Crunch Time: Making the Final Quarter Count in Sales
As we approach the final quarter of the financial year, the pressure is about to be dialled up for sales teams…and some of your frontline team will step up and deliver, and some just won’t!
Let’s be honest: sales is a results-driven caper, and there’s nowhere to hide – and managers (like coaches) notice who steps up at this time of the year. Those who consistently deliver in high-pressure situations have already done the hard work and are just looking to apply the finishing touches to a year that has been constantly ‘in motion’. On the other hand, there will be salespeople out there who haven’t done the work, and they will most certainly be the ones doing most of the ducking, weaving, scrambling, and rambling through to June 30.
The deals that once looked really promising before the Christmas break are either closed, not responding, volatile, or have quietly vanished into the sales ether. The conversations you have postponed are now looming, and the pipeline that seemed strong only a few months ago might not be as solid as you’ve positioned to management. The year has flown by, and the rubber is about to hit the road! Is this you?
Don’t worry, it’s not a great position to be in, but all is not lost, you still have time to act!
This is the time to refocus, reassess, and push forward with intent, not desperation.
Here’s how to make these last few months count…
Remember, sales in Q4 isn’t just about closing your hot prospects, it’s about igniting opportunities that might not be so obvious at first glance and giving them a pulse, giving them your absolute attention.
1. A Quick Reality Check
Not all pipelines are created equal. It’s easy to look at your CRM and feel reassured by a long list of “in progress” deals. But how many of those deals are actually in flight, are real, and are deals you can influence?
Now is the time for brutal honesty – because ‘wishful thinking won’t get you to budget.’
What you are looking to do is just reignite the conversation – perhaps in a different way than before, maybe with someone else riding shotgun, maybe with a re-structured proposal, maybe with more care and authenticity.
2. The Follow-Up That Matters
Some of your best and biggest deals might be sitting in “not now, later” mode. Now’s the time to give them a nudge, not a hip-and-shoulder, just a nudge. Instead of a generic “Just checking in,” provide some value by reframing the game plan, offer fresh angles, create an opening, build a bit of healthy pressure. A bit of leadership, some well-placed insight or a shift in perspective can really turn hesitation into momentum, and momentum into action.
3. Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Waiting for inbound leads at this stage is like hoping for a free upgrade to business class – it might happen, but you wouldn’t bet your whole quarters commission on it. Now’s the time to actively seek out new opportunities and jump start old ones. Please don’t sit back and hope that marketing is going to solve all of your Q4 problems, “blue birds” are out there, but we all know that hope is not an effective strategy.
Get out there, be visible, and start connecting and colliding!
4. Energy & Motivation: Keep Yourself in the Game
End-of-year fatigue is real. So is sales burnout. Staying productive means keeping momentum without running yourself into the ground. Break your goals into high-intensity sprints. Focus on weekly wins, not just a big last 5 minutes. The salespeople who stay sharp and engaged in the game right up until the end are the ones who walk away with the silverware.
The effort you put in now isn’t just about hitting your number, it’s about building momentum for what’s next. So, take stock, push forward with intent, and make the most of every conversation. This isn’t about rushing to the finish line; it’s about executing the game plan and making the final quarter count.
Go well.