Table of contents:
- What is a Sales Checklist?
- What is a Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist?
- Benefits of a Pre-Holiday Checklist for Sales Team
- Why the Pre-Holiday Period is Critical for Sales Teams?
- The Ultimate Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist for Your Team
- Downloads
- Free Client Follow-Up Schedule Template
- Free End-of-Year Meeting Summary Template
- B2B Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist
- E-commerce Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist
- Retail Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist
The holiday season is fast approaching, and for sales teams, it is crucial to be ready.
With clients going offline, decision-makers prioritizing year-end tasks, and shorter timeframes to close deals, it is easy for momentum to slip.
That’s why a pre-holiday sales checklist is essential.
Having a structured sales checklist guarantees your team stays on track, maximizes productivity, and avoids last-minute chaos.
By planning ahead, your sales team can meet targets, maintain customer relationships, and make the most of the holiday season.
So, let’s get into it and make sure your business is ready to thrive during the busiest time of the year!
What is a Sales Checklist?

Source: Goodmeetings
“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” – Bobby Unser
A sales checklist is a structured guide that guarantees every step in your sales process is planned and executed effectively. It helps businesses by –
- Staying organized
- Avoiding last-minute chaos
- Tracking progress
- Preventing costly mistakes
It is especially useful during high-pressure times like the holiday season.
Research shows that companies with a documented sales process achieve 18% higher revenue than those without one.
From defining goals and understanding customer needs to preparing campaigns – a sales checklist covers it all. Think of it as your roadmap to success.
Related: New Year, New Sales Targets: How Goodmeetings Can Help You Succeed in 2025
What is a Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist?

Source: Goodmeetings
A pre-holiday sales checklist is a comprehensive guide that helps your sales team prepare for the busiest time of the year.
It includes essential tasks like –
- Managing pipeline
- Tracking ongoing campaigns
- Offering training to increase sales team productivity
- Addressing bottlenecks
By using a pre-holiday sales checklist, your team can stay organized, reduce stress, and make the most of the busy season. To put it simply – a sales checklist sets up your team up for success.
Fun fact:
Did you know that holiday sales accounted for 18.4% of total retail sales last year?
Related: How to Calculate Projected Sales – A Complete Guide
Benefits of a Pre-Holiday Checklist for Sales Team

Source: Goodmeetings
A pre-holiday sales checklist is vital for sales teams to stay organized and maintain momentum. Here is how it can benefit your team:
1. Increased sales team productivity
With a clear sales checklist, your team can focus on high-priority activities. Organized processes lead to a productivity boost, allowing your team to make the most of every interaction. This efficiency is crucial when the clock is ticking.
2. Avoiding last-minute chaos
The holiday season can quickly become overwhelming. A structured sales checklist ensures everything is in place, helping you avoid the stress of forgotten tasks. This preparation guarantees you are ready for any unexpected challenges.
3. Better pipeline management
A pre-holiday sales checklist gives a clear view of your sales pipeline, helping you anticipate demand and manage customer expectations. Effective pipeline management helps prevent bottlenecks – guaranteeing you don’t miss any opportunities.
Related: Sales Funnel vs Sales Pipeline: A Complete Guide
4. Optimized marketing and promotions
Planning early allows your team to launch timely marketing campaigns and promotions. Early offers can significantly influence customer decisions—data shows that customers who receive early offers are more likely to make a purchase during the season.
5. Facilitates targeted outreach
Planning ahead enables teams to segment clients and tailor pitches. This increases the relevance of outreach efforts. Research suggests that personalization can boost engagement rates by up to 20%, helping sales teams close deals faster.
6. Aligns cross-department efforts
Sales success often depends on coordination with marketing, product, and operations teams. A sales checklist helps synchronize efforts, ensuring campaigns, deliverables, and timelines are aligned for maximum impact.
7. Improves client relationship management
During the pre-holiday rush, maintaining relationships is key. A structured sales checklist guarantees consistent communication with clients, building trust and increasing the likelihood of repeat business.
The Harvard Business Review has highlighted that a small boost in customer retention—just 5%—can lead to a profit increase of anywhere from 25% to 95%.
Related: How to Create a Winning Sales Plan
Why the Pre-Holiday Period is Critical for Sales Teams?

Source: Goodmeetings
The American Psychological Association found that stress levels rise for many people in the United States during the holiday season.
For sales teams, the pressure is even higher. Reps, managers, and leaders often juggle tight deadlines, challenging targets, and reduced client availability – making the pre-holiday period a pivotal time.
1. Shorter decision-making windows
During the holiday season, decision-makers often prioritize year-end tasks, leaving less time to focus on new deals. Also, many sales professionals struggle to reach prospects during the holidays. Acting early can help secure attention before distractions set in.
2. Clients go offline for extended periods
Many clients take extended breaks over the holidays. This reduces availability for negotiations, approvals, or onboarding. Engaging them ahead of time guarantees critical steps are completed before the window closes.
3. Heightened competition among teams
Businesses ramp up efforts during this period, resulting in intense competition. Research shows that 77% of buyers view the sales process as overly complex, so reaching out early with clear value propositions can give your team an edge.
4. Opportunity for relationship building
The pre-holiday period provides an opportunity to strengthen client relationships. Sending personalized messages, offering early discounts, or providing valuable insights can leave a lasting impression, leading to better retention and loyalty.
5. Revenue targets and year-end goals
For many organizations, hitting revenue targets is critical before the fiscal year ends. Engaging prospects early helps maintain a steady pipeline and reduces pressure to close deals at the last minute.
6. Strategic planning for Q1
Pre-holiday efforts don’t just impact year-end success. They also set the tone for the next quarter. Establishing relationships and building momentum ensures a smoother transition into the New Year.
Fun fact:
Planning is vital—studies show that 42% of consumers start their holiday shopping before the end of October.
Related: A Comprehensive Guide to Sales Projections
The Ultimate Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist for Your Team

Source: Goodmeetings
The pre-holiday season can be a whirlwind for sales teams. A well-structured sales checklist can help you stay organized, close deals efficiently, and set the stage for success. Here’s a detailed sales checklist to help your team thrive.
Sales checklist task 1: Review and prioritize your pipeline
Take a close look at your sales pipeline. Identify open opportunities and focus on high-probability deals that are most likely to close before the holidays.
How to do it:
- Use your CRM to filter and segment leads based on urgency, deal stage, and their likelihood to convert.
- Focus on deals in the proposal or negotiation stages.
- For example, a client who has already received a proposal may need a quick follow-up to finalize.
- Identify high-value accounts and give them top priority.
- Set realistic goals for what can be achieved in the limited time available.
- You can use CRM tools like Salesforce or HubSpot to categorize leads and set priorities.
This approach guarantees you are not wasting time on cold leads when every minute counts.
Extra tip:
Run a pipeline review meeting with your team. Discuss key accounts and remove any “dead deals” that might waste time. This clarity helps the entire team focus on closing active opportunities.
Related: Top Sales Pipeline Templates for Better Results
Sales checklist task 2: Prepare and send follow-ups
Timely and personalized follow-ups are key to keeping deals alive. But they need to be both timely and tailored. A generic email or call won’t cut it. During the holidays, clients are often distracted, so your follow-ups need to stand out.
Tips for effective follow-ups:
- Personalize every follow-up. Reference past conversations, specific pain points, or relevant solutions. Tools like Goodmeetings can help you with this.
- Include a sense of urgency in your message, like, “Let’s finalize this before the holidays to kickstart your next quarter smoothly.”
- Overcome common objections by emphasizing benefits and offering case studies. For instance, if a client is worried about timing, highlight how early action can save them money or meet year-end goals.
- Use tools like HubSpot or Yesware to track when your emails are opened and schedule follow-ups accordingly.
Example template:
“Hi [Name],
I know the year-end is a busy time for you. Let’s revisit [specific benefit of your product] to help you wrap things up smoothly before the holidays. Let me know your availability for a quick chat!”
Bonus:
Free Client Follow-Up Schedule Template
Stay on top of your client follow-ups with this easy-to-use Excel template. It helps you track follow-up dates, tasks, and progress, guaranteeing you never miss an important client interaction.

Related: How to Be a Good Salesperson: Tips & Strategies for Success
Sales checklist task 3: Organize meeting summaries and action items
Clear communication is critical to avoid misunderstandings during this busy period. After every client meeting, summarize the discussion and outline next steps.
Best practices:
- Use tools like Goodmeetings to automatically document meeting notes.
- Share a summary with the client, including agreed-upon actions and deadlines.
- For example, if a client needs to approve a proposal, state the exact deadline and follow up promptly.
What to include in your summaries:
- Key discussion points and client feedback.
- Clear action items with deadlines.
- Links to relevant resources, such as case studies or proposal documents.
This guarantees alignment and avoids the need for repeated clarifications.
Bonus:
Free End-of-Year Meeting Summary Template
Streamline your year-end meetings with this customizable Word document. Use it to capture key discussion points, action items, and deadlines.


Related: 10 Best Meeting Recording Software to Consider
Sales checklist task 4: Leverage limited-time offers to create urgency
Clients often hesitate to make decisions during the holidays. Creating urgency with limited-time offers can motivate them to act quickly. However, it is important to strike the right balance between urgency and value.
Effective tactics:
- Highlight savings or added value, like “Sign before [date] to lock in a discounted rate for Q1.”
- Offer holiday-exclusive benefits, such as free upgrades or extended support.
Examples of effective offers:
- “Sign by [specific date] and receive a 10% discount.”
- “Holiday bundle: Add [product/service] at no additional cost if you close before the end of the year.”
Caution:
Avoid sounding overly pushy. Instead, frame the offer as a win for the client. For example, explain how they can lock in pricing now to avoid potential increases in the New Year.
Related: 10 Best Sales Intelligence Software
Sales checklist task 5: Align with your team on goals and strategy
During the pre-holiday period, team alignment is critical to avoid duplicate efforts and missed opportunities.
Action steps:
- Hold a sales kickoff team meeting to clearly define goals, individual responsibilities, and timelines.
- Assign team members to specific accounts or regions to ensure coverage.
- For example, assign specific accounts to team members and guarantee they are equipped with the right resources.
- Use weekly check-ins to monitor progress, address challenges, and recalibrate strategies.
This keeps everyone focused and ensures a coordinated approach.
Example:
If one team member is handling follow-ups, another can focus on closing deals for top-priority accounts. This guarantees no lead slips through the cracks.
Related: What Are Smart Sales Goals and How to Set Them? (Examples and Tips)
Sales checklist task 6: Plan for post-holiday follow-ups
Deals that don’t close before the holidays aren’t lost—they’re delayed. Preparing for January follow-ups can help you hit the ground running in Q1.
How to prepare:
- Set reminders in your CRM for reconnecting with leads who didn’t close before the holidays.
- Create personalized email templates to check in with these clients in January.
- For example, a simple message like, “Hope you had a great holiday! Let’s pick up where we left off” can restart conversations smoothly.
- Set reminders for team members to check in on specific accounts.
By planning ahead, you’ll maintain momentum and ensure your pipeline is ready to deliver in Q1.
Pro tip:
Kick off your January follow-ups with value-driven insights, such as market trends or new product updates. This helps re-engage leads effectively.
Related: The Ultimate Guide for Sales Improvement: 20 Expert Tips
Sales checklist task 7: Train your team for objections and holiday-specific challenges
The holiday season comes with unique challenges, such as objections about budget freezes or timing.
What to do:
- Role-play scenarios with your team to prepare for common objections.
- Provide scripts or responses they can use during client interactions.
- For example, if a client says, “We’ll revisit this after the holidays,” train your reps to respond with, “Starting now ensures you’re ready to hit the ground running in January.”
Pro tip:
Use Goodmeetings to conduct role-play scenarios, track the performance of sales reps and conduct training and coaching sessions.
You can also use it to check sales pitch effectiveness and provide AI-powered sales battlecards to help sales reps handle objections.
Related: 12 Sales Training Ideas to Increase Team Readiness
Sales checklist task 8: Monitor metrics daily
Tracking progress in real time helps your team adjust strategies as needed.
Metrics to watch:
- Conversion rates for follow-ups and offers.
- Number of deals moving through the pipeline.
- Daily activity reports, like calls and emails sent.
Use dashboards in your CRM or Goodmeetings to visualize progress and identify bottlenecks.
This sales checklist isn’t just about surviving the pre-holiday rush—it’s about thriving. Implement these strategies to stay organized, close deals, and set your sales team up for success during this high-stakes period.
Related: The Complete Guide to Sales Tracking Spreadsheets
Free Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist Templates
Here are three free and customizable templates to help you create a pre-holiday sales checklist.
1. B2B Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist
Prepare your B2B sales team for the busy holiday season with this detailed sales checklist. Download it for free to boost your B2B sales efforts and avoid any last-minute chaos.


2. E-commerce Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist
Get your e-commerce business ready for the holiday rush with this simple sales checklist. Download it for free and maximize your holiday sales.

3. Retail Pre-Holiday Sales Checklist
Make sure your retail team is ready for the busy holiday season with this customizable sales checklist. Download it for free and prepare your retail business for success.
Pro Tips for Staying Efficient During the Holiday Season

Source: Goodmeetings
Sales team productivity is essential to beat the unique challenges of the holiday season. Apart from using the sales checklist, here are additional tips you can follow to focus on what truly matters and achieve your goals.
1. Keep messaging concise and relevant
During the holidays, clients are inundated with emails, calls, and promotions. To stand out, your messaging must be clear, concise, and aligned with their immediate priorities.
How to do this:
- Skip lengthy introductions and get straight to the point. For example:
“Hi [Name], I know you’re busy this time of year, so I’ll keep this brief. Here’s how we can help you meet [specific goal] before year-end.” - Highlight one or two key benefits instead of overwhelming them with too much information.
- Use bullet points or short paragraphs in emails to make your message skimmable.
Related: 15 Ways to Use ChatGPT For Sales Emails
2. Automate repetitive tasks
Automation can save hours of manual work, allowing your team to focus on building relationships and closing deals.
What to automate:
- Email campaigns: Use tools like Mailchimp or Outreach to schedule holiday-specific email sequences. For example, automate a sequence for warm leads with tailored messaging about limited-time offers.
- Task reminders: Set up automated reminders in your CRM for follow-ups and next steps.
- Data entry: Tools like Goodmeetings can integrate with your CRM and help you automate data entry tasks.
- Meeting notetaking: Goodmeetings can also help you take meeting notes as well as summarize and analyze them.
Related: 15 Best Sales Automation Tools to Boost Your Revenue
3. Build rapport through personalized outreach
The holiday season is a great time to strengthen client relationships. Thoughtful, personalized outreach can make a lasting impression.
How to personalize:
- Reference specific details from past interactions, such as their preferences, challenges, or goals.
- Send holiday greetings or small tokens of appreciation. For instance, a simple note like, “Wishing you and your team a wonderful holiday season!” can go a long way.
- Share helpful resources tailored to their needs. For example, send a case study showing how a similar client solved a problem using your solution.
Related: 11 Effective Ways to Improve Sales Conversations & Drive More Revenue
4. Batch similar tasks to save time
Switching between different tasks can drain productivity. Instead, batch similar activities together to maintain focus.
Examples:
- Dedicate specific hours to making follow-up calls, replying to emails, or preparing proposals.
- Use tools like Calendly to schedule meetings in blocks, reducing interruptions during your day.
Batching helps your team work more efficiently and minimizes the time wasted on task-switching.
Related: What is Sales Mix? A Comprehensive Guide
5. Leverage quick communication channels
Speed is essential during the holidays. Clients may delay responses, so using the right communication channels can make all the difference.
What works best?
- Text messaging: If appropriate, send quick updates or confirmations via text. This is often faster than waiting for email replies.
- Instant messaging tools: Use Slack or Microsoft Teams for internal updates to ensure everyone is aligned in real time.
- Social media messaging: LinkedIn messages can be a great way to get a quick response from busy decision-makers.
Example:
If a client hasn’t responded to your email, follow up with a brief LinkedIn message like: “Hi [Name], just checking if you had a chance to review my proposal. Happy to answer any questions!”
Related: What Is Channel Sales? A Comprehensive Guide
6. Schedule time for yourself and your team
Burnout is a real risk during the holidays. Make sure that you and your team stay energized and focused by building breaks into the schedule.
How to approach this:
- Block time on your calendar for deep work and avoid back-to-back meetings.
- Encourage your team to take short breaks and disconnect during off-hours.
- Celebrate small wins to boost morale, like recognizing top performers at weekly check-ins.
Related: 10 Best Sales Tactics That Work
Best Holiday Sales Strategies
The holiday season is a golden opportunity for businesses. Here are some best strategies to maximize holiday sales.
1. Target niche audiences with specific campaigns
Instead of generic holiday promotions, create campaigns tailored to specific customer segments. For example, if you sell software, create one campaign targeting small businesses needing end-of-year tools.
Related: What is Ideal Customer Profile in Sales – Framework to ICP?
2. Bundle products or services
Create value-driven bundles that offer complementary products or services. For instance, a B2B SaaS company can bundle a one-year subscription with a free training session or premium support.
3. Use retargeting ads to reconnect with abandoned leads
Many holiday shoppers browse but don’t immediately purchase. Retarget them with personalized ads showcasing products they viewed, offering limited-time discounts or free shipping.
4. Host webinars or demos
Businesses can host live events to showcase how their product solves year-end challenges. For example, a CRM provider might demonstrate how to use their tool to close Q4 deals efficiently.
5. Collaborate with industry partners
Partner with complementary businesses to expand your reach. For example, a marketing agency can team up with a design firm to offer a discounted holiday branding package.
6. Prioritize exceptional customer support
Offer live chat, FAQs, and extended support hours to cater to holiday queries. A quick response can make or break a sale during the high-stakes season.
Related: Sales Enablement Strategies 101: A Beginners Guide to Success
How Goodmeetings Simplifies Pre-Holiday Sales Prep

Source: Goodmeetings
Want to improve your sales team productivity and make the most of this holiday season?
You need a sales checklist + Goodmeetings
So, what exactly is Goodmeetings?It is an AI-powered sales meeting insights software that easily integrates with CRM + video conferencing tools + meeting schedulers + other sales tools to give you an edge over your competitors.

Source: Goodmeetings
Goodmeetings automatically records, transcribes, summarizes and analyzes all your sales meetings, thereby creating a powerful centralized database of information that helps you –
- Remove the drudgery of mundane tasks
- Improve sales productivity
- Close more deals faster
And guess what? It is an invaluable tool for sales teams looking to streamline their pre-holiday sales preparation.
Here’s how its key features simplify the pre-holiday season:
1. Automated follow-ups and task reminders
Goodmeetings automates follow-up reminders and task notifications based on meeting notes, action items, and due dates.
This reduces the risk of missing deadlines or client follow-ups during the busy holiday season.
2. Meeting summaries for alignment and time savings
After every meeting, Goodmeetings generates detailed summaries that include key points, action items, and discussion highlights.
These summaries are automatically saved and accessible for easy reference. This saves time and keeps everyone on the same page, even if they weren’t part of the meeting.
3. Real-time pipeline insights to prioritize high-impact deals
Goodmeetings provides real-time data on the sales pipeline, offering insights into the status of deals, sales probabilities, and client engagement.
This helps teams prioritize high-value deals that are more likely to close before the holidays.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Pipeline Reporting: Best Practices and Key Metrics
4. Comprehensive meeting search for efficient information retrieval
Goodmeetings allows users to search through meeting transcripts and summaries, making it easy to find specific information, such as past discussions or decisions made.
This enables quick access to client preferences, objections, and action points.
5. Client reports for strategic relationship management
Goodmeetings provides visual client reports that track interactions, engagement, and sales probabilities over time.
Helps sales teams spot any issues or delays in the pipeline early and take corrective action before the year-end rush.
6. Pitch report for improving sales presentations
Goodmeetings analyzes sales pitches, providing detailed feedback on client engagement and objections raised.
Identify the strongest parts of your pitch and areas needing refinement, leading to better conversations during the high-stakes holiday season.
7. Autofill CRM integration for time savings
Goodmeetings integrates with your CRM to automatically update contact details, meeting notes, and action items after every conversation.
This eliminates the need for manual data entry during a busy period.
Why Goodmeetings is perfect for pre-holiday prep?

Source: Goodmeetings

Source: Goodmeetings
Goodmeetings is a powerful tool for simplifying the complex and hectic pre-holiday season.
- Streamlined processes: Automates follow-ups, reporting, and data entry, freeing reps to focus on sales.
- Better insights: Provides actionable data to target high-impact opportunities during the holiday rush.
- Enhanced collaboration: Ensures the entire team is aligned and working efficiently toward shared goals.
With Goodmeetings, sales teams can simplify the chaos of pre-holiday prep and turn the busiest time of year into a period of growth and success.
Related: Getting Started with the Goodmeetings Notetaker
If you are gearing up for a productive pre-holiday sales season, Goodmeetings is here to help. Get started with a 14-day trial or schedule a free demo to see how this powerful tool can streamline your sales prep and drive better results.
Make Pre-Holiday Sales Prep Easier With Goodmeetings!
FAQs
1. Why is a pre-holiday checklist important for sales teams?
It keeps everyone on the same page. Tasks are organized, priorities are clear, and actions happen on time. This boosts sales opportunities and reduces stress.
2. What strategies work best for pre-holiday follow-ups?
Personalized messages work wonders. Send timely emails or calls with clear next steps. Address objections quickly to build trust and move deals forward.
3. What should sales teams focus on post-holidays?
Reconnect with leads who went silent during the holidays. Review missed opportunities, and plan tailored follow-ups to kickstart the new quarter.
4. How can Goodmeetings help during the holiday season?
Goodmeetings simplifies your work. It automates follow-ups, summarizes meetings, and helps you focus on the right deals. You save time and improve results.
5. How to improve sales team productivity during the holiday season?
Use automation tools to handle repetitive tasks. Train your team to tackle holiday-specific challenges. Provide a sales checklist and stay connected with clear communication to improve sales team productivity.
6. What are the best ways for avoiding last-minute chaos?
Plan early, assign roles, use sales checklists, and schedule regular progress reviews. These are the best tips for avoiding last-minute chaos.
7. What is pipeline management and why it is important during peak season?
Pipeline management helps you focus on high-probability deals, preventing lost opportunities and maximizing conversions during busy sales periods.
Conclusion
The holiday season is hectic, but with the right preparation, your sales team can thrive. By following a structured sales checklist, staying organized, and prioritizing high-impact tasks, you can close deals and start the New Year strong. Are you ready to simplify your sales prep? Goodmeetings is here to help sales teams stay organized, productive, and prepared for success during the holiday season.