Not only are clients distracted, but teams may also be slipping into holiday mode and that makes it harder to get projects completed.

Is there a way that we can prepare better for that summer slump or even reverse that trend and look for the summer soar? I believe we can, and here is a list of nine impactful actions you can do right now in order to soar and prepare.

1. Change your belief system

Is it really true there is a summer slump? Is that true of your industry or has it just become a self-fulfilling prophecy, or an excuse for you to take things slowly? If the summer is a time of year when you want time off, that’s a different thing. What we can do is challenge the beliefs we have to see what is truly causing the slump. It may not be ‘the market’ or ‘client buying patterns’. It could just be the fact you have allowed it to slump.

2. Prepare the diary

Do you know what the team is working on and when? What are their skill sets and what could they be working on? Do you have key client works or events covered sufficiently? The summertime can be unpredictable and pre-planning between up to two months early will be your summer saviour. What cross-training is needed to ensure all duties are carried out well? Ensure clients are well taken care of, and you can still make progress on internal projects.

3. Heat up your messaging

If you are marketing, get your marketing to sizzle with summer specific messaging. Clients always resonate well when the messages they receive and the marketing they consume are tailored and relevant. Think about what your clients will be experiencing over this summer season and make sure you are speaking directly to that. Increase the volume of your marketing, too.

4. Create a unique offer

Who doesn’t love a summertime offer? Want to grab the attention of new customers? A well-timed promotion or offer during the summer can do wonders. It may be that it’s a smaller offer that allows them to use your services in a pared-back way, ultimately giving them a summer taster for future work with you. This is not a time to be idle but to be creative. It isn’t that people have no money in the summer, it's that they have more distractions or other priorities. Cut through that noise with a striking offer that is impossible to resist.

5. Lean in

It’s summer, we get it, you want to be on a lounger somewhere other than where you are right now, but this may not be the best time for you to take time off. Lean into the discomfort. This is a time to get an edge on your competition. While they are playing away, you can be playing to win. I’m not saying never take any time off but be strategic. Summer is like the winter of business, just as winter is downtime for gardeners. If you want to reap a big harvest, now is the time to sow those seeds!

6. Re-focus on internal projects and SHOUT

You may be surprised how much your clients like to know that you are taking care of your own business as well as taking care of them. What internal projects are you working on that will have a big impact on your team and for your clients? Shout about them. Let people know what you are up to and get them off your to-do list. It’s a great time to re-focus energies internally vs externally if you feel like there is a summer slump for your business. Don’t just slump, prepare for bigger and better times, and implement strategic infrastructure to help you achieve that.

7. Client check-ins and revenue

Speaking of being strategic. Did you know it is far easier to make sales from existing customers than it is to get a new customer to part with their money? What does this mean for you in the summer slump? It means reaching out to your current customers with exclusive offers and services just for them. One thing I have implemented in my business is customer check-ins during quiet periods. These become a wealth of information for me to find out, not only how they are doing, connect truly with them, but also find out what services they may want from us that we currently don’t offer or that they do not know that we do offer. Turn those conversations into revenue for your bottom line.

8. Build a waitlist

Got an offer or a product that you want to launch but summer just doesn’t feel like the right time? It may be just the perfect time to build a wait list. That means, having people register for your product or service ready for when you do launch it. Not only is this a great way to gather the interest level, it's also a great way to build value and excitement into that list of people that will be interested. Meaning when you do launch the product or service, there should be a flood of sales, solving the summer drought issue.

9. Be the first back

This is a surprising superpower and is underrated, especially if you work in a crowded market. Being the first back is like being the early bird that gets the worm. The easiest way to be the first back is to never have gone. If you are a solopreneur that’s going to be trickier, but if you have a team, share that heavy lifting while you are off to make sure your presence is never lost. Staying top of mind as the go-to person in your industry requires presence. Consistent presence. Omnipresence even. Get yourself out there and stay there.

If you follow all nine of these or apply the ones you feel are the most applicable to you, then you will have a summer full of revenue and avoid that summer slump. If you are ok with the summer slump and want some time off, then feel free to ignore all of these and have some great time off. No doubt you deserve it!