Snap Out of a Selling Slump
December 17, 2007
By Colleen Francis
Colleen Francis, Sales Expert, is Founder and President of Engage Selling Solutions (www.EngageSelling.com). Armed with skills developed from years of experience, Colleen helps clients realize immediate results, achieve lasting success and permanently raise their bottom line.

Sales people who have a poor start at the beginning of a year, often find themselves struggling for the rest of the year to catch up. The good news is, whatever you're experiencing, we've all been there at least once. The bad news is, most of us don't know exactly how to snap out of a slump, and start making sales.

First, don't panic! If you're in panic mode, you can't be creative, and creativity is exactly what you need right now. Besides, prospects can smell desperation in sales people. If you panic, your prospects will sense that you're desperate, and they'll avoid you. Just take a deep breath, stay calm and focus on what needs to be done.

Next, don't get down on yourself. Think about a time in your past when you were in a similar situation, and how you were able to climb out if it. Focus on that positive experience, instead of focusing on the negative.

Third, don't get angry. Anger will be misinterpreted by your clients, peers and managers as being emotional or out of control. Whenever you find yourself becoming angry, try to be as honest as possible, and focus on solutions and options—not on laying blame.

Last but most definitely not least, don't quit! The worst thing you can do during a slump is to stop trying. The Chicago White Sox were on the verge of a 90-year slump before winning the World Series last year. Yet during that entire period, their team motto stayed the same: "Win, or die trying." Guess it paid off for them in the end.

To help you snap out of a slump and get back on track for the New Year, try some of the following tips:

1. Reconnect to your plan.
   Review your goals and commit to the action plan you set for yourself at the beginning of the year—and, if it's not working for you several months down the line, create a new one! One client of mine recalculates his plan after every month he doesn't hit his quota, to ensure his quota for the next month includes both what he was supposed to do PLUS whatever he missed last month. This helps him redefine his actions and gain clarity on exactly how many calls he needs to make, meetings he needs to secure and business he needs to close to get back on track.
2. Get back to basics.
   Once, after Tiger Woods had spent hours on the practice green sinking hundreds of puts, a commentator asked him why he was still practicing considering how consistent he had been. Tiger responded: "I don't like the way the ball is rolling into the cup." That's mastering the basics.

   Slumps are almost always caused by not having enough qualified buyers in the pipeline—in other words, not enough prospecting. If you find yourself in a slump, start by looking internally, not externally. Remember that the slump is your slump, not someone else's. Be strong enough to realize this, and take corrective action.

3. Stay away from life suckers.
   You know who they are. The ones who lies in wait at the water cooler, just so they can whine, moan and complain to whatever poor, parched soul happens to wander by. The ones lurking in the lunchroom way past 1 p.m. to tell you about how nothing is ever right, and they're always getting the short end of the stick. Life suckers can't help you; they have problems of their own.
4. Change your mood.
   Listen to your favorite song, comedian or motivational speaker in the car on your way to your next sales meeting. This will help put you into an excellent, upbeat mood when you start your presentation, which will cause you to shine—and your prospect to take a shine to you.
5. Change your environment.
   This could be as simple as de-cluttering your office. It's impossible to feel fresh and excited about what you do if you can't see your desk. A chaotic work environment will make you depressed to be there, and if you're depressed to be at work, you won't snap out of your slump.
6. Take your boss to work.
   Take your boss with you on calls for a week. This will force you to be more prepared and on your best behavior. You'll also probably receive more feedback than you probably want. Instead of rejecting this feedback, use it to be better.
7. Prove that money can buy a little happiness.
   Buy something you can't afford. This is radical, and not many of you will like the idea or think it's responsible, but it works better great as a personal pick me up. Just don't make it a regular habit.

Having a slump is not the end of the world, so long as it's short, temporary and you know what to do about it.

Know what motivates you. Be disciplined—it's the one thing that separates the best from the mediocre—and stay focused on those activities that you know will pull you out of the slump. And remember to keep it all in perspective.

You are responsible for your slump, and only you can change it. But you can change it, and once you accept the fact that you can reverse your fortune, you'll already be on the road to recovery.