December can be a tough time of year. Depending on the type of organization you run, you may be racing to meet revenue goals, struggling to keep up with demand, or facing an end-of-the-year slump. Whatever your situation, there is a way to sneak in a little good marketing to benefit your business before year end.

1. Tap Into Holiday Goodwill.
If you’re racing to bring in more revenue, use the general happiness of the holiday season. Bring your potential client a coffee or a small gift. With a smile, ask what is preventing them from signing this year. Sometimes, it’s as simple as this year’s budget has been spent. If it’s the right client, and you’re confident that they’ll pay, offer to bill the work in January.

2. Push It Off Until January.
If you’re struggling to keep up with demand, you’ve got a list of customers who are expecting a call. Go through the list and determine who could wait until next month. Make those calls – but schedule all work for January. Not sure what to say? Try this: “I know you must be busy with work and family this holiday season. How about meeting on January 4th to discuss next steps? Breakfast is on me.”

3. Reach Out, Already.
Everyone has proposals they need to write, potential customers they’ve not followed up with, and customers who have bought before but haven’t in a while. Use the holidays as an excuse to follow up. For the first group, send a holiday greeting and the proposal that’s due. For the second, follow up with a personal email with a holiday message and a request to meet or schedule a call. Reach out to previous customers with a message saying that you’ve missed them, that you wish them a happy holiday, and ask if they’d like to schedule a consult or talk to you about the new services you offer.

The holidays are the perfect time to reach out to customers. Many are in the same boat as you – and will appreciate you taking the initiative.

Enjoy the season!