Every summer brings a familiar shift in business. Customers take vacations, employees schedule time off, and meetings become harder to coordinate. Email responses slow down, follow-ups are delayed, and opportunities can easily lose momentum.
For business owners, however, summer often creates a different concern: “Can I really afford to disconnect?”
After working with thousands of Act! users over the years, we’ve noticed that the businesses returning strongest after Labour Day aren’t the ones that worked nonstop through the summer. They’re the ones that used the quieter weeks to improve their systems and rediscover features inside Act! that make the rest of the year run more smoothly.
If you’ve been using Act! for a while, this is the perfect time to ask yourself a simple question:
Am I getting everything I can out of the software I already own?
A few small improvements made today can save countless hours when business picks up again in the fall.
Don’t Let Good Opportunities Go Cold
One of the easiest ways to lose a sale isn’t by losing the customer—it’s by losing momentum. A quote is sent before a long weekend, everyone gets busy, and what looked like a promising opportunity slowly fades away.
That’s why we often encourage customers to revisit the Interactive Quoting system. Rather than treating quotes as documents that disappear into an inbox, Act! keeps them connected to the customer, the opportunity, previous conversations, and future activities. You can even see how customers interact with your quotes, giving you valuable context before making your next call.
Here are a few quoting tips:
- Filter the quote dashboard for your quotes only, and check in once a day for activity
- Don't just schedule follow-ups; schedule quote deliveries. You can send new quotes or reminders on a schedule, so you can prepare them when you're free, and send them at a time or date they're most likely to get viewed.
- Automate reminders. Have all your quotes send reminders X number of days before they expire. You get copied on these sends so you know when to re-engage.
- Filter your quote list to check to see who HASN'T viewed your quote in a while. Inactivity could mean the prospect missed your quote, and a simple nudge could re-engage the sales process.
- Before leaving for vacation, review every outstanding quote and make sure each opportunity has a clearly scheduled next step. A few minutes of preparation today can prevent weeks of chasing cold opportunities later.
Make Scheduling Easier for Everyone
Summer often turns scheduling into an endless exchange of emails. Instead of asking customers when they’re available, let them see when you’re available.
If you haven’t looked at Online Appointment Scheduling recently, now is a great time to put it to work for you. Customers can book appointments directly into your calendar, confirmations are sent automatically. And the Interactive Quoting system allows you to seamlessly integrate this Online Appointment Scheduling feature into your quotes.
It’s one of the simplest ways to protect your vacation time while still delivering a professional customer experience.
Let Automation Handle the Routine
Many customer conversations begin automatically through web forms, event registrations, or surveys. The problem is that follow-ups often depend on someone remembering to respond.
If you’ve never explored task automation, summer is the perfect opportunity. Online Webforms and Surveys can automatically trigger follow-up activities and drip campaigns, ensuring new inquiries continue moving through your sales process even while schedules are less predictable.
Automation doesn’t replace relationships—it protects them.
Stay Connected Without Staying at Your Desk
Taking time off doesn’t mean disappearing completely.
The Act! Mobile App gives you access to contacts, calendars, opportunities, and customer history on your phone or tablet wherever you are. Whether you’re traveling or simply working away from the office, you can quickly review an opportunity, update a note, or confirm your next appointment without returning to your desk.
The goal isn’t to work more. It’s to worry less.
☀️ Before You Leave for Vacation…
Spend just fifteen minutes reviewing these Act! features before you head out:
- Review all open Opportunities and schedule follow-up Activities for any outstanding Quotes before you leave. You can even schedule quote deliveries to occur immediately after your return.
- Add a blackout date range to your Online Appointment Scheduling calendar to reflect your vacation dates.
- Update your web forms and surveys so that any follow-up Activities are automatically assigned to another team member while you're away.
- Ensure that all devices you're taking on vacation have the latest version of Act! Mobile installed and updated.
- Configure your Outlook Out of Office message to do more than simply announce your absence. Include alternative contact information for your sales, billing, and operations teams so clients and prospects can get assistance while you're away.
These small steps can make the difference between returning to an organized business with an active sales pipeline — or returning to silence because your sales opportunities have all died on the vine.
Enjoy Your Summer—With Confidence
Most business owners didn't build a company so they could spend their vacations worrying about work. The right systems keep your customers supported, your team on track, and your sales opportunities moving forward while you're away.
If you've been using Act! for years, this is a great time to revisit some of its often-overlooked features. They're already included in your subscription and can help make your summer both more productive and more relaxing.
