Every October I hear the same whispers: “We’ll make it up in Q4.” Then the pumpkins come out, the calendar flips, and suddenly the quiet voice becomes a scream. If your pipeline looks more haunted house than happy harvest, take a breath. The fourth quarter doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, it’s one of the best times to refocus, unmask what’s really going on in your prospecting, and set yourself up for a strong Q1.
First, let’s unmask the monster: Are you busy, or are you effective?
Busy is a costume. Effective is the person underneath. I’ve watched leaders assume the problem is a seller who “just can’t close,” when the real culprits are earlier in the process: a recurring objection with no strong response, or a proposal so long and confusing it goes into the “review later” pile – otherwise known as the Big Black Hole. When we walked one owner through a simple sales diagnostic, we discovered those two bottlenecks were causing deals to stall. Firing the seller wouldn’t have fixed it either.
So before you chase ghosts, pinpoint the exact problem:
- Are your first meetings with the right decision makers?
- Do you have strong, practiced responses to the most common early objections?
- Does your proposal lead a prospect to “Yes,” or to “I’ll look at this after the holidays”?
If you don’t know, don’t guess. Fixing the wrong problem is expensive, time-consuming, and often the reason good opportunities never pan out.
Don’t trick yourself with false comfort
There’s a Halloween trick sellers play on themselves this time of year: equating activity with progress. A flurry of emails, a fresh list, a few “just checking in” notes – none of those, on their own, open executive doors.
Here’s the truth: consistency and quality beat volume. In one long, complex sale we supported, leadership told sellers to focus only on deals that could close within the quarter. With a 12-18 month sales cycle, that guidance forced sellers to ignore top-of-funnel outreach and mid-funnel nurturing. The result? A weak quarter turned into a weak pipeline, which turned into another weak quarter. Don’t fall into that trap. Your future quarters depend on the seeds you plant now.
Treat yourself to full-size outreach
Think of your prospecting like Halloween candy. You can grab handfuls of the black-and-orange-wrapped mystery taffy—cheap, generic messages sent to everyone—or you can be the house on the block that gives out full-size candy bars. Which one makes kids (and prospects) remember you, talk about you, and come back?
Full-size outreach looks like:
- A crisp, relevant message that speaks directly to an executive priority in Q4: using budget wisely, hitting year-end targets, or lining up Q1 initiatives so they start fast in January.
- A short, clear proposal that’s easy to say “yes” to now, not one that demands quiet time to decipher, no one has.
- A follow-up rhythm that builds trust and moves the relationship forward, not sporadic , hollow “just circling back” notes.
Strategy over volume: the trick-or-treat lesson
On Halloween, kids who plan their route—who hit the streets early, target the right houses, and keep moving—end the night with the best haul. The same is true in prospecting. A smart route wins:
- Target the right doors. Go after A-level prospects who represent important wins, not a bucket of maybes. Purge the rest. Your time is your best candy – don’t hand it out to everyone.
- Knock at the right time. One of my favorite overlooked windows: after 2 p.m. on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Many assistants are off, and decision makers are relaxed and picking up their own phones. While your competitors clock out early, you can be the one who gets through.
- Bring the right ask. Q4 is prime time to help decision makers use it, not lose it. Suggest using remaining budget to fund a Q1 pilot or initiative now. You lock in business, they protect next year’s budget. That’s a treat everyone appreciates.
Make Q4 your launch pad for Q1
Here’s your short list to turn fright into focus:
- Diagnose before you decide. Identify the exact points where deals stall and fix those first.
- Trade volume for value. Send fewer, better messages to true A-level targets.
- Sell the next quarter now. Use remaining budgets to fund Q1 pilots and initiatives.
- Tighten proposals. Make them easy to understand and easy to approve.
- Work overlooked windows. Block time the Wednesday before Thanksgiving after 2 p.m. to reach hard-to-reach decision makers.
- Stay in touch with lost deals. If service levels disappoint, be ready with a smooth takeover plan.