The Holidays are upon us!(and the New Year)

To give or not give . . . that is the question!

It is so important to thank our clients for trusting us with their needs and projects. This time of year can be a great season to focus on being thankful and making sure that our clients know that we appreciate all of the opportunities that they have afforded us during the past year. I believe that a well thought gift of appropriate value is perfect to give to our special clients at all levels of an account. Don't forget that assistant or receptionist that greets you and makes your life easier whom without we might be outside an account looking in! The old adage "it's the thought that counts" definitely applies here so make your gifts as custom and thoughtful as you can.

Sometimes it's hard to give clients holiday gifts due to their companies' policies. We need to come up with other ideas if that is the case so be creative and use your resources!

Here are some ideas:

• A thank you note signed by every employee that works on your customers' account.
• A donation in the client's name . . . one of the sales people that I coach adopted a Seeing Eye puppy for an account and the account folks got to name him, get photos, and see updates on his progress.
• Cooking/catering a meal in house for your client on their turf and inviting all of the pertinent players.
• Holiday decorations for their home or office.
• What about offering to come to their office once a month and do some sort of service for the whole year . . . update their product sample room, deliver coffee, snacks, etc.

I think you get the idea . . . say thank you with the method that the client allows while staying creative and setting you and your company apart!

Make sure that you are making it happen . . . not just getting ready to make it happen!

December is a good time of year to pause and reflect on the past year, lick our wounds, count our blessings, and lay the ground work for the coming year. Some of the getting ready activities are:

• Getting ready for the holidays
• Focusing on new goals and objectives
• Getting ready to chase a whole new set of dreams

In sales, there are getting-ready activities, and there are getting-busy activities. Unfortunately, too many salespeople (one in four) are getting ready to get ready. There is a time to get ready and a time to get busy. Getting ready is planning, preparation, and rehearsal. Too much getting ready and you're procrastinating, which is really avoidance behavior. These are the people who stand by the treadmill but never get ON the treadmill. Getting ready is important, but getting busy is imperative to your success. You have to be willing to pick up the phone, go out and visit a client and continue to build relationships.

Focus Point

55. Know what they expect of you in your new sales career.

If you're a recent college graduate deciding between job offers, take the time to get all of the facts from your prospective employers. The best job interviews should facilitate two-way communication between the parties. No one wants to see you depart after a few frustrating weeks or months on the job because you "really were not cut out for the demands" of the job.

If you already have a job in one field and are considering shifting into a new line of work, you also need to do some research and some soul-searching. One of my friends switched from corporate sales to real estate and was surprised to discover how many phone calls she received and how much attention the clients needed. This was very different from the servicing required in her corporate job.

Different businesses require different styles, hours, personalities and responsibilities to obtain clients and to keep those clients satisfied.