5 Things to Do After a Slow Season in Business
I know, *gasp* we’re only supposed to be talking about - or hearing everyone talk about - 10k months and 5 figure launches, but can we be real too? While those things are wonderful, sometimes the life of an entrepreneur has ups and downs. Great months, and not so great months… and in my life as a business owner, I’ve had my share of great AND slow months.
My business usually has its slow season over the summer and here is where I can blame myself for letting my foot off the gas on my marketing, I can blame the recession, my ideal clients are all away on vacation, I’m making yet another snack for my son - ‘yada yada that is it’ - to quote Elaine.
OR I can do something.
This time, I choose to do something, so I’m sharing the practical steps I’ve taken to book out my calendar even when it seemed to be dry as a desert. If you’re coming out of a slower season too, know that it’s totally normal and you’re not weird, or wrong for it. It’s just a part of life. Hopefully these tips help you book out too!
Regroup
Give yourself some grace. We’re so quick to beat ourselves up. Maybe it was a challenging summer due to family situations, or a health crisis, or in my case, I was just having too much fun NOT working… too honest? Brush the dust off your laptop and decide that you’re going to make some moves forward.
2. Decide on Marketing
Marketing is the engine that keeps our biz cars running. Without showing up in front of your audience, you won’t make any sales, or fewer for sure. So decide what lights you up again, HOW you want to show up in your marketing RIGHT NOW and go do those things. Long ago, I loved hanging out in FB groups. I don’t anymore so I know that I won’t be focusing any effort there. Find somewhere you REALLY like hanging out and show up there, reintroduce yourself and get back on the horse. The key is to make sure your marketing actions are manageable so you can continue them EVEN AFTER you book out. That’s the real key right there: doing your marketing and sales actions WHILE being busy with client work.
3. Work Your Mindset
Coming out of a slow period it’s easy to want to book out immediately. Cue Veruca on Willy Wonka, “I don’t care HOW I want it NOW!” The truth is, it might take time - especially if you went radio silent. So the key during this time is to focus on an abundance mindset and one that is EXCITED about what is to come. Believing that your marketing efforts will pay off, that you’ll book out in no time, that the actions you’re taking will help you reach your financial goals. All those glorious beliefs that help us feel really good about the future. Having that positive energy will help you reach your goals even faster.
4. Sell the Thing
I’m not a marketing or sales coach, but I’ve been in the online game long enough to know that you HAVE to get out there and SELL your service in order to book clients. Schedule connect calls, ask peers for referrals or introductions, show up on reels, do collaborations, all these things will help you get in front of more people but in the end you HAVE to sell. End each social media post with a call to action. End the discovery call with a hard sell. Did you just cringe? You’ll need to get over that in order to make sales. Find a way that works for you and one that is in alignment with your values and just do it.
5. Keep Going
It’s not over til you say it is. The really successful entrepreneurs never gave up. They didn’t take no for an answer and kept going til they FOUND A WAY. That’s the difference between successful entrepreneurs and everyone else. When there was a failed launch, they kept going. When their product bombed, they kept going. When no one showed up to their Instagram LIVE, they kept going. DO NOT - I forbid you - to give up on this business if your service lights you up and you’re making a difference.
To give you some encouragement, after about 3 weeks of consistent action I had a significant pool of warm leads and after 3 months I was booked out. Sometimes it can be quick to see results and sometimes it can take time, but the key is sticking with it and not giving up until you are victorious.
Are you coming out of a slow season? What steps have you taken that have really made an impact on your business and bottom line?
