Five steps to finish this year strongly and with positive momentum.
Here are a few proactive ideas to consider to be one step ahead of your customers.
1. 2024 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 - Assess whether your customers are on track to complete their main projects and whether you can support them. This is not necessarily about upselling. By offering a helping hand to make necessary changes in scope and timeline to get the project to the end-of-year milestone, you demonstrate your commitment to their success. By being there, you will promote your value and strengthen your relationship, leading to potential future opportunities.
2. 2025 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 - Strategic projects will resume, and new initiatives may interest you or impact your engagements.
Here are a few examples:
📝 Your customer plans to introduce AI-based solutions. Your AI roadmap can trigger conversation, leading to a new POC or upsell later in 2025.
📝 A change in the technology stack may open new options for your product or may create future risks,
📝 A shift in business strategy leads to new technology and operational and financial requirements.
3. 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐥. You can offer an early multi-year renewal leveraging positive customer sentiment and successful track record. Consult with your sales colleagues, as they will likely provide a discount for a longer-term extension of the existing engagement.
Why?
💡Stakeholders may change next year. Get them to commit when you have strong support for this proposal.
💡Customers may now opt to create future savings as they plan next year’s budget.
4. 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. You can identify potential upsell opportunities and plan a campaign with your sales teams to close the year with new WINs.
Here are a few examples:
✳️ Subscription utilization is 90%, and sales can suggest expansion with the end-of-year discount.
✳️ The customer asks for additional capabilities requiring a service tier change. Your stakeholders may not have a budget this year. You can collaborate with sales to offer them two months for free, and they will commit to upgrading next year.
5. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬. While it is tempting to focus entirely on the coming month’s activities, it will be wise to plan your professional growth. Here are a few questions to reflect and trigger next year's planning:
❔What were your key achievements this year?
❔What were the primary challenges you came across this year?
❔Did you receive feedback from customers and colleagues that you can leverage?
❔What additional value can you provide to your customers next year?
❔What additional skills and capabilities need to be added or sharpened?
The above will help you prepare for your manager's end-of-year summary. You will be focused on your performance and the next steps in your professional growth.
Less than 2 months before the end of the year – Let’s finish it strongly!
Commentaires