Breaking the Seasonal Sales Slump: 7 Proven Strategies for Commercial Service Businesses

Introduction

For service businesses—landscaping and grounds, HVAC, fire life safety (FLS), and commercial cleaning, to name a few—seasonal slumps are a fact of life. When demand drops, so does revenue, and even the best sales teams can lose momentum.

But these slower seasons don’t have to feel like “a dry spell;” with the right strategies, service businesses can turn seasonal dips into opportunities to build client relationships, gain market share, and grow a pipeline year round.

In this article, we’ll look at strategies to keep revenue flowing and keep sales teams motivated all year. Whether you’re heading into winter’s slow season or summer’s off-peak, these steps will get your team ready for what’s to come.

1. Secure Revenue with Year-Round Service Agreements

A key to managing seasonal dips is building year-round revenue streams through service agreements. Offer clients service plans, and they’ll have a predictable income and touchpoints throughout the year.

Examples:

• Commercial HVAC and Mechanical Services: Develop preventive maintenance and service agreements that keep clients’ systems running all year. Plans might include pre-season check-ups, system cleaning, emergency repairs, and seasonal tune-ups to keep the sales flowing.
• Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance: Offer packages that bundle seasonal tasks like snow removal, mulching, and summer maintenance so clients see the value in a well-maintained property all year.

How to Do It: Use Convex to find customers in need of the services you provide and add notes to your CRM and lead management tools that show which ones would benefit most from seasonal services. For lawn and grounds—set reminders for winter risk assessments that offer snow removal and sidewalk care. Give your sales team service package options for different property types so they can suggest year-round options.

Value to Your Clients: A year-round plan that includes emergency services like HVAC repairs means less downtime and happier customers. They won’t have expensive surprises and unexpected issues, budgeting is easier, and their systems run smoother.

2. Launch Seasonal Promotions to Generate Off-Peak Interest

Encourage potential clients to take advantage of the slower season by offering seasonal promotions that give them immediate value. These promotions create a sense of urgency and get clients to act before peak season prices kick in.

Promotional Ideas:

• Winter Maintenance Packages: Offer a package for system inspections, deep cleaning, or emergency readiness to help clients get ready for the season.
• Spring Ready Landscaping Discounts: Early bird pricing for landscaping services can get property managers to book in advance so their grounds are ready for warm weather. You could also offer a discount for referring other clients.
• Summer Safety Checks: For FLS businesses, summer is the perfect time to offer safety assessments or fire drills while building relationships with customers and prospects before peak season starts.

How to Do It: Use email marketing, social media and your website to get the word out on seasonal promotions. Create landing pages that explain the benefits of each promotion and drive potential clients to schedule a consultation or sign up online.

Value to Your Clients: By offering value-driven packages at discounted prices during slow seasons, you are showing your commitment to helping your clients prepare for their busiest times. This not only helps them save money but also gives them peace of mind.

3. Diversify Service Offerings to Smooth Out Revenue

Diversifying services is another way to stay relevant during slow periods. Offering complimentary services gives clients additional reasons to engage with your team, making it easier to secure year-round business.

Example Applications:

• Cleaning and Janitorial:  When business slows, offer deep cleaning services like floor care, carpet and upholstery cleaning, and sanitization to complement your regular janitorial offerings.
• HVAC and Mechanical: Add indoor air quality testing, filter replacement services or smart thermostat installation during off-peak seasons.
• Fire Life Safety: Offer compliance training, emergency preparedness workshops, or quarterly fire extinguisher checks when regular inspection work is slow.

How to Do It: Determine the additional services that benefit your current clients. Consider running a survey or market research to find out what add-ons would appeal to property managers. Or, take a look at the Signals section in Convex—this will show you what accounts in your industry are actively searching for and give you additional ideas of what to offer.

Value to Your Clients: Clients get to address multiple needs with one provider, saving time and effort.

4. Build Relationships with Consistent Client Check-Ins

Slow periods are the perfect time to build deeper relationships with your clients. Use this time to check in, provide value, and remind clients that you’re a trusted partner.

If you want a pro sales tip that I’ve used for years—try to learn more about a customer. Find out who their favorite sports team is, their alma mater, if they have family in the area—and send small gifts related to things that they and their families will love. This builds deeper bonds with your customers.

Ideas for Relationship-Building:

• Golf Outings and Sporting Events: Invite clients to a round of golf or tickets to a sporting event. These are great ways to connect and have fun while getting business done.
• Holiday Cards and Birthday Gifts: Use slow periods as an opportunity to send thoughtful cards or small gifts like coffee gift cards, branded company swag, or tickets to local events.
• Small Gifts, Networking Opportunities, and Connections: Send small gifts like cookies, gift baskets, or tickets to networking events that you think your clients would enjoy. This shows that you value their business and want to see them succeed.
• Routine Maintenance and Educational Check-Ins: Schedule a courtesy call to check on clients’ systems and provide maintenance tips for the season.
• Offer Seasonal Advice: Send emails with helpful content, like energy-saving tips for HVAC systems in winter or water-saving landscaping practices for summer. This positions you as an industry expert and keeps your company “top-of-mind.”

How to Do It: Use your CRM and customer database to track important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, or work anniversaries. Reach out via email or phone, send thoughtful gestures (don’t be creepy), and use slow periods as opportunities to meet clients in person.

Value to Your Clients: Building strong relationships with consistent check-ins show that you value their business beyond transactions. This helps build trust, loyalty, and can lead to long-term partnerships. Plus, who doesn’t love free tickets or gifts?

5. Implement Data-Driven Targeting for Effective Seasonal Sales Outreach

Even though it’s the slow season, you should still pursue new customers. However, during these times, focusing efforts on the prospects most likely to buy is crucial. This will accelerate the sales pipeline and keep your team engaged in finding deals.

Data-driven tools like Convex help your team prioritize high-potential prospects by using property data to uncover sales opportunities. Instead of blindly reaching out to prospects, data-driven targeting allows you to customize your message and approach for maximum impact.

Example Applications:

• Use Convex’s Signals: Identify which properties or accounts are showing signs of interest, like property managers who might need equipment updates or are due for inspections.
• Segment Your Outreach by Seasonality: For example, landscape companies can target new commercial properties ahead of winter for snow removal and spring for mulching services, while HVAC companies can reach out in the fall for winter prep.

How to Do It: Use Convex’s Signals section to identify properties with seasonal needs, like HVAC replacements or landscaping services. Customize your outreach with targeted messaging that speaks directly to their pain points.

Value to Your Clients: By using data-driven targeting, you’re showing potential clients that you understand their business needs and are equipped to meet them. This can increase the chances of closing new deals and building long-term partnerships. Overall, implementing these strategies can help your commercial service business stay competitive and profitable throughout the year.

6. Invest in Employee Training During Slow Periods

Slow times are the perfect opportunity for employee training. Seasonal slumps can affect motivation and productivity, but your team can turn a slow season into an opportunity with the right training and tools. Investing in your team’s skills and well-being will ensure they’re ready to engage clients effectively year-round.

Key Training Strategies and Topics:

Encourage a Resilient Mindset with Data-Driven Insights

Reframe setbacks as opportunities by using data to help reps pinpoint high-potential leads. Encourage your team to view seasonal slumps as a chance to build long-term relationships and refine their skills.

Streamline Sales Operations with the right Prospecting, Sales Pipeline, and CRM Tools.

Equip your team with tools that offer key integrations, like Convex’s property intelligence tools, so they can organize territories, track outreach, and prioritize leads. This way, they spend more time connecting with decision-makers rather than searching for contacts.

Add integrations like Convex to sales pipeline tools like Salesforce and CRM tools like Hubspot means no more manual data entry.

Set Clear, Achievable Goals and Track Activities

Set realistic outreach and conversion goals to keep momentum up and use dashboards to monitor performance. For example, assign weekly goals based on new outreach, lead follow-ups, or drop-ins through the sales route mapping and territory tools in Convex.

Encourage Collaboration and Peer Learning

Foster a culture where team members can share effective outreach strategies or discuss successful tactics for overcoming objections. Using a shared platform to log insights helps sales reps learn from each other and build morale.

Promote Health and Well-Being Through Automation

Automated reminders and follow-ups in Convex help streamline decision-maker conversations so sales reps can avoid the stress of manual tasks. Remind your team that taking breaks and focusing on well-being is key to sustained productivity through slow seasons.

Value to Your Clients: A well-trained team is a more motivated, effective team, ensuring clients receive timely, relevant service even during off-peak times.

7. Host Seasonal Webinars or Events to Educate and Engage Your Marketplace

Educational content is a great way to keep clients engaged and attract new prospects during slow periods. Running webinars or informational events positions your team as the expert.

Example Applications:

• Fire Life Safety: Winter webinar on heating-related fire risks or emergency evacuation planning.
• Landscaping: Snow and Ice Risk Assessments or Spring workshop on eco-friendly landscape and ground care.

Align Webinar Topics with Seasonal Needs and Challenges:

When planning webinars or informational events, focus on seasonal challenges that your clients face. Tailor your topics to provide actionable insights that can help your clients navigate these challenges effectively. For instance, an HVAC company might host a webinar on maintaining energy-efficient heating systems during winter, while a landscaping firm could focus on drought-resistant gardening techniques in anticipation of dry months.

How to Do It: Start by identifying common pain points that arise during specific seasons for your clients, then craft informative sessions that address these issues with practical solutions and expert advice. Leverage digital platforms to widely promote these events, ensuring effective reach to your target audience. Alternatively, utilize email, social media, and your sales team’s outreach to advertise the webinar. Consider offering exclusive discounts to attendees to enhance engagement.

Value to Your Clients: Webinars and events should be focused on providing actionable insights for clients so they can stay up to date on best practices and see you as a valuable partner. This is an opportunity to sell but focus on providing overwhelming value—maybe even insights they won’t find anywhere else.

By offering these types of services, you demonstrate your expertise and commitment to their success. Clients benefit from receiving tailored, relevant information that empowers them to make informed decisions and implement strategies that optimize their operations. This can strengthen client relationships and position your company as a trusted resource in the industry.

Conclusion

Seasonal sales slumps don’t have to be periods of low productivity and dwindling revenue. By implementing year-round service agreements, offering seasonal promotions, and diversifying your services, you can turn seasonal dips into strategic opportunities. Equipping your team with the training and tools they need to overcome these slumps empowers them to reach new clients, deepen existing relationships, and sustain momentum through any season.

With the right approach, each season becomes an opportunity to build resilience, grow your client base, and, ultimately, maintain a steady revenue stream for your commercial service business.

Ready to see how Convex can help you overcome the seasonal sales slump? Schedule a free demo today!