Getting Through The Slumps

I’m in sales. That’s what I do.  Cold calls, demonstrations, more cold calls, asking questions and asking more questions. It may not seem fun to some, but for me, I enjoy it. It is invigorating to get to know new people every day, to learn about their business and finding solutions to their problems.

The problem with what I do is that some months are better than others. There are times, it seems, that whatever I do, I can’t make a sale. 

We’ve all been there before.

Here are some suggestions that might help you through these slumps.

1)      Relax – Don’t let the stress of making a sale get to you. People can hear it in your voice. It makes them nervous and having two nervous people trying to come to a consensus is not good. Take some deep breaths, walk away from your desk for a while or go to your “happy place.” Do what you need to do to relax it will calm your mind and help you refocus your efforts.

2)      Look back – take a moment to look at what you are currently doing and then look back at what you did differently when you were successful. Find out what is different. Try to find the differences. Maybe you used a different tone when you spoke with people. Maybe you are not listening to the client. Maybe you are staying up until 12:00 am every night and you are tired.

3)      Ask for help - There is no weakness in asking for help, it is actually a strength. When you ask for help, it lets others know you are trying to get back on top. It shows that you know something isn’t working and you are trying to fix it. Good managers and co-workers will always be willing to work through the difficult times with you if they know you’re doing your part.

4)      Strategize – This is different than looking back. This is the numbers. Work out your closing ratios. How many demonstrations do I need to get a sale? How many live people do I need to talk with to schedule a demonstration? How many phone calls do I need to make to talk to a live person?

5)      Work your butt off – nothing, and I mean nothing, goes farther than working harder and smarter.

Rough times will come and go. It is what you do during the rough times that will make you a super-star.

How do you get through your rough times?