Consult Carson: "I'm stuck in a sales slump. Help!"

From today's mailbag: "Lately, I've been in a sales slump. Nothing's working. I can't seem to get customers to say yes to my full pitch and I can't even sell the cheap plans. What do I do?"

Carson: Ahhhh, the sales slump.  At times, everyone goes through some semblance of this.  Little shifts in our mechanics, a variety of intangibles like changes in the marketplace or competitor offerings and our growing desperation knock the planets out of alignment.  There is a cure, and it's process.  It's back to basics.  And it's patience.

Something I've certainly noticed over the years of sales coaching is that no matter how rock solid the plan in the huddle, it has to be executed and has to be executed consistently for success.  What I mean by this is we may devise a strategy to fix anything ailing the sales process, and a sales rep may go out and try the strategy.  But if it feels a little foreign or uncomfortable, which may be common, they shy off after a few stumbles out of the gates and go back to these comfortable ways of mediocrity or failing.

In a sales slump, something has changed.  It could be so slight that we ourselves don't even see it or recognize it just yet. 

1. Analyze where in the sales process you are losing.  Are you getting up to the presentation plate and going down swinging because you don't have the proper information typically obtained in fact finding?  If you are skimping on your needs analysis questions, you'll be swinging at nothing but air when it comes to making a value presentation that fits your customers' needs and will have nothing left to overcome any objections with.  Sales is a process and every step must be there.

2. Don't get desperate.  Often, we will try to sell that cheaper package just to get on the sales board.  However, how many of these minnows add up to the marlins or whales you could be scoring?  Even if you get the puny score, is it worth it to your longterm goals to sacrifice and become a singles hitter instead of a home run hitter?  Think about baseball - when in a slump, it's vital to revisit the swing mechanics that led to you hitting the ball all over and out of the park, not changing your stance or swing or approach.  You've had success, so work to replicate it.  

3. Be patient.  Take your time.  Obsess over process, not the numbers.  I'm well aware this is the most difficult part.  We want a sale, and we want it now!  We likely have a boss who is wondering what the heck has gotten into us - hopefully, they are supportive, but sometimes they are not.  In sales, you and I both know we are only as good as our last sale and last performance.  Yesterday is history, and we have to capitalize today and every day.  Trust in the process and be patient that it will pay off.  Don't let your frustration be reflected in any part or step of the process, because that's when you start skipping vital steps.  

4. Get back to basics.  Do you need to devise a script for yourself?  Do you need a scratch pad to write down key things in the conversation or to remind yourself to ask certain things?  There's no shame in making a strong effort in getting back to fundamentals.  That's what is going to get you back in the game.

A sales slump can be caused by a variety of factors, some of which are under your control.  Others can be overcome with adaptability.  You must constantly reinvent yourself as a noble knight of the sales trade: if the competition's offerings have changed or the industry has changed or the economic climate has changed, you have to change with it.  Modify the questions you ask and how you present your solution in the wake of how these changes impact your customer, but in the end, your steps of process will never waver.  

Trust in your sales process, control what you are able to control, figure out where you are currently losing your customer and build back up that part of the chain.  We'll never win every single sale, but with our best possible foot forward in every phase of the selling process, we give ourselves the best probability at success.  Baseball players get hits anywhere from 20%-to-35% of the time, which is a pretty big "swing" - pardon the pun.  Depending on your close rate, you are even less likely to see the immediate, drastic results you want.  But if you are able to double or triple your close rate by making better moves in the process, your slump will be replaced with a surplus.

Good luck!

*******************************************************************************

Carson V. Heady posts for "Consult Carson" serving as the "Dear Abby" of sales and sales leadership.  You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving.  You will also be directly contributing to his third book, "A Salesman Forever." 

Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at [email protected] or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/

Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled "Birth of a Salesman" that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.

If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF