Story of the Week
The Summer Sales Reality Check
Here's what most business owners don't want to admit: The summer slump is real, and it's not your fault.
People are traveling, kids are out of school, attention spans are shorter, and purchasing decisions get delayed. Your audience is mentally checked out, sipping margaritas instead of scrolling through your sales pages.
But here's what separates thriving businesses from struggling ones: Instead of accepting the slump, they use summer strategically.
The businesses that understand this don't just survive summer — they use it to set themselves up for explosive growth in the fall.
Why Summer is Actually Your Secret Weapon
While your competitors are complaining about slow sales and taking their foot off the gas, you can be positioning yourself for when attention returns in September.
Think about it: If everyone else is slowing down their marketing efforts, there's less noise in the marketplace. Your message can cut through more easily. Your content gets more attention. Your outreach efforts have higher response rates.
Summer isn't a time to hibernate — it's a time to prepare for harvest season.
One of the best ways to do this is by joining my brand-new 14-day challenge: Make Your First Sale from Social Media. You can start it here.
The Summer Strategy Playbook
Here's how I'm approaching the summer months differently this year:
1. Shift Your Content Calendar: Instead of pushing hard on sales content, focus on relationship-building and value-driven content. People have more time to consume longer-form content during summer. Create in-depth tutorials, behind-the-scenes content, or educational series that build trust and authority.
2. Plan Your Fall Launch Now: Use the slower summer months to develop your biggest offer of the year. While your competitors are scrambling in August to prepare for back-to-school season, you'll be ready to launch when attention returns.
3. Nurture Your Email List Differently: Summer is perfect for storytelling and personal connection. Share more behind-the-scenes content, personal stories, and lighter, more entertaining emails. Build deeper relationships now so your audience is more receptive when it’s time to sell.
4. Focus on Retention Over Acquisition: Instead of spending heavily on new customer acquisition (when conversion rates are typically lower), double down on serving your existing customers exceptionally well. Create exclusive summer content, host virtual events, or offer surprise bonuses.
5. Optimize and Improve Everything: Use the slower pace to audit and improve your systems. Update your website, refresh your sales pages, organize your content library, and streamline your processes. When traffic picks up in fall, you'll be ready to convert at higher rates.
6. Build Strategic Partnerships: Summer is an excellent time for networking and building relationships with other business owners who might also be experiencing slower periods. Plan collaborations, joint ventures, or cross-promotional opportunities for the fall.
The "Summer Prep" Framework
Here's a simple framework I'm using to turn summer into a strategic advantage:
June — Relationship Building: Focus entirely on serving your audience without selling. Create your best free content of the year. Build goodwill and trust.
July — Behind-the-Scenes Development: Work on your fall launch behind the scenes. Develop new products, create sales materials, and plan your marketing campaigns.
August — Pre-Launch Preparation: Start teasing your fall offerings. Build anticipation. Get your audience excited about what's coming.
September — Launch Strong: When everyone else is just getting back into business mode, you're already launching with a warmed-up audience and polished materials.
