A sales slump can happen to the best of us. If you’ve been caught up in a dry spell and can’t seem to get your groove back, I challenge you to try these 7 tips. Each of these have been know to work for my colleagues, clients, and even myself.
Apply them all at once, mix and match, or try them one by one. But definitely bookmark this post so you can easily find these powerful tips next time you’re slumping in your sales. You’ll be glad you did.
Tip #1: No Two Slumps Are The Same
Life has poured you a unique cocktail. It’s a completely custom blend of these three things: the sales climate that you find yourself in, your mindset, and finally, your current prospect list. Understand this: you have never had a set of problems or challenges exactly like the ones you have at this moment. Right here. Right now. The cause of your past sales slumps are likely entirely different than what’s causing today’s slump. Not to worry though…
You haven’t gotten dumber or less capable of handling setbacks, you are simply facing something totally new. So if you’re beating yourself up — try to keep a level head and remember that you dominated your last slump, so you’ll dominate this one too.
Tip #2 – Remember, Your Slump Won’t Last
It may seem like your current sales situation will never change. Maybe you’ve gone so far as to low-key pack up your desk. But I can tell you that 9 times out of 10, endurance and commitment are two top character traits you need to muster up right now. In a game of you vs the slump, you’ll win every time if you keep pushing forward and start thinking about the long game.
Whatever you do, don’t let your slump box you in to inaction, thinking it’s your daily sales processes that aren’t working. It’s likely that your system is not broken. So keep it moving and you’ll weather this storm. Nothing is permanent, especially not this lull in results.
Tip #3 – Momentum is Everything
Start with bite-size goals that you can accomplish — preferably a good handful of these for the first few days as you dig out of the slump. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small, and build on each and every success.
I recommend you begin this new habit by looking at your sales activities. Now create a checklist for your activities and goals. A checklist will be very valuable to you as it is 100% visual. Using a daily checklist, I want you to mark each activity that you complete with a green checkmark.
Note that I said green checkmark — don’t merely cross things off your list with a strikethrough or red ink. The color red and strikethroughs carry a negative connotation that might secretly and subconsciously undermine your success. Seriously. Be sure you’re positively reinforcing every valuable activity.
Tip #4 – Break the Cycle
This is a fun little sales hack, and life hack. That is, breaking one link in the pattern or cycle tends to reshuffle the whole deck.
When you get your next “no” what will you do? Will you grumble, distract yourself with some mindless activity again, or fall into some other familiar and all-too-comfortable behavior pattern?
Break the cycle by having a plan to do something totally different on that next “no.” It could be as simple as doing a few jumping jacks after the rejection. It never hurts to get the blood flowin’. Whatever it is, make sure it’s new to you. The shot of novelty may be just what your beleaguered mind needs to snap out of it and start hitting home runs again.
Tip #5 – Act “as-if”
If you were crushing it, how would you be behaving? Would you be sitting up taller, smiling and making conversation? Would you be eating healthier, complaining less?
You should begin acting that way, but right now… “as if” you are closing deals left and right. Yes, you might recognize this tactic from the movie ‘The Boiler Room.’ And guess what, it works like a charm in real life.
The problem is, you may have lost touch with what winning looks and feels like to you. So first things first… you’ve got to put yourself in that positive mental landscape. To do so, simply ask yourself: where is the gap?
Every human has a set of behaviors that light up when they are feeling good about themselves and their performance. Honestly assess where you are now behavior-wise, and where you want to be. Now go there in your mind.
Tip #6: Get Inspired
What inspires you?
Maybe it’s a rousing motivational speech by a favorite business coach. Maybe you’re the type that loves browsing a modern art gallery, or hearing great live music. Perhaps it’s tasting food prepared with excellence, or even just being around people who love you.
I ask because you may not realize that your sales slump is just a lack of inspiration in disguise. Jot down a list of the times you felt most enlivened, emboldened, and empowered. Now schedule it out, recreating these events within the next two weeks. You’ll be amazed at how these things move the needle for you professionally.
Tip #7: Get Out of Your Head
If you feel like you’re going out of your mind, take it as a cue to put your thoughts on the shelf for a while. It’s time to favor physical activities and low-pressure communications.
Go for a run, or just be sure to sweat (this releases BDNF, one of the building blocks of the brain). Get a deep-tissue massage to flush out the toxins. Pray or meditate. Do whatever you need to release the accumulated stress.
For one week, avoid watching the news, and steer clear of people who increase your levels of anxiety. And perhaps most importantly, quit isolating yourself. Start surrounding yourself with people who make you laugh and always seem to make you lose track of time and forget your worries.
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So there you have it, 7 quick tips to break free of a sales slump. I really encourage you to try one or all three of these tactics. And if you’re a Sales Manager or lead a team in some capacity, have your staff try these. I can all but guarantee you’ll see an improvement in performance and overall positive outlook on sales and life.
And as always, feel free to get in touch if you want to put some serious firepower behind your sales efforts, shorten your sales cycle, and get decision makers on command. Here at C-Level Partners, we specialize in just that. We put you in front of the right people, in the right role, right now.
Until next time,
Johnny-Lee Reinoso
1 Comment. Leave new
In every business sales is really important and must be focus on, helpful tips you shared.