• SOCIALIZE STRATEGICALLY: During December, it’s common to connect with friends and family members you haven’t seen in a while. It’s also common to attend parties and other gatherings where you’ll meet new people. Use these opportunities to discuss what you do with those you interact with. Doing so could result in at least one or two new prospects whose business will help build your bottom line.
   
• CHIP IN FOR CHARITY: Nonprofits, community groups, businesses, food pantries, even local volunteer fire companies – all these organizations orchestrate and/or participate in charitable initiatives that seek to benefit the less fortunate during the holiday season. Volunteers typically play important roles in these efforts, so be one of those do-gooders. Take a day or two – or even just few hours – to contribute to the cause. In so doing, you’ll interact with other volunteers who may be looking for your services – or who know someone – that could benefit from your ad specialty expertise. They’ll be more inclined to work with you because of the creditability your volunteering will have earned you.
   
• MINE YOUR CURRENT CLIENTS: Talk to existing buyers to find out if they know of other people in their organization (or outside of it too) for whom you can help develop marketing solutions. These clients may be able to give you a direct introduction, speak with the prospect about you, or even let you drop their name when you contact the potential buyer – all of which increases the chances the target will be inclined to work with you. Even if the existing buyer can only give you a tip, you still have a warm lead to pursue, upping the chances that you’ll get a sale.
   
• CREATE A CLIENT WISH LIST: Use some of the down time of the holiday season constructively by putting together a list of companies and organizations that could make lucrative clients in 2015. Focus your search on your local area and/or certain market niches. Once you have identified a few solid prospects, delve into thoroughly researching them online through their website, social channels and the LinkedIn pages of employees and executives. Pay particular attention to discovering quality contacts – decision-makers – you can start calling on in the new year. Then develop a strategic plan for how you can bring value to these prospects. Use your research to formulate this plan and see if there is anyone in your current network connected with people at the prospect organizations. Your existing contacts can offer insights on how to proceed and possibly even provide referrals. With a list of well-researched prospects to pursue, you improve your ability to grow sales in 2015.
   
• INCREASE YOUR LINKEDIN PRESENCE: Used correctly, LinkedIn is an effective platform for B2B sellers to generate leads and increase revenue. Start leveraging this medium to better prospect-producing effect by creating a LinkedIn Group. Be sure to name it something that will be attractive to prospects – something that conveys the value your target audiences would get by joining the group. Additionally, join groups to which your prospects belong and improve your page with multimedia offerings that illustrate your ad specialty expertise and how you help clients be more successful.
 

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