Why Business Development Still Matters in November & December (And How to Keep Momentum When Everyone Else Slows Down)

But here’s the truth most people never talk about:

November and December are two of the highest-leverage months for business development - not because people are buying in volume, but because most of your competitors have stopped trying.

Momentum isn’t built in January; it’s built when everyone else slows down.

If you want your pipeline to wake up in Q1, you plant its seeds in Q4.

1. The “Quiet Months” Are Actually Your Strategic Advantage

Most companies pull back in November and December. They assume no one wants to talk, no one wants to plan, and no one wants to commit.

But the opposite often happens:

• Decision-makers have more reflective headspace

• Budgets for the new year are being finalised

• Teams are planning new initiatives

• Competitors stop showing up - leaving space for you to be remembered

When inbox volume slows, your message actually stands out more.
When meetings lighten, executives finally have time to talk.
When everyone else stops nurturing relationships, you become the one who stays consistent.

Top performers know:

Visibility during slow months equals velocity in January.

2. BD Is Not Just About Closing Deals - It’s About Sustaining Momentum

Another misconception:
Business development is only “successful” when there are deals on the table.

Not true.

In November and December, BD is about:

• Strengthening relationships

• Re-engaging old leads

• Clarifying priorities for the coming year

• Offering support, not pressure

• Creating familiarity and trust

• Positioning yourself early for January demand

If the rest of the world is coasting, you continuing to show up becomes a differentiator in itself.

You’re not pushing for sales - you’re building continuity.

3. Use Q4 to Build What Q1 Will Reward

Here’s what founders, coaches, and consulting firms who consistently outperform their competitors do:

They treat November–December as the warm-up, not the cool-down.

You can’t speed-run meaningful business development in the first week of January. It works because you laid the groundwork in the slower months.

Think of Q4 like planting season:

The work you put in now becomes your leads, opportunities, and clients in Q1 and Q2.

4. How to Maintain Momentum (Practical, Non-Pushy, High-Impact BD Activities)

Here are smart BD moves that perform exceptionally well in November and December:

A. Reconnect with your warm leads - without selling

Send a “year-end check-in” message:

• Ask how their year went

• Ask what’s changing

• Ask what they’re focusing on next year

You’re not selling - you’re positioning yourself inside their planning process.

B. Create value-based touchpoints

This could be:

• A short trend analysis

• A benchmark report

• A simple insight about their industry

• A helpful resource

In quiet months, people appreciate clarity and foresight.

C. Run relationship-building calls, not sales calls

Executives are more open to informal conversations in Q4.

Use these calls to ask:

“What’s becoming important for your team next year?”
“What challenges do you already see coming?”
“Where do you want to grow differently in 2025?”

These questions open more doors than any pitch.

D. Publish strategic content (because people actually read it now)

Traffic drops in December - but engagement goes up.

Why?
People have more time to think, read, plan.

Write about:

• Market predictions

• Lessons learned this year

• What companies should prepare for next year

• Strategies for growth despite uncertainty

This puts you front-of-mind in January when budgets open.

E. Refresh your outreach systems

If leads slow down, use the month to:

• Clean your CRM

• Segment your lists

• Improve your messaging

• Update your ICPs

• Build new outreach sequences

Systems built in downtime accelerate everything later.

F. Strengthen your partnerships

Partnerships are one of the strongest forms of BD - and year-end is the best time to deepen them.

People remember who “checked in without an agenda.”

5. The Mindset Shift: Slow Months Aren’t Dead — They’re Multipliers

If you view November and December as a dead zone, you behave like everyone else.
If you view them as quiet leverage, you start playing a different game.

Business development is not about always closing.
It’s about always progressing.

And progress often looks like:

• Planting

• Positioning

• Preparing

• Staying visible

• Staying relevant

Even when the market is sleepy.

Especially when the market is sleepy.

6. Consistency Makes You Trustworthy

Let’s be honest:
Anyone can be active when the market is buzzing.

Only the pros stay consistent when it’s quiet.

Consistency in BD sets the tone for how clients will trust you. It signals reliability. It shows discipline. It demonstrates that you are someone who thinks long-term, not seasonally.

BD is not seasonal.
Relationships are not seasonal.
Momentum is not seasonal.

Your future pipeline depends on what you choose to do today.

Conclusion: November & December Are Where Leaders Are Made

You don’t need aggressive pushes.
You don’t need heavy sales tactics.
You don’t need to chase the impossible.

You simply need to keep showing up - with value, presence, clarity, and consistency.

January doesn’t reward the people who waited.
January rewards the people who prepared.

If you want strong Q1 revenue, Q1 relationships, and Q1 opportunities -
start building them when most of the world is on pause.

Your future business will thank you for the seeds you plant today.