What are the most effective ways for account managers to stay motivated during a slow sales period?

Set goals but also have parameters in place to effectively measure these goals. Always remember an unchanging aspect of sales is “what you’re doing today, affects where your sales will be in 3 months.” This should motivate you to stay the course. A customer’s no isn’t always a bad thing if it allows you to spend more time providing valuable info to those who are interested. Add something to your daily habits that you’ve never tried before. In today’s world there are plenty of short term courses, webinars and certificates to improve your skill set. When all else fails, call the customer that likes to talk and listen to what they have to say about your products and industry to learn about why they buy and upgrade your sales pitch with it.

During slow sales periods, account managers can stay motivated by setting quick wins,short-term goals, focusing on training,personel skill development, and strengthening relationships with existing clients. Embracing a positive mindset,try to think out of box and celebrating small wins, and engaging in professional development programs.

During slow sales periods, account managers can stay motivated by setting achievable short-term goals, focusing on skill development, and strengthening relationships with existing clients. Embracing a positive mindset, celebrating small wins, and engaging in professional development activities contribute to sustained motivation and preparedness for future opportunities. Additionally, maintaining a healthy work-life balance and visualizing success can foster resilience and optimism during challenging times.

Don't be afraid to think out of the box... Are there other companies/AMs that you can partner and/or network with. Ask about best practices. Definitely set goals, but make sure they are attainable and lead to your end goal. Lastly, always remain positive. In sales, things can turn on a dime.

I touched upon this in one of my previous posts, 'The Slow Nibble.' There's nothing wrong with reviewing pipelines, If most people are honest, there are a lot of falsehoods sitting in them—potential deals that get kicked down the road, fear of not wanting your list to look slim, etc. You need to look at your sales process and the lens you are looking through. You need to be able to qualify your sales stages; otherwise, you’ll get pipeline slippage and waste. If you have a simple qualifying sales process and have support from the top down, following good sales practices, then reviewing your pipeline should yield you further engagement, if not closing those deals that are meant to come in. And stay motivated! you control you #sales

I find creating a peer network from inside and outside of your business is the most effective way of shining a new light on the situation. As mentioned here already, do not be afraid to ask your success stories around what made them buy and what resonated with them the most

Good way to seek feedback during slow sales. Customer Surveys: Conduct surveys to understand customer needs and pain points. Employee Input: Gather insights from frontline staff about customer interactions and challenges. Competitor Analysis: Study competitors' strategies and customer feedback to identify areas for improvement. Focus Groups: Organize focus groups with loyal customers to gather detailed feedback. Social Media Listening: Monitor social media channels for customer sentiment and comments. One-on-One Interviews: Schedule interviews with key customers to delve deeper into their experiences. Online Reviews: Pay attention to online reviews and respond appropriately to address concerns.

One thing I’ve found is to seek feedback no matter if you win or lose. Ask why they chose to do business with you? There’s always something we can do to be better. If you lose, ask what could you have done differently to have won the order? Be open to honest feedback it will help you be a better person and a better listener.

One thing that I've done during slow periods is to collaborate with fellow colleagues. We can brainstorm, network and even share resources to try to gain momentum and stay motivated. Having honest dialogue with management is key to ensure that you have any blind spots covered. The biggest key is to not panic! Stay positive and be willing to sharpen your innovative idea muscles. Creativity is key!

During a slow sales period, maintaining motivation is crucial, and seeking feedback and support can be immensely beneficial. Feedback from managers, peers, or mentors offers valuable insights into strengths and areas for improvement, guiding efforts to enhance performance. Additionally, support from colleagues can alleviate stress, frustration, and disappointment, providing encouragement, advice, and recognition. Regular check-ins, participation in peer groups, or requesting testimonials are effective ways to seek feedback and support. Embracing this collaborative approach fosters personal growth, resilience, and a sense of camaraderie, ultimately helping navigate through challenging sales periods with confidence and determination.

Nurturing is a process used to build relationships with potential customers and help them move through the buyer's journey from new leads to loyal customers. Getting the exponential benefit of account-based nurturing is that, it provides excellent customer trading relations. Upselling growth, Reference business accounts and identify target contacts.

Agree with the above. A slow sales period is probably due in part to your neglect in nurturing the customers that already buy from you, and probably while you are looking for the next big sale. Call the customer that enjoys shop talking, listen to why they buy your products and their feedback…then upgrade your sales pitch with it when speaking with their industry peers.

One of the best compliments I ever received was when a customer, while at lunch with me, stated "you're the only vendor that buys me lunch AFTER you have sold me something" - showing that I'm in it for the long-haul. That's what relationship-building is all about - moving far away from transactional dialogue. Stay in-touch w/them all the time, even if it's just a 5 min dialogue. Get to know them personally - their family, friends & hobbies. You have a ton of people touching the account already - customer success, support, solutions consultants - but at the end of the way, you are the QB and need to be visible, especially when there is no deal that's imminent, proving your worth and showing you are truly relationship-focused.

When sales are slow it is an awesome time to reconnect with old leads and start some new business development. If you are slow, your customer might be slow too and would have more time to meet with you. During the holidays, it can be difficult to focus on your tasks, or difficult to get the client on the phone. Just stay positive and move forward. My best advice is to hustle early- don't wait until the end of the year to close business, you will always be in a time crunch. Sales is a rollercoaster, so ride the high and hustle hard during the lows. If you don't have the activity you won't have the results. Know your numbers, set goals, and a plan to get there.

In my experience during the slow season it’s the best time to travel and visit your accounts. Discuss new possible projects and opportunities

There is no better time to prospect than a slow sales cycle. Down time doesn’t exist in sales, but some free time is great for creating a prospect list, strategizing, and making a game plan for revenue growth.

In my view to keep urself motivated is to keep urself busy. This means start meeting more & more people ie your prospective customers but not to sell ,only to build relationships. This may help us long-term & at times your numbers are ever highest even in lean seasons. Happy Selling ??

End of the year is no doubt a slow sales period and there are high chances Account Managers and Sales people might get a little demotivated. One thing I always suggest is that during the terminal months of the year - ideally December, we should work on our branding, strategies for the coming year, action items, and other needed homework which we do not get a chance in regular days to do. This is the best time to focus on the pending items which are important for a smooth campaign.

In a period of a slow sales, transform challenges into opportunities with a proactive approach. Explore new markets, research innovative ideas, seek feedback from your customers, build stronger relations with your customer base. Embrace the chance to learn and grow during every business challenge!

For teams that have just started working or for people who have just joined the team, it is necessary to plan and set short-term goals in order to achieve small victories. These victories increase the self-confidence of the people. In standard teams, we must show: growth, access to goals and positive events so that motivation is accompanied with planning.

Personal wins should also be celebrated and are a big morale boosts. In those tough days when all does not seem to be going your way at work, earning some personal wins helps. Like taking up a new course or trying a new activity always adds to your skills and makes those slow sales days productive as well. Like last year I was having a few bad months and I decided to learn swimming despite being hydrophobic. When I started seeing some growth in my swimming skills and a reduction in the fear, I would sleep at night happier thinking that at least I did something today that made me better. The next day I would get up feeling more positive.

I agree however most of all that has been conveyed are tremendous ideas. I for one believe slow times are relative to business. If we create the culture of celebration and recognition on a daily basis, this will carry us through slow times. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel your actions should be a constant of what you do day in and day out. Celebrate wins and failures all are great teachable and coaching moments.

As a sales person, down times are a sales persons heartbreak, however, to stay motivated, track your progress no matter how small, so you know that as much as sales are down you’re actually still putting in the work and you’re doing something so you don’t feel completely downcast.

Celebrating wins, regardless of size, is crucial for maintaining motivation during a slow sales period. Recognizing achievements boosts morale, confidence, and enthusiasm while highlighting progress made. This can be done by rewarding oneself, sharing success stories, or acknowledging team members' contributions. Tracking wins through journaling, spreadsheets, or dashboards provides tangible evidence of accomplishments. By embracing this practice, individuals foster a positive mindset, reinforcing their determination to persevere and succeed despite challenges.

Slow sales periods means it is time to focus more on pipeline building activities. Get back to planning basics, review and revise your territory plan to see where the “white space” is. From there, put together your engagement plan for the week and month filled with pipeline building activities- meetings with key decision makers, obtaining referrals, bringing insights to key clients where you might expand, attend industry trade group meetings/conferences. You’ve got some time to plan, so put a solid plan together that is rooted in fundamentals that will build pipeline.

Usually, we leave a lot of personal things behind because we are so focused on sales. So, during periods with lower sales activities, change a little bit the balance "work vs. personal" in favor of your life (family, health, finance, children, friends, hobbies,...). Let's say 40% work (doing all great ideas provided in this thread) and 60% personal life. Or 30/70...upon you.

First, don't rely on motivation, rely on discipline. If motivation is what you are relying on to be successful in sales, it's almost a guarantee that you will have more lulls and deeper valleys than those that are relying on remaining disciplined to the fundamentals - follow ups, networking, task creation/completion, etc. - that made them successful in the first place. Success comes from continuously doing the small things right, regardless of how motivated you are in the moment. However, sales will ebb and flow. When you hit slower times, double down on the fundamentals: more calls, more emails, more customer touch points. When Steph Curry gets "cold" he changes nothing. He simply remains disciplined to what made him successful.

First (and above all) you have to be anchored to your "why". If you tie your identity and purpose to the success rate of your job, you'll forever be rocking in the waves of a corporate storm. For me, that's my family and other loved ones I want to be the provider for. Second, I evaluate myself and my routine. Am I doing little things right that support the larger goal? Do I need to sharpen my softskills? Am I allocating the right amount of time to different types of activities? Third, I seek joy in my life (preferrably outside of work). Being in a sales slump can be a mental nightmare, but having people/activities that give a mental and emotional boost really make a difference. That joy can remove some of the moody filters we put on too.

Each of our goals must be first built on a foundation of our daily routine. The only way to ensure your body is healthy and fit is through daily steps of eating and working out. The only way to strengthen those relationships most important to us is by showing those people every single day, and the only way to achieve financial success is through repetition as well. Remember your empire is built by placing one stone each day; rain, sleet or shine.