Odds are if your end of the year sales goals are coming up a bit short, it could have something to do with your preparation in the beginning of the year.  Sales pipelines are called pipelines for a reason, you need to turn the leads on early so they come out clients at the end.  If your pipeline is running a bit dry at the end of this year, your not alone.  It’s been a challenging year, and it has made companies question where to spend both time and money.  The good news is, it is not too late to finish strong and also lay the groundwork for a strong 2021.  Here are 4 easy tips to close 2020 on the right foot, and hit 2021 at full speed.

• Evaluate that ICP

2020 has changed the sales environment a bit, and as a result, your ICP may have changed a bit as well.  Take a look at your customers in the last few months and see what the common ground is.  Are they similar in size, revenue, or title. The beginning of 2020 was a different economy than the end of 2020. Odds are your ICP changed a bit, so focus on that.  It may not be much, but its worth tweaking and building a targeted prospect list around it.

• Explore Different Outreach Methods

The days of calling the office line and asking to connect to a prospect are long gone.  Cell phone numbers are king right now, with the majority of the workforce working at home next to their dog, (or cat if your one of those cat people :).  Make sure you have a quality data provider so you can take advantage of this in your outreach.  Texting is also up, in certain industries.  It may be worth giving it a try, to see if your connection rates improve by sending a text. Another method on the rise is personalized video messaging in email or on Linkedin.  It is much easier to build a rapport when they can see who they are dealing with.  Trust is always key in Sales.

• Change Your Messaging

Ask about a pain point instead of asking for time.  Just get to the point, it’s better to fail or succeed fast in sales.  If you know your ICP well enough, you know the pain points they are dealing with, lead with that.  *Tip – stop addressing the difficulty of these times, its overkill, it’s overdone, no need.

• Build a Cadence and Test It 

Use different touch points and test it.  Test  the number of touch points, based on the determined sales cycle of your ICP. Testing is the only way you can dial in on a sweet spot with your sales process.  You may find that 2 phone calls work better than 3 over a few weeks, or a text right after a voicemail has created more interest.  You don’t know until you try, so test it and track your results.  Do this now, and 2021 will be set up for success.

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