How to Have a Monster Fourth Quarter

Will your Q4 be like this...

Or like this?

With the third quarter winding down, we're nearly into the most important quarter. It's where you miss or make your numbers. Maybe crush your numbers. It's where you earn your bonus. It affects promotions and staffing decisions. Time is finite. You only get so many chances before the year is over and the bean counters tell everyone how you did. Your boss is eagerly waiting for these results.

Perhaps just as important, Q4 is a time for planning for next year. Maybe 2013 was a struggle. Maybe the company had a flat year, or only slight growth. Planning for next year is the first step toward crushing it in 2014.

Tell the world what your company is all about. Showcase the geniuses inside your firm. Don't just pitch. Provide useful, educational information. Demonstrate your expertise. Open the vault of knowledge. Establish industry credibility, your most valuable asset.

That one perfect lead can make your year. Add to your list of prospects now, and develop lasting relationships that will bear fruit over the months ahead. Sales don't happen overnight. Prospects can sense fear and uncertainty. Don't be fearful or uncertain. If you don't move with confidence and authority now, you are only delaying the process further. Are you up for it?

Don't settle for good enough. Don't let up and coast. End the year on a high note. Be memorable.

How do you get started? Ask yourself some honest questions.

• Do our prospects really know who we are and what we do?
• Do we have a strong funnel of prospects and a restocking plan for new ones?
• Are we using our marketing resources wisely and efficiently?
• Is our marketing portfolio diversified across multiple channels or do we bet on just a couple big things?
• Are we accelerating or taking our foot off the pedal?
• Have we done everything within our control to finish the year strong?
• Do we have a strong marketing plan in place for 2014?

What's stopping you? 

Budget? Get creative. Shake things up. Move money from unproductive sinkhole projects into things that move the needle.

Staff? Find a hungry intern who can't wait to prove herself. Give an employee a new project that takes him just beyond his comfort zone. Find an outside resource who can come in, do great work, and get out.

Lack of Executive Support? Show them you've got game. Challenge the C-suite to look at new ideas. Bring passion and intensity to your activities. They want to support your work, but only if they truly believe you will see it through to a successful outcome. Make believers out of them.

Stop making excuses, and start making a difference.

Here's the pitchy part...Click away now if it's not your thing.

Let us help you. We'll be a coach and a teammate to help you surge to victory in the remaining months of 2013, and prepare for a fast start in 2014. Our playbook is chock full of ideas, strategies, and tactics designed for winning in the life science industry: pharma, biotech, and medical devices. From print advertising and editorial coverage, to digital marketing campaigns and social media exposure, we can help you be victorious. Tap into our massive fan base (subscribers/followers/connections). Many of them are your future clients. What are you waiting for?

For print marketing coaching, contact Lisa Banket at lbanket@pharmalinx.com.

For online/digital bizdev coaching, contact Marah Walsh at mwalsh@pharmalinx.com.