Baseball players, football players, basketball players, rock stars, and sales reps all deal with it sooner or later. Slumps. It happens to everyone, but how do you get out of it? Is there a way to break the slump cycle? Or do you simply have to let it run its course?
So You’re In a Slump
So you’re not doing so hot. Sales are down and you’re not hitting your quotas. It happens, and if you have been a rep for a while you know it happens. Let’s be honest, it sucks. It certainly doesn’t motivate you, which is a big problem for sales reps. Managers typically are trying to keep motivation and morale up. As you probably well know slumps kill both of these things. Typically a slump happens when you simply just hit a bad streak of calls and/or prospects. You have heard the words “no” or “stop calling me” way to much one after another. Honestly after a while it’s hard not to get discouraged, which is understandable. But the first thing you must do is realize it happens, and you will get through it.
Change It Up
Sometimes what you need is just a plain old change of routine. For the time being you may have exhausted you’re current strategies. Pick up and learn new ones. Try out other techniques you have heard of or simply create your own new ones. Experiment. Learn what works and what doesn’t. After all the only way you can go is up. Right? Break away from your current routine because chances are it’s part of the reason you’re hitting a slump.
Explore The Options
Take a step back and decide what you need or could use. There are plenty of tools and supplements out there for sales reps. Use them. Take advantage of what’s out there such as reports and applications that help you turn cold leads into warm ones. Explore all over in order to find your mythical helping hand. Even though you’ve been using only one technique and for the most part it’s been working, everything needs refreshing at some point. If you were a professional athlete you would fail if you never practiced and gained new skills. Think about it this way. If you were dribbling down the court and only went to your right. After a while the defenders are going to catch on to you and be able to predict where you’re going to drive. The same is true for sales. Essentially the decision makers are your defenders, and once they identify your technique, over time they may choose to block you out.
Evaluate Yourself
Another place to start when not doing so hot in solution selling is with you. Check your attitude. It sounds lame, but if you’re negative in regards to your attitude, it’s going to filter through to your selling process. Take a break revaluate how you are feeling. Know that if you are positive it will only positively affect your solution selling techniques. Sometimes even taking a small vacation can help to clear your head. It sounds anti productive but sometimes it can be just what the doctor ordered.
So Don’t Forget
Remember, it happens to everyone. Then realize that you are in control of getting out of your slump and that you can. Graduate to changing up your routine. A routine is just that, the same thing over and over again. After a while it should be no surprise that it has gotten old or stopped being so effective. Believe it or not change is good and can actually benefit you in the long run. Work to tweak your approach in solution selling whether it is directly pitch related, or has to do with filling your sales pipeline. Adding more and diverse strategies can transform you into a well rounded sales rep, which is what most decision makers like to see.
For more information on how to leap out of your slump check out our free guide on Selling Into The Fortune 1000 here http://www.salesquest.com/resources/selling-into-the-fortune-1000/
Alex Rinaldi
Content Marketing
alex dot rinaldi at salesquest dot com
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