When the year-end is getting closer and your sales pipeline is dwindling, it’s easy to feel pressure to close everything at once. But urgency alone doesn’t create momentum. Sales teams need a clear plan for how they’ll spend their time and which opportunities deserve attention.
For clients whose fiscal year ends in December, we often start planning around Labor Day. We map out prospecting and selling activities for the next 90 days, through the end of November. Why stop there when the calendar year has more days left? Because selling often gets unpredictable in December, whether or not it’s a company’s fiscal year-end.
Plan Around the December Slowdown
A focused push through November gives salespeople and leaders a chance to build momentum before the holiday season. It also helps avoid placing unnecessary pressure on sellers and clients in December, when schedules and priorities can shift.
That pressure can have a longer-term cost. Sales leaders know that some employees reflect on their year during the holidays and consider a job change. If December brings strained relationships and unrealistic demands, it may add to that frustration. A thoughtful sales plan helps teams stay focused while maintaining trust with both employees and clients.
It’s Not Too Late to Set Clear Priorities
If you’re already late in the year and behind your sales goals, you can still make a practical plan. Start by identifying the daily prospecting and selling activities that give your team the best chance to create opportunities. A clear routine helps salespeople focus on what they can control, even when results take time.
Then revisit closed-lost deals from earlier in the year. Look for prospects where the conversation ended respectfully and the relationship is still intact. Reach out, ask whether anything has changed, and see if there’s a reason to restart the discussion. Some opportunities may be worth another look.
A dwindling pipeline calls for focus, not panic. Give your team a clear plan, protect time for prospecting, and reconnect with promising prospects. Those steps can help you make better use of the remaining selling days and enter the new year with stronger momentum.
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Chris Kelly of Sandler Toronto helps sales teams across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area strengthen sales qualification, improve sales discovery, and build a more effective sales process. Through sales training and coaching, teams can learn to qualify opportunities before investing in a proposal, quote, or bid.
