Sorry Jon Snow, But Summer is Coming!

If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, like myself and most of my office, I hope you caught onto which famous saying I was eluding to.

For those of you who are not Game of Throne fans, I was playing off (hopefully successfully) the show’s popular quote “winter is coming.” Throughout the series, between the battles and scandals and plays for power, the characters refer to an even larger and more ominous threat than each other. They keep saying that “winter is coming,” something they are dreading. As viewers we understand that they are not only referring to the season of snow, dark and cold weather, but also understand they are talking about a nonhuman life-threatening force. Aside from Mother Nature there are the White Walkers which pose a serious threat.

Don’t worry I’ll stop there, before I get into any spoilers.

As a fan of the show I couldn’t help but see the parallels in the anxiety and uncertainty winter brings for the characters as it translates into the slow summer months businesses face. In the case of the real world, instead of winter being a danger, many businesses are faced with the summer months disrupting business efficiency, sales and even growth.

Like the holidays, the summer months can feel a little chaotic. People are in-and-out of the office, their kids are out of school, they are away on vacations, and weekends quickly fill up with weddings, BBQs, and graduations. It can sometimes feel like a distraction and interfere with productivity. It’s important to not fall into the trap of being reactive rather than proactive. Don’t let other people’s activity/schedules stop you from creating activity and hitting your sales goals.

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Right now, it’s June which means for most of us it is the last month of Q2. It’s time to finish strong in the first half and kickoff a great Q3. Rather than hope to have a great June and make up July and August in Q4, have a plan to maintain consistency.

Plan Ahead

Your company has goals and a sales quota to hit. Have a plan to execute those goals. Get in touch with your prospects, customers and clients and set expectations. Touch base with them to see what their schedules look like so you can effectively map out your calendar so there are no surprises. You should do this internally as well so you are aware when your team members are planning to be out of the office.

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Build A Pipeline

Don’t find yourself saying “I can’t get in touch with anyone. Everyone is away.” Use “down time” as a chance to get ahead and build a pipeline. Map out prospects, do your research and start connecting. Use June wisely as a time to prepare. Drive more than enough activity for June alone. Push hard so that leads carry into July. Having more activity is better than having no activity.

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Get Creative

You know July may be a slow month so stay positive and persistent and get creative. Work with your marketing team to drive summer incentives. Something that would get the attention of your audience and encourage them to connect. Make it a summer special, something they can’t miss out on. Take advantage of a time that may be slow for your competition as well. Drive sales activity. Be on social media, write blogs that resonate with readers, share what’s happening at the company…corn hole tournaments anyone?

Don’t let July be a month that brings anxiety. Have a plan of attack, utilize your time, stay ahead of the pack and rule the seven kingdoms…I mean come out on top and achieve your goals. Make sure you enjoy those summer months too. Remember, summer brings warm weather, hamburgers, the beach and frozen drinks! Brace yourself, July is coming.