The end of 2020 is nearly here, but there’s still one quarter to go. For many sales professionals, the fourth quarter is the biggest one of the year – and sales leadership can set up their teams for success.  

Here’s how leaders can prepare their teams for the best Q4 to date. 

1. Set clear goals. 

Sales teams that are already on track to meet their annual goals may slack a bit in the fourth quarter when it comes to setting goals. Yet a lack of clear goals can lead to lackluster performance. 

Leaders can help sales teams stay on track by reviewing their performance to date. Help team members see how they’ve reached the goals they’ve already attained, then work backwards to determine what work would need to be done to reach an even more ambitious goal. 

2. Encourage early planning. 

Q4 often feels as if it moves faster than the other three quarters in the year. In fact, sales professionals really do have less time to achieve their goals in these three months. For instance, November is only 30 days long, and many people travel during Thanksgiving weekend, further reducing the time available to make connections. Likewise, December is a popular month for vacation time, meaning valuable contacts are out of the office. 

Encourage your staff to get out their calendars and set essential dates before the fourth quarter begins, or as soon as possible after October 1. Early planning can help everyone meet their goals.  

3. Build personal connections. 

During the fourth quarter, many people’s minds turn to holiday planning or their own business’s end-of-year concerns. Encourage your team to stay connected via email and telephone.  

For example, providing email and phone contact information to clients can help them reach out if they change their minds or finally have time during their vacation to consider your team’s offer. If your own team members are going on vacation, remind them to update their contacts so customers know how to reach them.  

At SMR Group, our recruiters connect our clients in the medical device, pharmaceutical and biotech industries with some of the best sales and marketing talent available in the field. To learn more, contact us today.