EP012: How to make more sales over summer (*without being on 24/7)
Episode summary
Every year, Anna hears the same thing: "nobody buys over summer." In Episode 12, she challenges that belief head-on, because when you stop selling over summer, fewer sales become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Anna shares how she plans her own summers using a "dimmer switch" (fully off for holidays, dialled down to 10-20% capacity the rest) and tells the story of the scrappy, last-minute offer she launched on the way to the airport, with the first sale landing before she'd even checked in.
You'll leave with practical summer sales actions to put in place this week.
Key takeaways:
"Nobody buys over summer" is usually a self-fulfilling prophecy: people stop selling, so they stop making sales.
Think "dimmer switch," not on/off: dial down to 10-20% capacity and focus only on income-generating tasks and client delivery.
Scrappy beats perfect: a simple Google Doc with a checkout link can sell brilliantly when the offer is right.
Choose a summer-friendly offer that fits your capacity, or presell for September.
Reposition what you already sell so it feels timely: same substance, summer label.
Make buying frictionless: one simple sales asset, visible everywhere, plus a scheduled email sequence.
Your best summer sales are closer than you think: build a hot list of warm contacts and follow up daily.
Episode outline / timestamps
00:00 – Welcome + the "nobody buys over summer" myth
02:17 – What sales strategy fits your summer (and your clients')?
02:51 – Anna's own figures: July and August hold up
03:36 – The dimmer switch: fully off vs dialled down
05:44 – Story: the scrappy offer that sold before the plane took off
11:04 – Action 1: decide what to sell (keep it simple, or presell September)
12:58 – Action 2: position your offer to feel timely ("change the label")
15:03 – Action 3: create one simple, low-lift sales asset
16:47 – Action 4: make your offer visible everywhere
17:28 – Action 5: schedule a simple summer email sequence
18:26 – Action 6: build a hot list + follow up daily
19:45 – Action 7: thank-you pages and out-of-office as prime real estate
21:00 – Action 8: set consistent action goals (and batch them)
22:49 – Closing: enjoy your summer and keep the sales coming in
Links + Resources:
- Want to see your greatest opportunities to increase sales? https://www.annapayne.online/quiz
- Join us for 30 days of free online networking? https://www.annapayne.online/networking
- Download your free leads tracker https://www.annapayne.online/tracker
- Book a free 15 minute sales game plan call with Anna https://calendly.com/annapaynecall/introduction
- Buy my best-selling book on sales here: https://amzn.to/4u9fJy9
- See a complete list of ALL the FREE and paid ways I can support you with sales https://www.annapayne.online/everything
Meet Your Host:
Anna Payne is a sales and business growth expert with almost three decades of experience across sales, leadership and entrepreneurship.
She has founded and co-founded three successful businesses since 2008, selling and delivering millions of pounds of consultancy and working with clients across five continents, as well as building and leading high-performing teams.
Anna is also the author of the number one bestseller Everything You’ve Been Taught About Sales is Wrong (*Probably) and a keynote speaker on sales and entrepreneurship.
Website: https://www.annapayne.online/everything
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