It’s the heart of the summer, a time when people are preoccupied with thoughts of the beach, the pool, the mountains … anywhere but the workplace.
It’s no surprise that more people take vacations during the summer than other seasons of the year. A May 2024 survey of 1,000 Americans revealed that 56% of people planned to vacation this summer, including 42% in July.
Such statistics suggest that B2B lead generation campaigns may be less effective during the summer. And the truth is that in some industries (education, for example) it can be more difficult to reach decision-makers when the weather gets warmer.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to slow down your cold calling during the summer. In fact, you might want to accelerate your lead gen efforts.
For starters, vacations don’t last forever—approximately two-thirds of respondents in the aforementioned survey said they planned to be away 7 days or less, with 27% saying their trips would last just 3 to 4 days. That’s only a brief window where prospects are away from their computer or phone.
Secondly, many prospects might have more time to talk during the summer, especially if they’re working during a week when their office is relatively quiet and there are fewer distractions.
Often, it depends on the market you’re trying to reach, and the product or service you’re offering. Scaling down lead generation and appointment-setting efforts during the summer makes sense for some companies, while others may find it beneficial to ramp up their outbound sales efforts.
VSA has traditionally found summer to be an effective time for most cold calling campaigns. Here are 5 reasons why:
1. People are happier in the summer
It’s been scientifically proven that longer days, warmer temperatures, and bright sunshine can all elevate people’s moods. “Warmer months do tend to have an impact on our overall happiness and well-being,” psychologist Helene D. Moore told healthcentral.com.
The better a prospect’s mood, the more agreeable they might be to listening to what you have to say and/or scheduling an appointment. There’s also a possibility they’re less busy during the summer and will have more time to answer their phone and engage in conversation.
Summer happiness levels probably peak on Friday afternoons, when the weekend beckons. We wrote a blog post earlier this year about the reasons Friday afternoons can be a great time to cold call, and this is especially true during the summer, when prospects are at their most upbeat and least stressed.
2. There’s less competition during the summer
Your prospects aren’t the only ones who might be vacationing during the summer. There’s a good chance a lot of your competitors are taking time off as well.
With plenty of B2B salespeople slowing down during the summer, your target decision-makers most likely aren’t receiving nearly as many sales calls and emails. That makes this a great opportunity to capitalize on your competition’s inactivity and get your company’s name out into the world.
3. Fewer gatekeepers to navigate past
Gatekeepers are also more likely to be vacationing during the summer, which means more decision-makers are answering their phones directly.
Granted, vacationing gatekeepers could be a double-edged sword. With more staff out of the office, the decision-makers might have to take on more day-to-day responsibilities and might not have as much time to speak on the phone.
But still, anytime you have a chance to reach your target prospect directly without being screened by a gatekeeper first, your odds of a conversation—and a conversion—greatly increase.
4. The start of a new fiscal year
It varies by industry, of course, but many organizations begin their fiscal years in the fall, which means summer may be an ideal time to call about your product or service, before budgets for the next 12 months are finalized.
Educational institutions often base their fiscal year on the academic calendar, for example. (So even though decision-makers may be harder to reach during the summer, you might have a better chance of generating interest and scheduling an appointment when you do get through to them.)
Aligning your peak lead generation efforts with fiscal calendars makes smart business sense, and in many cases, that means accelerating calling during the summer.
5. Tailored messaging
The summer months are the perfect time to incorporate seasonal messaging into your calling script, voicemails, or emails, especially if your offering is cyclical. VSA has had multiple clients through the years who offered special promotions during the summer, and we can quickly update our scripts to reflect that.
Summer messaging can also factor into objection handling. If a prospect says they’re unavailable to schedule an appointment because of an upcoming vacation, take the opportunity to wish them a relaxing break and offer to schedule a follow-up call for after they return.
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It is true that some lead generation programs slow down during the summer, for a variety of factors, including vacations. But that doesn’t mean all programs see a dip in production, and in many cases, summer is a great time to ramp up your appointment-setting efforts.
As a data-driven organization, VSA has hard, cold evidence to help determine the best times of the year to call, or not call, depending on the industry.
If you’re looking to heat up your lead generation efforts, give us a call or drop us an email. Let’s collaborate to make this a productive summer for your business.