On Vacation? Don't Be

It used to make sense. Back in the “old days”, it was somewhat accepted that not much new business was to be gotten, much less conducted, during the core summer months. Those weeks between about mid-June and mid-August wherein, presumably, everyone was either on a real, physical vacation or a mental one. It was a common presumption in many industries. In the media, it was almost always blamed on the retail sector. (It also gave some credibility to the notion that no-one watched TV in the summer as they were “outside.” Right?). Retailers anxiously awaited the “Back-To-School” windfall, it was thought. If you sold any media other than TV, you finally had an angle.

Recession notwithstanding, these days, most folks who watch TV are dedicated ALL YEAR LONG! And they are online. And they listen to the radio. And on and on. Most retailers have aggressive weekly sales promotions that are designed to keep drawing in buyers constantly without a break. So what is with the continued adherence to some sectors? The very same corporate folks who lament poor earnings at the end of Q2 and the beginning of Q3 probably sang the same sad song last year and the year before and the year before and the year before…. Enough already!

Perhaps especially in light of the economic crisis we are still trying to recover from, but even more so from the standpoint that the world has changed and business has changed, it is time that we ALL get real about what the new economy means and what it does not. And what it surely does not mean is that our old habits and ways of thinking will work well in today’s new business environment. We’ve got to get off of our excuses (real and perceived) and think more, plan more, sell more and do more than ever before. And we can’t take a vacation all summer long and expect for things to get better. It just isn’t going to happen.