Turning Sales Slumps Into Sales Jumps

Even a small sales slump can bump some salespeople into a sales reluctance spiral. A whopping 34.7% of survey respondents admit to either taking days to get over a lost sale or they just give up and surrender only to get deeper into a sales slump black hole.

Have you ever had this happen to you? Think back. Have you ever lost a sale and not known how to quickly bounce back?

In 30 years of selling, I've lost many sales. On the other hand, I've helped people to buy more often! No matter what I sell, I have a 70% to 85% conversion rate. This means I convert prospects into customers 8 out of 10 times. It may be possible to have 100% conversion rate, but I've not met a person who can back up that kind of claim.

Some of us can brush off a lost sale and just bounce right back by morning or late mid-day. Either we really do have that smile on our face or we are faking it until it gets there.

We might even be curious or so bold as to ask the lost customer, "What could I have done to earn your business?" That turns the initial disappointment into a learning situation and a valuable lesson.

But what do you do if you aren't that resilient? Here are seven top ideas to jump you right back on track:

1. Talk with friends in your network who know about selling. They are usually empathetic and more than willing to let you know how they get up and going again.

2. Take time to admit your defeat. Admit to yourself how awful it feels to lose. Get it out in the open, take a deep breath, and then start to gravitate toward more empowering thoughts and actions.

3. If you find yourself distracted with negative self-talk, take notes. Here is a Law of Attraction action adapted to get you going: Get out a sheet of paper. Draw a line down the middle. On the left side write out all the negative comments you are saying to yourself, and on the right side, write out the total opposite positive statements that you can believe. Then keep reading the more positive side to yourself. Bust that limiting self-talk. There are dozens of releasing techniques like this.

4. Telephone some of your best clients. You know the ones. They have been buying from you often, regularly, and always are happy to hear from you. This can be a quick feeling booster.

5. Read or listen to something inspiring or motivational. One of my favorite books is The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal. Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz are the authors. I can always find an idea in there to get me back on track.

6. Read articles, sales materials and in general improve your product knowledge. This can make an otherwise unproductive time useful while you are still down.

7. Try a coach for a short term. Coaches who are properly trained can easily help people out of these situations. One of my sales coaching clients was stuck at a certain level. We worked to put a paper system into place that would help to more easily follow-up with prospects sooner than later. After just six months, their sales soared and they received national recognition for the first time ever.

Take actions that get you to move forward with a more uplifting feeling. If you get out right away with feelings of frustration or discouragement, it can backfire and pull you down further. The idea is to first do for yourself something that gets you back into a confident and optimistic demeanor. Then get out and get more business!