Ending the Year on a Strong Note

As the weather gets colder in most Western countries and employees’ minds start to turn to the holidays, it can be all to easy to coast to the end of the year, putting off big marketing and sales pushes until after the Christmas season.

But this approach is, of course, counterproductive to the sales and growth goals you’ve set months ago, so perhaps it’s time to sit down and work out exactly how you’re going to keep up any momentum you’ve managed to painstakingly build up over the first portion of the year.

First, you’ll need to back up and analyze your current fiscal situation if you have not already done so. Whether you use cloud-based project management software or another data analysis tool, take stock of exactly where you are–and only then will you be able to figure out how to get where you want to be in a few short months’ time.

Now that you have an idea how easy or difficult it will be to close the gap between your actual performance and your end-of-year goals, it’s time to create a plan and set it in motion. Ideally, you’ll already have been clearly communicating your vision and goals throughout the company; if not, start today.

Either way, a late-year update on how much each person is going to need to contribute to meet the goals for their area or department can be extremely effective in motivating people to continue to push through the end of the year.

One thing is evident: companies do not simply stumble into big sales numbers, end-of-year or otherwise. The businesses that consistently generate the best results are those that are deliberate about everything they do as a company, day-in and day-out. Companies with such discipline don’t have to worry about a holiday lull, as their people approach the final months of the year with the same tenacity they approach every work day.

If your company isn’t full of these kinds of valuable workers, it may be time for a total revamp; whether this means moving people to different seats or bringing in outsiders with fresh ideas is a decision only you can make.

A sale in December is every bit as important as a sale in January–don’t let the precious last portion of the year slip by. It’s as much of a golden opportunity as any to improve your company’s approach and processes–and ultimately your profits.