6 Ways to Battle the Summer Lull
It's coming up to that time of year when academic and public sector seems to come to a close. It's as if no decisions can be made, no meetings can be held and no one can be contacted but how true is this really and what could you be doing during this 'quiet' time of year. The more people I have spoken to about this over the last week or so, the more I am finding that actually my client base is not really stopping for the entirety of the next six weeks. Yes, there will be some people on holiday, yes there will be some clients who it will take longer to move forward but it is not like the whole country comes to a stand still. So how can businesses make the best use of this time? Here are some suggestions from The Work Bees: 1. Strategise and Plan This is the best time of year to think about what the next working year will look like. It is time to get your team together and set the targets, re-iterate what is needed from the financial year and how you are meeting targets. It is great for big sky thinking and then having space to create the to-do list. 2. Make the calls anyway So many people don't bother making sales calls during this time of year because we all go on one big plane to somewhere else. But actually we recommend picking up the phone. Firstly, your client may have a quiet spell and it may well be the best time to capture that sale, secondly, you will know if they are on holiday and then when you can schedule in contacting them. Therefore filling your diary for the weeks after coming back. 3. Team Building What better time of year than to get out of the office and spend some time with your team. There are a wealth of activities that you can participate in at this joyous time of year. Get them outside and ensure their wellbeing is at a peak before those darker evenings. We would love to hear about your team-building exercises. 4. Revisit policies and procedures I know, I know, who wants to be doing this. But you do not have to sit at your desk and read these, take them outside, sit in the garden and suddenly the dullest of documents are manageable over sitting indoors on a beautiful day. 5. Work out what you could be delegating at busy times When we have quiet time, we have an opportunity to calm the busier times, remove the tasks we don't enjoy or create space to do more business. So what can you delegate and who would you delegate too? Is it competitor analysis, price increases or mapping social media activity. 6. Or just go on holiday. Well apparently everyone else is. If you do, don't forget to send us a postcard.
