Every salesperson experiences a sales slump at one point in their career. While upsetting, sales slumps can be a great time for evaluating your sales process and making improvements. To help you do that, we’ve compiled a list of suggestions for how you can break out of your slump and reinvigorate your sales:
Return to the basics
Once you’ve been successful in sales, it can be easy to stop practicing the basic things that got you there in the first place. For instance, did you do more prospecting when you were just starting out? Sales slumps typically occur because there aren’t enough prospects in the pipeline. Reflect on the actions that you undertook during times when sales were strong and implement them during your slump.
Watch a leader
You can learn a lot from watching other successful salespeople. Spend time with a high-performing salesperson and watch how he engages with prospects. While viewing someone in your industry is helpful, it can also be instructive to watch a salesperson who works in a different one.
Prepare for sales calls
Preparing for a meeting with a prospect is important but can be time-consuming. Simplify the process by using Refresh, a free app available at the iTunes store. Refresh combs through your calendar and offers up insights on people you’re meeting with based on the updates that they’ve made to their social media accounts. These insights will give you a better idea of what’s going on in your prospect’s life and it can help you find common ground.
Don’t catastrophize
During a sales slump, it can be tempting to dwell on worst-case scenarios, i.e. “If this continues, I won’t be able to pay my mortgage this month.” Instead, remind yourself that slumps are a natural occurrence in sales and they often are a precursor to a significant period of sales growth.
Think outside of the box
Sometimes, a slump can shake us out of our complacency. Try to vary the way that you approach your work. For example, you could prepare a new way to deal with a prospect’s objections or decide to be more diligent about following with a prospect. This period of low sales can spark just the insight that you need to shake things up in a good way.
K. Justin Restaino is vice president of Titan List & Mailing Services Inc. For more than 15 years, he has led Titan’s Mortgage Division, helping lenders of all capacities grow their businesses utilizing targeted direct mail. With a specialized focus in refinance and purchase markets, Restaino has the insight for proper data and mail application for success. He may be reached by phone at (800) 544-8060, ext. 204 or e-mail [email protected].
This article originally appeared in the January 2015 edition of National Mortgage Professional Magazine.
