Dear Colleen,
Help! I’m in a slump. Can you make some suggestions to help? Kim in Coral Gables
Hi Kim,
Remember… it’s your slump. You created it and you can get out of it. Try some of the following:
1. Don’t panic!
If you’re in panic mode, you can’t be creative, and creativity is exactly what you need right now. Besides, just as dogs can smell fear in humans, potentials can smell desperation in sales people. If you panic, your prospects will sense that you’re desperate, and they’ll avoid you like last night’s leftover Tuna Surprise! Just take a deep breath, stay calm and focus on what needs to be done.
2. Reconnect to your plan.
Review your goals and either recommit to the action plan you set for yourself at the beginning of the year – or create a new one! One client of mine recalculates his plan after every month he doesn’t hit his quota, to ensure his quota for the next month includes both what he was supposed to do PLUS whatever he missed last month. This helps him redefine his actions and gain clarity on exactly how many calls he needs to make, meetings he needs to secure and business he needs to close to get back on track. If you had a really bad month, you could perhaps work your underage into the next 2-3 months to make it more attainable.
3. Work smarter and harder.
Think of 10 things you could to prepare for your next trip more effectively? Then commit to working just a little bit harder until you’re out of this bad spell. So you have to be out of “balance” for a short time. Would you rather that you’re out of balance, or your checkbook? The choice is yours.
4. Use your coach.
Have your manager listen to your phone calls, watch you at networking events and evaluate your presentations. Whoever you choose, ask them to be honest with you, and when they are, do something with the advice they give you.
5. Coach yourself.
Video or audio tape your presentations and calls, and be honest with yourself. Would you buy from you?
6. Practice and tweak your presentation.
Maybe it’s time to turn your presentation style upside down, or inside out. What you’re doing now obviously isn’t working, so if you want a different result, you have to do something different. Try tweaking a few points, at the end, or in the middle. And while we’re talking about change, everyone should read Who moved my Cheese! It’s an excellent short book on why change is so hard – yet so necessary.
Now, go get out of your slump!
Good luck! Colleen