There are nine Fridays between the Fourth of July and Labor Day. How much new business will you generate with yours?

Working on Fridays in the summer may seem like wasting downtime. It can be easy to talk yourself into leaving early: everyone’s on vacation; no one’s serious about business on Fridays.

Here’s the surprise: research indicates that leaving early on Fridays during the summer can actually have a negative effect. In a survey conducted by Captivate Network, 53 percent of those surveyed found that reduced hours on Friday lowered productivity and increased stress.

Leaving early on Friday and dreading Monday all weekend is the ultimate waste of downtime. Summer Fridays are the time to work smarter, not harder. Take advantage of the relaxed vibe and the slower pace with these tips.

Schedule Friday Morning Meetings

Busy executives wind down on Fridays, and their calendars are often more open than other days of the week, especially during the summer. Meeting at a breakfast or coffee spot that is convenient to your prospect’s office can provide a brief change of venue without taking up much time. This approach can be especially effective as a follow-up conversation to an initial meeting. Nine Fridays? That’s nine opportunities to move nine potential buyers closer to a close.

Do Lunch, Get an Introduction

Summer Fridays are an ideal time to schedule lunch with former colleagues or business associates. Always confirm that you’ll meet at their offices, and ask in advance if they’d be willing to introduce you to their boss or other executive at the company that you’d like to meet. When you meet your new contact, be sure to keep the conversation brief and informal. Remember, it’s not a sales call; it’s an introduction. By the end of the summer, you’ll be back in touch with nine colleagues, and you’ll have nine new business contacts.

Send “Three by Three” Emails

Fridays are also a good time to refine and test your email messages to prospects. Pare yours down to three sentences, then test sending a few by 3 p.m. on Friday to three types of prospects:

• New prospects you haven’t met
• New contacts you have recently met
• Contacts you know but have not approached as prospects

The typical business executive receives over 600 emails a week. This inflow slows down as the workweek closes, and your email may get more attention on a Friday afternoon than on a Tuesday morning.

Clear Your Desk and Your Head

When I worked for a global consulting firm, we had an unwritten rule: Don’t leave the office on Friday until your desk is clean and your week ahead is planned. It seemed restrictive at the time, but it’s a practice that pays big benefits: it frees up your head space for weekend pursuits. Nothing boosts productivity like coming back to a clean desk and a game plan on Monday morning.

If you work smart on Fridays in the summer, you won’t be stressed all weekend. And you will be ahead of the competition.