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With the dog days of summer upon us, a familiar pattern has once again started to emerge for B2B SaaS sales teams: the dreaded summer sales slump.
When the weather heats up and more folks go on vacation, businesses often find themselves having to deal with a temporary downturn in sales and prospecting activities. With decision-makers taking time off and offices operating at reduced capacity, the sales landscape can become more challenging to navigate during the warmest months.
While a summer slump can certainly be discouraging, savvy sales professionals can use the downturn as an opportunity to thrive. Keep reading to learn seven tactics you can use to beat the summer sales slump — and supercharge B2B prospecting during the summer months.
How to beat the B2B summer sales slump
In the world of B2B SaaS sales, summer slumps come with the territory. Instead of letting a temporary downturn crush your enthusiasm and put a damper on your morale, use these tricks to beat the B2B summer sales slump and crush it when the pace picks back up.
1. Be patient
It might be slow now, but this too shall pass. When you’re dealing with a downturn, let patience be your guiding virtue. Remember, when things are slow, decision-makers and buyers are likely juggling vacation plans and managing teams that are in and out of the office. Rather than feeling like you have to rush the process right now, give prospects the time and space they need to engage with you more thoughtfully when they’re ready.Â
Don’t sit around twiddling your thumbs, either. Use the time to research current key prospects and accounts, come up with a new strategy to build more pipeline, and otherwise set yourself up for future success.
2. Send calendar invites for when prospects will be back in the office
Your prospects might not be in the office this week, but they aren’t gone forever. Navigate the summer slowdown by sending calendar invites for meetings after prospects return from vacation and are back in the office. This proactive approach ensures your outreach aligns with their availability, increasing the chances of a productive interaction.
3. Keep in touch via text
When your prospects are on vacation, odds are they won’t be checking their inboxes with any regularity. Since it’s impossible to imagine most people going on vacation without their smartphones, consider incorporating text reminders as a subtle yet effective touchpoint.
According to Gartner, 98% of text messages are read compared to just 20% of emails. That being the case, a friendly text message can keep pending discussions top of mind, enabling you to maintain a connection with the prospects you have strong relationships with even when they’re traveling. ‍
Hope you and your family have a wonderful time in Italy! Looking forward to continuing our conversation when you’re back in the office.
That said, text messaging should only be done selectively and strategically. While it can be effective for prospects who are already receptive to your offerings, it can also come across as aggressive and invasive to those you don’t know too well.
4. Build reminders into your sequences or cadences
Spend some time bolstering your outreach sequences with strategic touchpoints that coincide with each prospect’s return from vacation. Update your sequence to ensure that you’re able to gently keep your offer on the prospect’s radar without being too . By adding a couple of timely reminders, you can avoid the chances your messages get lost in the summer shuffle while demonstrating your commitment and determination to your prospect and the deal.Â
5. Use the send later function
Worried that you’re going to forget when your prospect is coming back to the office? Don’t be. Use the send later function in your email platform to schedule messages for optimal delivery times. Since you likely have more time on your hands than usual, use it to create personalized emails that’ll hit your prospect’s inboxes whenever they return to work.
Not the fastest email writer in the world? Not a problem. Use cold email templates and generative AI writing tools to expedite the process.Â
Pro tip: Avoid prescheduling emails that’ll be sent on the hour or the half-hour. Use random times — like 8:49 a.m., 11:17 a.m., and 1:32 p.m. — to make your message seem more natural, and less preprogrammed. Â
6. If you know where the prospect is going, give them tips for their destination
If you know where your prospect is going and have been there before, make your messages stand out by sharing insightful tips related to their vacation destination. For example, you might talk about how beautiful a certain hike is, how inspirational an attraction was, or how delicious the restaurants and cafes you enjoyed were. Such thoughtful gestures showcase your attentiveness and elevate your rapport beyond mere business matters.
Just because you might not have been to your prospect’s vacation spot doesn’t mean you’re completely out of luck, either. Research the location, find something that appeals to you, and drop that in your message. I’ve never been to Utah, but I’ve wanted to check out Canyonlands National Park for as long as I can remember. Whatever you do, just be authentic.
7. Fine-tune your cold outreach sequencesÂ
Rather than twiddling your thumbs, put slower summer periods to good use by spending your time updating your cold outreach sequences. No matter how well your sequences have been performing, you can always make them even more effective. Study your sequences to make sure they include a personalized greeting, an engaging introduction, and crystal-clear benefits — and that they’re short and to the point, with a clear call to action (CTA). Read more about how to craft effective outbound messages for your sequences.
Bounce back from the summer sales slump!
While the B2B summer sales slump can be discouraging, it’s also an opportunity to fortify your sales strategies and set yourself up for the long haul. Remember, the actions you take today can lay the groundwork for future success. Instead of waiting for the slowdown to pass, use the downtime to your advantage, fine-tune your approach, and build lasting momentum.
By staying proactive in your prospecting efforts and recognizing that consistent outreach helps you stay top of mind, you can use the summer slump as an opportunity to recharge your proverbial batteries, fine-tune your messaging, update your LinkedIn profile, rehearse sales plays, and prepare to hit the ground running when the pace picks back up in the fall.
Instead of letting the summer sales slump damper your spirits, embrace the challenge, seize the opportunity, and pave the path for a successful rest of the year. Your future self is already thanking you.
