In the world of B2B, it’s known that the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is sales slump central. During this time most B2B companies decide to focus on gearing up for the new year instead of making new sales. Why? Because with more buyers taking time off for the holidays, sales teams are left with the daunting challenge of closing deals with unavailable leads.
So, will the holiday season bring record sales? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean your company can’t benefit in other ways. Check out our top 7-holiday sales tips for B2B Companies.
1. Set Realistic B2B Holiday Sales Goals
Going into the holiday season, it’s important to think about what success for your company will look like. You might just want to grow your audience or reward your customers for their loyalty, and that’s okay. You may also be aiming to meet your end-of-year sales goal. Whatever the scenario, it’s important to take a step back, acknowledge that this is a sales slump season for many in the B2B market, and set expectations accordingly to ensure you reach attainable goals and set reasonable expectations for your sales team.
2. Offer Holiday Sales Incentives To Your Sales Team
A great sales season is only possible with a stellar sales team. To motivate your sales team during a sales slump season, incorporate holiday sales incentives.
Performance Bonus
Salespeople are competitive by nature. They have to be to drive engagement and gain opportunities. Use this passion to gain holiday sales with a performance bonus. Offering real, attainable rewards to salespeople will motivate them to perform better.
Have Fun!
The right motivation can come from rewarding your sales team with fun. For example, provide weekly rewards to top sellers. This could be a simple paid-for lunch, or a gift card to their favorite restaurant. In addition, an office holiday party can bring the team together like never before and provide the push they’ve been needing. ‘Tis the season of giving, and your sales team will feel valued and encouraged to keep performing well if they’re having fun.
3. Emphasize Relationship Building
The holiday season is a great time to showcase your company’s human side. Relationships and sales in B2B are often built on personal connections between your clients and your staff. This holiday season, emphasize relationship building and talk with your audience, not to.
As the year comes to an end, clients are likely finalizing their budget for next year. Make sure you make the cut by remaining a customer-centered business this holiday season.
- Get Personal – Ask not only about company goals but what the prospect’s personal goals are for the year.
- Be Trustworthy – Do what you say you’re going to do always even if a sale won’t happen well after the holidays.
- Make customers feel valued – If you are using a CRM, add a specific data field dedicated to the individual and record their hobbies, what’s important to them, their interests, and figure out what you can do to contribute to their lives in a meaningful way (like donating to their favorite cause for example).
4. Incorporate B2B Holiday Marketing
Marketing during the holidays isn’t just for B2C brands. B2B companies can engage clients and prospects with fun and relevant campaigns during the holidays.
Email Marketing
Every marketing channel has its advantages, but email is particularly effective for promoting B2B holiday sales. Email marketing is one of the most effective and widely-used promotional channels during the holiday season. In 2021, 78 percent of marketers saw an increase in email engagement. The holiday season is a special time of year when your email campaign has a huge opportunity to shine and convert leads.
- Offer holiday specials through targeted email campaigns.
- Upsell to your existing customers.
- Send holiday catalogs.
Social Media
The holiday season is an exciting period for social media managers. It’s an opportunity to get creative, have fun, and drive engagement during the busiest time of the year. It also plays a large role in connecting leads to the sales team. Holiday promotions start earlier and earlier every year, so now is the time to get started.
- Explore new platforms or utilize features you’re not currently using.
- Promote charitable giving.
- Run holiday ads.
- GET CREATIVE!
Content
Keep the seasonal celebration going and sustain interest for longer by implementing holiday-themed content. During the holidays many of your prospects are traveling, or trying to escape their family, and have more time to read your valuable content. Don’t believe us? According to a study, it takes American’s less than four hours before needing a break from extended family during the holidays. Your content is the escape they’re looking for, so make sure it’s captivating.
- Blogs
- Guides
- Landing Pages
- Email campaigns
- Social Media Posts
5. Offer B2B Holiday Discounts
The holiday season is traditionally also referred to as the discount season. And how could it not be? With Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Holiday special pricing, it’s a game of giving a discount or getting passed on. While the holiday season is a time for spending, it’s also when buyers are looking for the best bang for their buck. While a B2C business has it easier because their decision-making period for buyers is shorter, a well-done promotional campaign for a B2B company can experience great results. Try incorporating the following holiday favorites into your marketing and strategies for the holidays.
- Bundle Deals
- Black Friday
- Cyber Monday
6. Encourage End of Year Budgeting
October and November are the prime months for creating a new year’s budget. This is the perfect time to create a campaign that will catch their attention and allow them to set aside a budget for your product or service. Make your messages more urgent by including a sense of urgency about setting a budget now for your product/service. By bringing their budget to the forefront, they may be more inclined to put you in their budget for the next year.
End of Year Tax Saving Opportunities
What better way to budget for the next year than lowering your taxes? If you’re in need of new business products, the end of the year is the time to do it. Instead of having to depreciate the item over several years, you’ll be able to deduct the entire amount in a single year.
How? Thanks to IRC Code Section 179, you can take the immediate deduction of business expenses related to depreciated assets.
7. Nurture Current Leads
Taking time to spend with those who matter most is the hallmark of the holiday season. Shouldn’t that philosophy extend to your sales funnel as well? This is a great time to create a re-nurturing campaign. To get started you can center your marketing around the holidays or an end-of-year budgeting campaign.
Do: Send an email campaign that’s relevant to the lead. For example, a friendly holiday sales email or end-of-year budgeting campaign.
Don’t: Send a generic “Haven’t heard from you in a while” email.
Do You Have a B2B Sales Strategy for the Holidays?
The holiday season is a busy time, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of the incredible sales opportunities available. Remember to keep it festive, light, and jolly.
Anxious to improve sales? 360Connect is here to help!
At 360Connect, we source high-quality, true-intent prospects and deliver them directly to you daily. Improve your sales and grow your business with our help.