The Holiday Mega Season Will Turn You Inside Out
There is no shortage of opinions on the hype and mashing together of the holiday seasonal calendar. Some people get annoyed when retailers and advertisers leapfrog or just merge holidays, or just disregard others; but the truth is that from Halloween until the end of January, we are in one big mega-holiday season.
This makes the mashed-up holiday season a good time to be especially sensitive to how differently it is experienced by the people in our extended families, among our friends and at work. Attire, employee gifts, client gifts, decorations, paid time off, general greetings in your workplace all represent opportunities to offend. Some even get offended by the offense. From me to you, be thoughtful, considerate and keep it on an even keel, remember it is a workplace, not a venue for religious or ritualistic statements that might make some feel left out or uncomfortable.
Look inward.
The most important thing that the mega season demands we do is take care of the people that make the company work. Sure, have a party, get some gifts, a cake, some punch etc. But it’s important to take a good hard look at salaries, incentives, health and retirement benefits, the work environment, and the opportunities for advancement. The overarching mega-season meta themes to celebrate with your team are appreciation, recognition, and promise.
Look outward.
In addition to our necessary annual professional introspection, the mega season also brings an unimpeachable outward-looking benefit—bountiful professional networking opportunities.
During this period, there will be many invitations to attend parties or even host other events. We can use these holiday moments to hone our listening, conversation, and relationship-building skills.
The season creates chances to meet people you have never met in your routine business development work, and to expand your network of people who know and trust you and your company. Some of these people will become customers, others can be referrals, and still more can be lead generators.
We can get in a rut mining our own customer base for referrals and repeat business. Recent research tells us that most business referrals come from people who have never worked with us before, but know, like, and trust us and as extension -- our company. So, create your own:
Mega-Season Networking Plan
Get out the calendar and your invitations and prioritize the events to attend.
Bring a co-worker.
It’s a work event—be prepared to sell.
Have your “and what do you do” answer scripted into a sentence.
Talk about hobbies, family, movies, books, gardening, cooking, commercials—just not the news.
Answer a question, ask a question, try not to stay in the answer zone. Get information and write it down as soon as you can.
Do not hesitate to spread business cards—in fishbowls, on bulletin boards and directly to the people you meet—it’s a work function and perfectly appropriate. Use the cards to get cards—collect them. Take notes on them.
Go easy on the holiday cheer, you’re on the job.
If you are fortunate, you will conclude the mega-season and enter February with a new perspective and outlook on your business, some new referral sources and perhaps new customers, and an enhanced sales technique.
Then celebrate the season of new business with your team.