Now that the holidays have passed, it’s time to focus on getting things moving in 2018. The holiday season can wreak havoc on productivity, and reconnecting with prospects and clients is often difficult after the hiatus. Jeff Hoffman at HubSpot recently shared five ways reps can overcome this challenge. How you resume talks in January will impact the year to come, so being proactive is a must.

When looking to catch up with a current client, start a conversation about his or her priorities for 2018. “Get a sense of client marketing cadence, trade show schedules, and product/​feature road maps for the year,” he writes. “When you know what clients have prioritized, you can plan outreach accordingly and offer what they need before they know they need it.” Once you know the prospect’s calendar, you can form your own coordinating plan for future touch points. In addition to positioning yourself as a forward-​thinking partner, you also get insight into the prospect's priorities for the year.

If you hope to reengage with a prospect, Hoffman suggests proactively positioning yourself ahead of competitors. This can be achieved by discussing challenges the prospect experienced in the past year. When reconnecting, offer a solution to an issue you know was a pain point in 2017. Explain how you can help him or her from dealing with it again this year. Hoffman points out that this tactic positions you “as a valuable and solution-​oriented part of the prospect’s planning and decision-​making processes.” This makes it difficult for competitors to step in because you’ve revealed your value as part of his or her 2018 strategy.

Thanks to Hoffman’s tips, picking up where you left off in 2017 will be easier and hopefully lucrative. Your clients and prospects will appreciate your dedication, and you'll position yourself as a valuable ally for what’s to come.