ideas that will allow you to completely enjoy your summer without losing the edge.

1. Work when you work and play when you play. Get a calendar out and decide when you are going to be off. Block off your holidays. Maybe you want to take Fridays off for the summer or Wednesday afternoons? Decide in advance, and be off when you?re off be off and be on when you are on. (And by the way, you?ll enjoy your days off far more when you’ve had very productive days on.)
2. Set a summer sales goal. Decide how many sales you will do over the summer. Write it down and post it someplace where you?ll see it every day. On you work days, work full out and only do what is moving you closer to that goal.
3. Create a marketing plan. Pick up a 60-day dry erase calendar and write out your summer marketing plan. Keep it where you?ll see it daily.
4. Don?t fall for the summer sales story. While there might not be as many sales in summer, there are not as many sales people working either. This is an opportunity for those that are in the game. There are going to be deals done this summer?the question is whether you will be the one doing them.
5. Create a great celebration for hitting your summer sales goal. Take your life partner away for a long Labour Day weekend. Reward yourself with something you?ve wanted for ages. Give yourself something to look forward to if you hit your goal, and take the time to celebrate.

The best part of having a highly productive summer? It leads to a highly productive fall and a strong finish to the year!

What ideas do you have for having a highly productive summer? Share them with us in the comments.