Is Your Sales Team Winding Down for Christmas — Or Gearing Up for Growth?

Why the final months of 2026 could be some of your biggest opportunities to build revenue, strengthen relationships and get ahead in 2027.

By Kel Marks | Business Growth Consultant, Sales Coach & Mentor

As we approach November 2026, there's something I hear almost every year from sales professionals, business development managers and sometimes even business leaders.

"Our customers are starting to wind down for Christmas."

"Nobody really wants to see us this time of year."

"Everyone's too busy."

" We'll pick things up again in January.”

Sound familiar?

I've spent many years working with sales teams, lenders, brokers and businesses across different industries, and I've heard these comments more times than I can count.

But here's my question.

Are your customers actually winding down, or have you simply convinced yourself they are? Because there's a big difference.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves Become Our Reality

One of the biggest influences on sales performance is mindset.

If you genuinely believe customers don't want to hear from you in November or December, guess what happens?

You make fewer calls. You arrange fewer meetings. You follow up less frequently. Your prospecting slows down. And before long, your sales results start reflecting exactly what you believed would happen.

You've effectively talked yourself into a slower finish to the year.

Now, don't get me wrong. Some industries have seasonal slowdowns, customers take holidays, and decision-makers become harder to reach.That's reality.

But allowing those circumstances to become an excuse for reducing your sales activity is something entirely different.

Sometimes the biggest barrier to growth isn't the market. It's the mindset we take into the market.

Ask a Business Owner If They're Winding Down

Here's something worth considering.

Walk into almost any business right now and ask the owner:

“Are you looking to slow down your revenue and profitability between now and Christmas?”

I'd suggest the overwhelming response would be a very firm NO! Most business owners want to finish the year strongly. They want more customers, stronger cash flow, improved productivity and a healthy pipeline heading into 2027. They may be busy, but that doesn't mean they're not interested in opportunities.

There's an old saying in sales that I've always believed carries a lot of truth:

“Show me how you can help me make money or save money, and you've got my attention.”

It's a simple principle, but one that sales professionals sometimes forget.

Your customers aren't necessarily avoiding conversations. They may simply be avoiding conversations that offer them little value. If your approach is genuinely relevant to their business, their challenges and their objectives, why wouldn't they want to hear from you?

Five Ways to Elevate Sales Performance Before the Year Ends

Rather than accepting that the year is effectively over, here are five practical areas I'd encourage sales professionals and leaders to focus on.

1. Change the Conversation

Stop leading with what you're selling and start exploring what your customers want to achieve.

Ask better questions.

What are they looking to accomplish before Christmas? What challenges are affecting their business? What would make the biggest difference to their performance heading into 2027?

A valuable conversation will always have more impact than another generic sales pitch.

2. Reconnect With Your Existing Relationships

Some of the best opportunities may already be sitting in your existing customer base, referral networks and previous conversations.

Who haven't you spoken with for a while?

Which opportunities stalled earlier in the year?

Which customers could benefit from additional support, products or services?

Sometimes growth isn't about finding more prospects. It's about making better use of the relationships you've already established.

3. Focus on the Activities That Drive Results

Revenue, sales volumes and settlements are important measures of success.

But they are outcomes.

What about the activities that actually produce those outcomes?

Meaningful customer conversations, qualified appointments, follow-ups, referrals and opportunities progressed.

Sales professionals who maintain consistent activity while others slow down can put themselves in a much stronger position.

Don't just measure what you've achieved. Pay attention to what you're doing to achieve it.

4. Make It Easier for Customers to Say Yes

As the year draws to a close, customers often have competing priorities.

That makes clarity, responsiveness and simplicity even more important.

Are your proposals easy to understand? Are you following up promptly? Are you helping customers make informed decisions rather than adding unnecessary complexity?

Sometimes improving sales performance isn't about working harder. It's about removing the friction that slows business down.

5. Start Building Your 2027 Pipeline Now

One of the biggest mistakes I see is treating January as the starting line for the new year.

Why wait?

Use November and December to strengthen relationships, identify upcoming opportunities and schedule conversations for early 2027.

Imagine returning from the Christmas break with appointments already booked, opportunities progressing and a clear plan for the first 90 days.

That's a very different position from arriving back in January and wondering where the next opportunity will come from.

Sales Leaders: Your Team Will Often Follow Your Mindset

This isn't just about individual salespeople.

Leaders have an enormous influence on the energy, activity and expectations of their teams. If the message from leadership is that business will be quiet until January, don't be surprised when activity starts dropping. Instead, consider how you can create some positive momentum.

Are your team members having the right conversations? Do they have the confidence and skills to uncover opportunities? Are you coaching them on their approach, or simply asking whether they've hit their numbers?

Sometimes a few adjustments to sales conversations, accountability and daily behaviours can make a meaningful difference.

And importantly, this doesn't necessarily require more people, more marketing expenditure or more resources.

It can simply mean getting more from the people, relationships and opportunities you already have.

Don't Write Off the Final Weeks of 2026

I'm not suggesting every customer will be ready to buy before Christmas.

Nor am I suggesting that everyone should work through the holiday period or ignore the importance of taking a well-earned break. What I am suggesting is that we stop assuming the opportunity has disappeared simply because the calendar says November or December.

• There is still business to be done.

• There are still relationships to strengthen.

• There are still opportunities to uncover.

  
  

And there's certainly an opportunity to put yourself and your business in a stronger position for 2027.

The question is, are you finishing 2026 with intention, or simply waiting for 2027 to begin?

Let's Get Your Team Finishing Strongly and Starting 2027 Even Stronger

I work with businesses,lenders, aggregators, and brokerages across Australia and New Zealand, helping sales professionals, BDMs and leadership teams elevate their sales performance, improve customer conversations, build stronger pipelines and create sustainable growth.

My approach isn't about delivering another generic motivational sales presentation.

It's about practical, tailored coaching, training and consulting that helps people improve the activities, skills and behaviours that drive real business outcomes.

Whether it's a focused sales team workshop, individual coaching, leadership support or a broader sales growth engagement, I tailor the approach to your business and the outcomes you want to achieve.

I'm currently taking bookings for November and December 2026, as well as early 2027.

If you're a business owner or sales leader looking to lift performance, finish the year with momentum or give your team a stronger start to 2027, I'd welcome a conversation.

Let's explore what could be achieved with the people and opportunities you already have.

Reach out to arrange a no-obligation conversation about how I can support your team.