Do You Have the Summertime Blues?

During a recent conversation with a client, they confided in me that they had not been enjoying the summer as much as they would have liked. When I asked why they suggested that summer for them was a time in their business, a time when many of their customers were away on vacation therefore making it difficult to reach anyone or to close any business.

The pressure of business being quiet took away any enjoyment for the summer as it created undue amounts of pressure on them to do more and work harder while everyone around them seemed to be doing less and taking it easy.

Do slow periods in your business cause you to feel stressed? If so there are ways by which you can turn that stress into productive outcomes for yourself and your business, improving your feelings of self-worth and allowing yourself the freedom to take it easy.

In my customer’s situation I suggested that what they were feeling was a sure sign of them having the summertime blues and that, in order to move past these feelings they first needed to gain some perspective.

Summer is a time when many CEOs and business owners feel the pressure of slower sales, reduced response times by customers and often (depending on the influence of seasonality to the business) a downturn in sales.

What I often tell the clients I advise is as long as the slower response by customers or the downturn in sales is a historical trend (not a new reality), then they need to see the circumstances for what they are and instead use the time wisely to prepare for the wave of new business that will begin in the coming months.

The solution that I’ve found has worked well for my clients and that I’m confident will work for you, is to see the reality of the situation, use time wisely and take comfort in your past successes. For example:

• Use downtime to clear your mind and relax in preparation for the surge of business ahead.
• Invest time in locations where your customers and clients are likely spending their leisure time – like the golf course or charity events.
• Spend time mapping out a detailed plan for the next 12 – 24 months in your business – what do you want to achieve and where should you begin?

There are plenty of ways you can spend the slower months of summer that will lead to greater opportunities and successes come September. Start by being realistic about the circumstances you are facing, validate them against previous years or similar periods, and then use the time wisely for planning and preparing for the good things that will come.

All success results from specific and intentional actions. Take control of your mind and your actions to turn the summertime blues into a productive and enjoyable time of the year.

© Shawn Casemore 2015. All rights reserved.