My family (specifically my Mom and I) have a recurring number. It might be a time, it might be a date, but it just might also be a random succession of digits in a row. Who knows? Every time I see the numbers seven and seventeen together in some fashion, I pause to look at the circumstances and evaluate whether it is a sign. Most times, it’s nothing but coincidence – but sometimes I feel like it is a message for me to do something.
Such was today. I was reading my daily email fodder and stumbled on a title slug for an email:
This time the “17” email and link turned out to be spammy, but slug verbiage (nonetheless) did it’s job to get my attention and ultimately reminded me that it there were only 17 days until 2022 and I needed to crank up my selling preparations for the new year.
(Other random occurrences of the numbers 7 and 17 have included the address of where we vote, messages on license plates, odometer readings, phone numbers, lottery ticket numbers, birthdays of relatives, yada, yada, yada. To date – there is no viable reason for these numbers to mean anything significant, but my Mom assures me that she has dreamed of them and there is going to be a reason for the number series. She has assured me that it good.)
Anyway, I was on a call yesterday with a brand rep for a new hotel and we were talking about our “sales goals for December”. My comment was that, “typically our sales teams are busy up to the Christmas holiday” but after that, we typically focus end-of-year summaries, analyzing data, and on developing strategies for the new year simply because customers are usually enjoying the holidays and taking last minute vacations and very few of our contacts are answering phones or emails.
Here is your 17 day countdown reminder!
With all of that said, this is your 17 day countdown reminder to a new year! What better way to start the new year than to make sure your roadmap is in place and you know what you want to do and when you want to do it!
Here are a few ideas I have suggested in past blogs:
- Do you have your [2022] New Year calendar in place? Have you transferred your important dates, birthdays, and special events to your calendar? If you are old-fashioned (not a criticism) and still use a calendar book, daytimer, or wall calendar, is it up-to-date with hot dates, activities, and appointments? For those of you who use a digital calendar (like Google Calendar, I-Cal etc.), have you double checked that your important dates, regular appointments, and hot dates have uploaded? Now is the time to check your reminders, trace dates, and look ahead to the next 30-60-90 days to plan your time.
- Is your filing done? Are your [2022] files created and ready to be used? Starting the New Year with a clean slate is always such a good feeling… plus, historical info is where it should be and readily available at your fingertips!
- Clean your desk and your office! Make sure you eliminate distractions such as clutter, holiday decor, and other items that keep you from moving forward. Be ready to welcome clients to your office for meetings. Take home those extra sweaters, jackets, shoes, and items you have hung on the back of your door or thrown under your desk in [2021]. Bring back only those items you need.
- Clean up your computer desktop and digital files. Create your [2022] files. Change your wallpaper and ringtone for a fresh start.
- Review your standard letters and correspondence. Freshen up each standardized letter with new content. Know and integrate new brand phraseology and culture into your message.
- Inventory your collateral and sales kits/gifts. Replenish as needed. Pack a box for your car so that you always have sales call materials at your disposal. (Clean your car, vacuum, wash windows. Clean out the trunk. Inventory your trunk storage box to make sure your safety items are in place and not out-of-date. Pack a small suitcase with overnight items and a change of clothes and keep it in your trunk “just in case”. Being prepared is paramount for peace of mind.)
- Are your budget and marketing plans handy and at your fingertips? Open them up to January and familiarize yourself with the content. Scan through your February and March information so that you can plan for big events without rushing at the last minute. Set date goals for each step along the way.
- Review your Google Alerts. Add new search phrases and remove phrases that are not working. Add any new customers or new local businesses to the mix. Start the New Year fresh!
- Go through your wardrobe and fine tune 5 professional outfits that fit, make you feel like a million bucks, and give you confidence. Move them to the front of your closet and rotate them so that you are always ready to make sales calls.
- Polish your shoes. Clean, well-cared-for shoes are perfect for getting your foot in the door!
- Prepare yourself by reviewing the kitschy, weird and unique holiday lists and deciding what you want to celebrate in the New Year. Is Strawberry Ice Cream your thing? Then celebrate it on January 15th. Interested in promoting a Romance Package? Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Looking to reach out to dentist offices in [2022]? Celebrate Dentist’s Day on March 6th. Star Wars fanatic? May the 4th be with you! Is positivity your thing? Integrate materials and gifts to celebrate Positive Thinking Day on September 13th. Make any day a good and unique sales call day in the New Year. For more information, consult one of the many calendar sites to find your perfect holiday(s)!
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun/
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/
https://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html
http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/weird_holidays
.html#.WkurBxM-f4M
So, do you catch my drift? Take time now to set yourself up for success. It takes a bit of time, but it is time well-spent.
Happy New Year!