5 Things You Need to Do Today to Prepare for 2025
Introduction
There is no doubt that 2024 was challenging for many small and mid-sized businesses. Economic downturns, high interest rates, political uncertainty, and hesitant buyer behaviors left many stuck. But there is good news: 2025 offers a fresh start.
The key to sales success next year lies in one principle—MOMENTUM. By acting NOW, you can ensure 2025 is your best year yet. This guide outlines five critical actions you need to take today to get ready.
1. Examine Your Sales Pipeline
Your sales pipeline tells a story. Every lost or stalled deal holds valuable insights to inform your 2025 strategy. Take the time to review your pipeline with the following questions in mind:
Identify bottlenecks: Where are deals getting stuck? What might be contributing to this?
Look for patterns: What do your “won” deals have in common? Apply the same question to your “lost” deals.
Assess your tools: Is your CRM providing the data you need?
Quick Tip: Not pleased with your CRM? Our team loves HubSpot and they offer a FREE CRM with a simple and easy sales pipeline included. Go to Hubspot.com.
2. Reconnect with Your Customers
Your customers are your best source of insight. The easiest way to improve your sales strategy is by talking to your customers. Find out:
Why did they ultimately choose to work with you?
How has their experience been so far?
What additional needs or insight might they have?
Not only does this help you improve your offerings, but it also strengthens trust and opens the door for referrals.
Quick Tip: Send a short survey or make it a habit to schedule 15-30 minute calls with your top clients once or twice annually.
3. Refine Your Ideal Customer Profile
Adapt your targeting to 2025’s market realities. Buyer behaviors change, and so should your ideal customer profile. Review your best-performing customers from 2024 and ask:
What is true that makes them so successful?
Does our current ICP align with those characteristics?
Are there new industries or demographics emerging as high-value prospects?
This ensures your marketing efforts are laser-focused on the right audience.
Quick Tip: Update your messaging to address the specific challenges your ideal clients will face in 2025.
4. Build Strategic Partnerships
Collaborate with complementary businesses to expand your reach. Strategic partnerships can be a game-changer. Identify businesses that share your target audience but offer different services. Together, you can co-market, share leads, and offer more value to your customers.
Start small: Propose a joint webinar or cross-promotional email campaign.
Focus on mutual benefits: How can you help each other grow?
Quick Tip: Reach out to your best partners once a quarter to stay top of mind and explore new ways to collaborate.
5. Go Old-School Relationally
We are all overwhelmed and annoyed by automated messages and generic pitch slapping! The time has come to move beyond pure automation and go back to the art of making meaningful connections. Sales wins are about quality over quantity more than ever. Rise above the fray by making time to focus on personal, problem-driven outreach.
Use AI tools to gather insights but keep the outreach personal.
Block time weekly for relationship-building: follow-ups, thank-you notes, or even coffee meetings.
Quick Tip: Block and protect time in your calendar to ensure consistency.
Conclusion: Start Today, Thrive Tomorrow
2025 is your opportunity to pivot, grow, and succeed. By taking these five steps now, you’ll position your business to thrive in a competitive market. Don’t wait—start building momentum today!
Next Steps
Need help taking the first step? Let’s start with a FREE pipeline review. Every sales pipeline has hidden opportunities and potential bottlenecks that can impact your growth—but identifying them isn’t always easy. Click here to schedule your complimentary evaluation.