Sales Slumps Suck. Here Are 7 Tips for Getting Through One.
By Paul Petrone
We’re in one of the most frustrating economies in recent memory.
It’s not a full-on recession yet because, despite layoffs in tech, unemployment is generally low. But inflation is high, interest rates are high, and people aren't buying like they used to.
And it's causing some serious sales slumps.
If that's happening to you, first off, know you aren’t alone. Lots of sellers are in slumps right now. Ya boy writing this article is going through a slump as well; I think it’s damn-near universal.
It’s okay. We’re going to get through this together, me by writing this piece, and you, hopefully, by reading it.
Here’s a seven-step strategy for getting through a sales slump and regaining mental peace.
1. Acknowledge that you are in a slump and know you aren’t alone.
The first step in overcoming a sales slump is acknowledging that you are indeed in a sales slump.
Some people resist this because they think acknowledging the slump manifests it into existence. But here’s the reality – if you truly are in a sales slump, your body, mind, and soul already know you’re in a slump and you're just lying to yourself.
It’s okay – you are in a slump. Every seller who has ever lived has had slumps, no matter how successful they are. And (brace yourself for the most cringe-worthy of phrases) in this economy, most sellers are in a slump.
We’re in this together.
2. Do nothing, at least for a night.
The salesperson’s instinct is always to do something. Make more calls. Send more InMails. Try harder.
If the slump has gone on for any amount of time, you probably already are doing that. You already are pressing, to some degree.
Do yourself a favor – give yourself a break. At least for a night or a weekend. Don’t think about it, don’t try to figure it out, just do something relaxing. Your mind needs a break.
3. Do something that inspires you.
We’re still in the phase where we’re not thinking about work (at least, when you aren’t actually at work). Now is the time to do something that inspires you.
There are lots of options. Examples include:
Challenge your body with a tough workout.
Watch your favorite movie (for me, it’s Rocky 3 every time life gets me down, but I’ll defer to you).
Play with your kids.
Jump in the ocean.
Go see an awesome concert (or sporting event or play or whatever live event blows your hair back).
Have an epic outing with your friends.
Make – or, better yet, order – your favorite food.
Listen to music really loud on your way home from work.
Buy something you really want.
Just do something that you love that makes you feel alive and that has absolutely nothing to do with sales.
4. Stay humble by grounding yourself in your buyers’ world.
The best definition of humble I’ve ever heard — humble isn’t thinking less about yourself; it’s thinking about yourself less.
Our instinct, when things aren’t going our way, is to go inward. “What’s wrong with me?” “Why can’t I get this right?” “What’s this going to mean to me?”
But think about it this way – one of the reasons you are in a sales slump is that the people you are selling to have less to spend. They are in a slump, too.
So, turn it around. Stop thinking about your struggles and start focusing on what your buyers are going through. Why aren’t they buying? What’s going on in their minds? What are their biggest struggles?
By focusing on them, a lot of the negative internal chatter dissipates. And instead, you make their challenges your center and start to work through those.
That’ll make you a better salesperson immediately. It’ll also give you far more inner peace.
5. Analyze your tactics without judgment.
I know, I know – those tactics work! You perfected prospecting cadences, you are the master of the upsell, nobody can handle objections like you, etc.
The truth – the tactics that worked yesterday are great, and they did help you succeed back then. And most of what you did is likely equally relevant today.
Except, today is a little different, and buyers are acting a little different than they were even nine months ago. So, you might need to adjust your strategy a bit to make it more relevant.
Don’t think you have to blow everything up and start from scratch. But, if you can, look at your tactics without judgment and ask yourself:
What was working that isn’t now?
Why is it not working right now?
Based on that, are there slight adjustments I can make?
By being open to smaller adjustments and constantly learning from each call, you can begin to slowly adapt to this new environment.
6. Build a winning new habit.
Successful selling really comes down to strong habits. During hot markets, you can sell effectively and skip a few steps. But, in tougher times, those habits become more important.
Again, it isn’t the time to blow up everything you’ve done and start anew. But there are habits that, if you aren’t doing right now, would behoove you to start doing.
So, perhaps now is the time to add one or two new habits to your arsenal. Here are five examples of strong sales habits, all of which have proven ROI:
Start to build out a social selling habit, even if it’s just as simple as commenting on LinkedIn.
Make multithreading a priority for your biggest accounts to secure – and potentially expand – those deals.
Research your buyers and the industry you sell into deeper so you come into each conversation as a credible expert. In practical terms, this could mean committing to reading two articles in an industry publication every weekday.
Ask for referrals from your happiest customers and/or your well-connected colleagues.
Dedicate an hour to deep learning each week.
The best part is, if you add one of these habits, it won’t just help you get out of the slump. Keeping it will benefit you throughout your sales career, in good times and bad.
7. Lastly, know that this too shall pass.
The reality is that you can take all the advice I just laid out and still be in a slump. Things might not improve this week or this quarter or even this year.
It doesn’t mean you are a bad salesperson. It just means it’s a tough year and you’re going to learn your way through it and be better off on the other side.
The single biggest learning of my life – everything ebbs and flows. Everything: work, relationships, the economy. No matter how bad something is, often, in a few months, it’ll be totally different.
The key is not losing your mind in the bad times and destroying what you’ve worked for. Yes, it sucks. Yes, you might not necessarily see when it’ll end. Yes, it’s not fair.
Trust me – if you can stay composed and actually build your skills during this time, you will come out stronger. And you will look back on this time with gratitude, knowing that it made you the person you needed to be.
Keep going. Sales is tough. You’re tougher. Ain’t no slump going to end you.