Want to Close the Year Strong? These Experts Show You How

It’s the fourth quarter – crunch time for sales. As the clock runs down, you’re frantically trying to hit quota while planning holiday vacations. We know it’s hard to stay focused, but now is not the time to take it easy. With the right execution plan, you can still hit your Q4 numbers. 

We asked leading Salesblazers for advice on how to close the fiscal year on a high note and here’s what they shared. 

1. Create a give-get matrix to identify deals you can close fast

John Barrows
CEO of JB Sales

Not all deals in your pipeline are created equal, so they don’t all deserve an equal amount of time, especially at the end of the year. There are the deals you know will close and are high value – but what about the ones you’re not sure are worth your time or energy? You need an easy way to figure out whether to pursue these deals in Q4 or save them for Q1. Here’s how: 

Set up a quick give-get matrix. For each deal in question, list out all the things you need to give away throughout the sales process (demos, discounts, proposals, etc.) to close. Separately but for each of the same deals, list out all the things you need to get from your prospects in order to close the deal (details on their decision process, timeline, meetings with decision-makers, etc.).

Once that’s done, line up the two lists for each deal. If the lists are equal in length (for everything you give you get something in return) and shorter, the more likely the deal is to close. Those are the ones that need more attention. If the lists are imbalanced or long, the deal is less likely to close in Q4, so you should spend less of your time working on it.

2. Use automation tools to manage leads

Ashley Zagst

Account Executive, Apollo.io

I’m a big supporter of automation. If it can be automated, it should be, and one of the most impactful uses of automation is lead management. Why should the VP of sales/marketing or sales operations, to whom you pay a hefty six-figure salary, be manually qualifying and routing leads? Why waste days or weeks going back and forth with leads just trying to get a meeting booked? Nobody has time to chase down a lead who wants a meeting when they could have booked it automatically. Taking these mundane tasks off your to-do list lets you focus on talking with clients and actually selling – the activities that drive deals to close.

3. Use won/lost reasons from the past year to find deals you can win easily

Terry Walsh

Partner and CTO, Funnel Metrics LLC

Review your won/lost reasons from the past several quarters and make note of common themes. I look for things like the lead type (was it warm or cold?), decision-maker engagement (were they active throughout the sales or largely absent?), and discovery (did it deliver enough information to make an effective pitch or was it too fluffy to act on?). When you know what the biggest factors contributing to wins/losses were, match them to your active deals. Prioritize the ones that match the win reasons you’ve identified, then map out a closing strategy using learnings from deals with similar attributes. 

4. Consider incentives to motivate all your reps

Belal Batrawy

Founder of learntosell.io

Instead of offering one big incentive for the rep who closes the most deals (or whatever goal you set), try offering multiple, smaller incentives that give more opportunities for everyone to participate. For example, you could reward reps for:

• Most meetings held with qualified leads
• Most valuable piece of competitive intel shared
• Most deals closed
• Most revenue generated
• Largest single deal closed
• Greatest improvement over last month, quarter, or year

With multiple incentives, new and experienced reps get recognition for their work.

5. Add a personal touch to stand out

Scott Leese

CEO and Founder, Scott Leese Consulting

Rather than trying to hammer 2,000 more accounts in Q4, lean way into the accounts you’ve already been working on throughout the year. Handwrite a personal letter, send a holiday card – we all love to get mail that isn’t a bill, right? Heck, go visit your prospect’s office. Do something personal to stand out.

6. Practice mindfulness and focus on exercise

Niraj Kapur

Managing Partner, Everybody Works in Sales

We all know how hard it is to concentrate on work at the end of the year — there’s just so much going on. That’s why you need to practice mindfulness to stay sharp. Turn your phone off two or three times a day for about 30 minutes each time so you can focus. 

Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too. Staring at laptop and mobile screens all day is bad for your health, affecting sleep and mood. Get up and take a walk or go to the gym and get your body moving. Almost any form of exercise, from yoga to jogging, can decrease your stress level. It also helps you to retain mental focus when it’s time to work.

7. Continue to show up as a trusted advisor — even in the 11th hour

Cherilynn Castleman

Managing Partner, CGI Executive Coaching

It’s tempting to go for the hard sell when the pressure is on to close the deal. But your customers can smell desperation, so don’t fall for that trap. Instead, focus on showing up as a trusted advisor. I practice active listening as a way to surface things that could help me close — in Q4 and beyond. Instead of promoting products, I listen actively to what they have to say, ask open-ended questions to collect more information, then tailor solutions to meet their unique needs. All of this builds trust, which is critical to closing the deal.

8. Start planning for Q1 — right now

Alexine Mudawar
CEO, Women in Sales Club

As sellers, part of the challenge of our role is to prepare not only for the current quarter, but for the quarters ahead. My recommendation is to keep focus on your full pipeline and not assume a dead deal in Q4 is a dead deal forever. Keep fostering key relationships and prioritize accounts that are in your ideal customer profile. You’ll set yourself up in Q1 with easier-to-close deals from Q4 so you can start the year strong.

Close the fiscal year strong – then enjoy some holiday cheer

As these sales experts reveal, you still have time to finish out the year strong. Focus on the things you can control and work with your manager to prioritize deals in your pipeline. With everything going on, also make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Take time to celebrate and unwind with loved ones at holiday parties and get-togethers. Rested and rejuvenated, you’ll be ready to start the new year stronger than ever.