It’s that time of year again — the stretch between October and the end of the year where everything seems to speed up and slow down at the same time. Customers are busy, internal teams are distracted, and everyone’s juggling end-of-year goals with personal holiday plans.
If you’re in sales, you know this season can be tricky. The holidays can make or break your Q4, depending on how prepared you are. Deals stall because decision-makers go out of office. Budgets tighten. Approvals take longer.
But with the right preparation, you can set yourself up to not only survive the season — but actually use it to your advantage.
I’ve been talking with my team lately about what it means to be truly ready for the holidays, and I keep coming back to three concrete actions that make all the difference. These aren’t theories — they’re the habits I’ve seen separate the sellers who thrive in Q4 from the ones who scramble.
1. Lock in Your Critical Conversations Early
If you need something from a customer to move a deal forward — alignment, a champion’s approval, a technical validation, legal or procurement sign-off — now is the time. Don’t wait for the week of Thanksgiving or the first two weeks of December. By then, calendars are chaos.
Look at every deal in your pipeline and ask:
“What critical conversation do I need to have before the holiday slowdown hits?”
Then get those meetings scheduled now. Even if it means adjusting your own schedule or doubling up on prep, it’s better to have the conversation early than to be chasing someone who’s on vacation while your quarter slips away.
I’ve seen too many deals die quietly because the team assumed there would be “one more week” to get something done. There rarely is.
2. Use Account Planning to Find Your Q1 Momentum
Holiday prep isn’t just about finishing the year strong — it’s also about starting the next one with speed.
During this time, I like to work with my team on account planning for Q1. That means:
- Identifying whitespace opportunities within current accounts.
- Mapping who will be key decision-makers in the new fiscal year.
- Laying out clear next steps so we hit January with clarity, not confusion.
You might not be able to close every deal this year, but you can position deals to close early next year. A clean handoff into January gives you energy and predictability when everyone else is playing catch-up.
So if you find yourself with an open afternoon in November, spend it planning Q1 — not just trying to squeeze one more cold call in before Thanksgiving.
3. Be Direct and Intentional With Your Customers
Everyone’s calendar is packed, and attention is limited. The sellers who win in the holidays are the ones who respect the customer’s time.
That means leading every interaction with clarity:
“Here’s what I’d like to accomplish before year-end, and here’s what I’ll need from you to make that happen.”
Be transparent about timelines, holiday schedules, and expectations. If you’re clear about your goals, customers will usually match that clarity — and you’ll avoid surprises later.
And if a deal isn’t going to close before the holidays, don’t fake urgency. Be the partner who says, “Let’s set this up the right way in January.” That builds trust and keeps the door open.
The holidays will always bring a little chaos — but preparation turns that chaos into calm.
If you take the time now to get your key meetings on the books, tighten your account plans, and communicate with clarity, you won’t just close stronger — you’ll start stronger next year, too.
So here’s my challenge for this week: look at your pipeline and your calendar. Ask yourself — what do I need to get done before the out-of-office messages start rolling in?
Do that now, and you’ll thank yourself later.
