Is there a best time of year to do outreach? I've heard January is good because budgets reset, but I've also heard that nobody makes decisions in Q1 because they're still recovering from year-end.
Seasonal Marketing: Timing Your Outreach
January through March is my busiest prospecting period. New fiscal year means new budgets and fresh willingness to look at cost reduction. I time my biggest outreach push for the second week of January - right after people are back from the holidays but before they get buried in Q1 priorities.
September through November is actually my sweet spot. Companies are planning next year's budget and looking for cost savings they can point to. I got a refund of $42K for a client in October once and their CFO said the timing was perfect because it went straight into next year's budget forecast as a demonstrated cost reduction.
I market year-round but vary the message by season. Spring: summer peak demand is coming, let's make sure your rate is optimized. Fall: budget season is here, let me find savings you can plan around. Winter: new year, new rates, time for a billing review. Each message has urgency tied to the calendar.
Lee's seasonal messaging approach is the most sophisticated answer. There's no single best time - there's a best message for each time. The auditors who do well market consistently throughout the year. The ones who struggle do a big push in January, then go quiet for 6 months.