How to Get Out of a Sales Slump
When you, your team, office or firm is in a slump, it doesn’t take long before the finger pointing begins. After spending too much money on a losing pursuit, or experiencing a loss in revenue over a long period of time, you may hear questions like:
Why did we chase those projects? or Why did our team go after that?
The Bottom of Failure
Even though we don’t want to admit it, at the bottom of all of these issues is fear of not getting what we want in that moment. These things sound like, “You can’t get a bit of you don’t swing the bat.” And in some cases it can be, “I’ve got a team of people that depend on me finding the next job. I need to show them that I’m trying.” Showing them that you’re trying doesn’t mean chasing an RFP that a procurement person sent out to 20 other firms for a project that you haven’t heard of until then. When we get afraid, we stop chasing the right vision, we stray from the strategic path, and we get pulled towards things that aren’t good for us.
What Not to Do
We also start looking outside for the savior. Yes, it could be that we’re lacking in some way, but then we start selling ourselves on the idea that we’re failing because we’re lacking in a specific talent. That might not be the case. I’m
When we’re winning, it’s easy to say no to the things that aren’t good for us. We’re too busy working on projects that are well funded, with clients that value our work, it’s easy to say no to a project that doesn’t meet our criteria.
The Path Towards Winning
How do we maintain a position of power even when we feel like we’re not operating from one in the current moment?
- Stop blaming everyone, yourself included. It doesn’t help. Everyone has experienced a slump.
- Re-connect with your network. When is the last time you called some of your friends in the industry? You don’t have to call with the mission of getting a new job, but just try finding out what’s been going on with them. Sometimes helping a colleague with a challenge can help you feel better. You don’t have to tell them you’re in a slump – you can say that you’re experiencing growing pains and you’re just connecting and looking for new ideas to help inspire your team.
- Learn a new skill. Change is the only constant in the universe. In an ever-changing industry, it’s always a good idea to stay current on new trends and technology. If you or your team is not feeling energized or the negativity is too strong, a team-building exercise (as small as an unexpected trip like going out for coffee) can help.
- Look for resources you have internally. Stop looking outside for the savior. Yes, it could be that we’re lacking in some way, but then we start selling ourselves on the idea that we’re failing because we’re lacking in a specific talent. That might not be the case.
No one likes to be at the bottom of a sales slump. Getting back to a winning attitude with winning results means a little more effort on your part. By getting out of the fear, reconnecting, learning new skills, and looking for resources you already have, are great ways to start building your sales success. Want more strategies for sales success? Contact us.