9 Proven Strategies to Reignite Your Sales Pipeline After the Holidays
The holidays can be a challenging time for sales. Prospects and clients may be harder to get ahold of as they take time off to travel and celebrate with family. Budgets and priorities often shift as companies start planning for the new year. And let‘s face it – your own motivation to sell might dip a little as you dream of eggnog by the fireplace.
But while the end of the year tends to be slower for sales, that makes restarting your pipeline in January all the more critical. In fact, a study by Outreach found that prospects are 10% more likely to respond to sales emails in January compared to any other month.
How you re-engage prospects and clients in Q1 can set the tone for your whole year. So if you‘ve seen a few opportunities go cold over the holidays, don‘t despair. As a sales leader who‘s helped reps reignite thousands of stalled deals, I‘m excited to share 9 proven strategies to help you reconnect, provide value, and get those deals moving again.
Reconnecting With Existing Clients
Let‘s start with your current clients, as rekindling those relationships should be priority #1. Here are some ways to restart the conversation:
1. Schedule meetings before the holidays
Whenever possible, get some key meetings on the calendar before your clients leave for the holidays. This shows you‘re being proactive and helps you hit the ground running in January.
Even a short 15-minute sync can ensure you stay top-of-mind. Try sending an email like this in early/mid-December:
Hi [Name],
I know things are probably crazy as you wrap up the year, but I‘m already thinking about how we can make next year our best one yet.
Do you have 15 mins for a quick call before the holidays? I‘d love to get your input on [Key project/initiative] and share some ideas I have for [Improving X results/metrics] in Q1.
Let me know what works best for you,
[Your Name]
2. Send a welcome back message
Once the holidays wrap up, make it a priority to send your clients a friendly "welcome back" email on their first day. You might share an interesting article, offer some tips for starting the year strong, or just check in to see how their holiday went.
The goal is to open the door to a conversation without being too sales-y. For example:
Hi [Name],
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and feel recharged for the exciting year ahead. I‘m really looking forward to continuing our work together and helping you crush your goals.
I came across [Relevant article/report] and thought it might be helpful as you‘re planning for Q1. Let me know if you‘d like me to send it over.
Also, I‘d love to hear about your holiday and catch up on what‘s new whenever you have a few minutes. Feel free to book some time on my calendar here: [Calendly link]
Cheers to an amazing 2024!
[Your Name]
3. Recap your wins from last year
As you‘re rebuilding momentum with clients, it helps to remind them of all the great work you did together last year. Pull some key stats or highlights that demonstrate the value you‘ve provided.
For example, maybe your software helped them generate 50 new leads per month, or your consulting shaved 25% off their operating costs. Whatever the wins, make sure your client remembers and appreciates them.
You might even put together a short presentation or report with titles like "[Client Name] 2023 Results Summary" or "Celebrating an Amazing Year of Partnership." Include visuals like charts and graphs to really hammer the point home.
Then schedule a call or meeting to walk through it together. Your client will leave feeling great about what you‘ve accomplished and excited to do even more.
4. Ask for feedback
The start of a new year is the perfect time to check in with clients and get their honest feedback. What‘s working well in your relationship? Where could you improve? What are their biggest priorities and challenges for 2024?
By proactively seeking input, you show that you value your clients‘ perspective and want to keep delivering excellent service. Plus, their answers will likely uncover new opportunities to expand your partnership.
Consider sending a survey to collect feedback at scale, or scheduling 1:1 conversations with your most important accounts. You might frame it like this:
Hi [Name],
I‘m working on my plan to make this an amazing year for [Client company]. Before I get too far, I would love to get your candid feedback.
What would you say are your top 3 priorities this year? And how can [Your company] help you achieve them?
I‘m also wondering if there are any areas where we can improve. Please be honest – my goal is to be the best partner possible.
If you can spare 20-30 minutes to chat through this, I would greatly appreciate it. You can book a time here: [Calendly link]
Thanks in advance for your input,
[Your Name]
For extra impact, compile the insights you gather into a "2024 Priorities" document and schedule a strategy session to discuss how you can support their goals. You‘ll reinforce your commitment while identifying natural upsell/cross-sell paths.
5. Share relevant content and insights
One of the best ways to re-engage clients is by providing valuable content. This could be an article, whitepaper, case study, template, tool – anything that helps them solve a problem or capitalize on an opportunity.
The key is to choose resources that are highly relevant to their goals and challenges. So if your client mentioned they‘re looking to improve their email open rates this year, you might send over:
• A guide on writing irresistible subject lines
• An infographic with the latest email benchmarks for their industry
• A case study showing how another client boosted opens by 30%
• A subject line writing template
• An offer to audit their current subject lines
You can also share general industry insights and trends that could impact their business. For example:
Hi [Name],
I‘ve been doing a lot of research on [Industry] trends for 2024 and noticed something interesting: [Trend insight].
It made me think of [Client company] since [Connection to their business]. I‘m curious to hear your take – is this something you‘re thinking about or planning for?
Let me know if you‘d like me to send over the full report. It has some great data and recommendations.
Best,
[Your Name]
The goal is to provide value and spark a substantive conversation, without asking for anything in return. By establishing yourself as a trusted expert and valued partner, you‘ll naturally open the door to deeper engagement and revenue growth.
Reheating Those Cooling Prospects
While reconnecting with current clients should be your first step, you also can‘t afford to let those promising prospects slip away. Here‘s how to get them re-engaged:
6. Leverage breakout lists
Take a look at the prospects who signed up for your content, demo, or free trial over the holidays but haven‘t been contacted yet. These leads chose to engage with you while most people were checked out – that‘s a strong buying signal!
In fact, leads who sign up in Q4 are 15% more likely to convert than average. So it‘s critical to follow up quickly before they lose that momentum.
Reach out with a personal message acknowledging their interest and offering to answer any questions. For example:
Hi [Name],
I noticed you [downloaded our whitepaper/signed up for a demo/started a free trial] over the holidays – thanks for checking us out!
I‘d love to learn more about what interested you in [Your company/product] and see if we can help. Do you have a few minutes to chat this week?
I‘m happy to walk you through [Relevant feature/benefit] and show you how other companies like [Known competitor/industry peer] are using it to [Drive X results].
Let me know what works best for your schedule. I look forward to connecting!
Cheers,
[Your name]
7. Get ahead of the competition
Most salespeople are scrambling to rebuild their pipeline in January. You can beat them to the punch by proactively reaching out to prospects early in the month.
Acknowledge that things were likely hectic for them at the end of the year, and express your desire to help them start strong. You might say something like:
Hi [Name],
I know the end of the year can be overwhelming, so I didn‘t want to add to your plate in December. But now that we‘re in a new quarter, I‘m excited to pick up our conversation about [Their challenge].
A lot of companies like [Prospect company] are making [Relevant goal/initiative] a top priority this year. I‘ve been doing a ton of research on best practices and trends, and would love to share some ideas that could help you [Drive X results/metrics].
Do you have time for a quick call this week? I promise to make it worth your while.
[Your Name]P.S. I‘m also hosting an exclusive webinar on [Relevant topic] next week with some amazing speakers. Let me know if you‘d like an invite!
By taking the initiative now, you‘ll stay ahead of competitors who wait until later in Q1 to re-engage. And the webinar invite provides a natural value-add to strengthen the relationship.
8. Reach out to new hires
The start of the year often brings an influx of new employees – and these folks are eager to make an impact in their role. In fact, 50% of new hires make a major purchase decision within their first month.
Take advantage of this window by checking your prospect companies‘ websites and LinkedIn for new hires in your target departments. Then send a personalized message to introduce yourself, acknowledge their new role, and ask for a quick conversation.
Hi [Name],
Congrats on the new role at [Company]! I‘m sure you‘re drinking from the firehose right now, but I wanted to reach out and introduce myself.
I work with a lot of [Job title]s at companies like [Known competitor/industry peer], helping them [Drive X results] and really hit the ground running. I‘d love to chat for a few minutes and share some best practices that might help you in your first 90 days.
No hard sell, I promise – just want to welcome you to the [Industry] community and offer myself as a resource. Do you have 15 mins to connect this week or next?
Cheers,
[Your Name]
If you already have a relationship with someone else at the company, you can also ask them about the new team members and see if they‘re open to an introduction.
9. Offer something of value
Finally, make sure you‘re leading with value in your prospect outreach. No one wants to be hit with a generic, self-serving sales pitch right after the holidays. (Or ever, really.)
Think about what insights, resources, or opportunities you can offer that will capture their attention and make them excited to talk to you. Some ideas:
• A new industry report or market analysis
• A free audit of their current strategy/tech stack
• Exclusive access to a private event or roundtable
• A personalized demo or consultation
• A helpful tool, template or calculator
• An introduction to a thought leader or potential partner
Put their needs front and center, and position yourself as a helpful expert rather than just another salesperson. Consider using a framework like this:
Hi [Name],
[Personalized opening/connection]I know a lot of [Industry/role] leaders like yourself are focused on [Strategic priority] this quarter. My team just put together [Valuable resource] to help companies like [Prospect company] [Drive X result].
It covers:
• [Benefit 1] • [Benefit 2] • [Benefit 3]I thought it might be really valuable as you [Relevant goal/project]. Let me know if you‘d like me to send it over – I‘d be happy to walk you through it and get your feedback.
Best,
[Your Name]
By focusing on their goals and challenges, you‘ll grab their attention and build trust. Even if they don‘t bite right away, you‘ve laid the foundation for a relationship and opened the door to future outreach.
Go Get ‘Em!
Re-engaging prospects and clients after the holidays isn‘t easy – but it is essential. Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost.
By implementing these 9 strategies with consistency and persistence, you can reignite your pipeline and set yourself up for a killer Q1:
- Schedule key meetings before the holidays
- Send a friendly welcome back message
- Recap last year‘s wins
- Ask for feedback
- Share relevant content and insights
- Leverage holiday signups
- Beat competitors to the punch
- Connect with new hires
- Lead with value, always
Remember, fortune favors the bold. So take a deep breath, refill that coffee, and get out there! You‘ve got this.
And if you need more tips for crushing your sales goals this year, be sure to [subscribe to our blog/download our 2024 Sales Success Kit/join our exclusive Sales Leaders Community].
Here‘s to your most successful year yet!
