The Holiday-Bookended Week to Come

Some years I take a vacation. Other years I stay home. Either way, the week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is one of my favorites of the year.

There are all sorts of fun things to do that week, but it’s also kind of relaxing. The rush of holiday shopping is done. I feel like it’s a time when you can finally enjoy the season without the break-neck pace that’s all too common in the crazy weeks leading up to Christmas.

On the work front, that week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is awesome. Very few meetings are scheduled. Most of your clients are in vacation mode. There are no professional networking events to attend. Hardly any of your colleagues show up at the office, and those who do, don’t stick around very long. It’s quiet. In most offices, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. These are ideal conditions for getting things done.

Some sales pros might be wondering what they can do to be productive during the holiday-bookended interlude next week. Here are three things that might be worth your time:

1. Update your CRM – as the year goes by, the data in your Client Relationship Management software system can get outdated. When you’re busy prospecting and closing deals, you don’t have time to clean it up. Next week is a great time to do that.

Also, if you’re not currently using a CRM, and have been putting off setting it up, next week might be the ideal time to finally do that. Do a little research to determine which CRM program is right for you. Then buy it and set it up. Depending on the program you choose, you might have to do some customizing. Then populate your new CRM with your contacts and leads. If you’re going to use your CRM to send prospecting emails, you can set up that process next week too.

2. Catch up on reading and learning – When you’re doing deals, you tend to put off “sharpening the saw” activities. Next week is a good time to read all those articles you’ve been collecting and watch some sales training videos.

3. Finish your sales goals and do them right – You don’t want to half-ass your goals. Make them detailed. Those sales reps who have clear, unambiguous and quantitative goals are more likely to be successful than those who have no goals or lightly developed goals.

If you haven’t finalized your 2023 sales goals, don’t go to your New Year’s Eve party until they’re done!