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Are You In A Sales Slump?
Stop That Dip In Your Performance and
Get Back In The Selling Zone
Bill Cole, MS, MA
Selling slumps. We've all been in this train wreck before.
You miss an important sale. You have a series of bad days.
You can't sell to your potential. You can't seem to extricate
yourself from its deadly grip. You're in a sales slump.
Let's take a look at what slumps are, how to get out of one,
and how to avoid them altogether. Let's get you out of the
dreaded sales slump syndrome so you can reach more of your
selling potential. If you know what to look for, and how to
manage your mind, you can minimize the effects of slumps and
reduce their frequency.
What Is A Slump?
A slump is any decrease in performance, over time, not just
one bad day. A slump may start innocently enough. You might
simply lose a sale. It bothers you. You lose another sale.
That bothers you more. Then someone makes a comment that "you
might be in a slump." You botch a sale again. Suddenly you
decide you are in "an official slump". Your depression and
anger about "being in a slump" fuels it, makes it worse and
maintains it. Your poor results worry you more. You begin
to think so much of how to fix the slump that you "get into
your own head" too much. Now it really is a slump. And now
it's a mental issue. But one you can handle.
How Do You Get Out Of A Slump? My Top Five Tips To Peak
Performance.
1. Be Clear About Your Definition Of A Slump. Make sure
the slump you are in is a real one. If you assume you are
slumping after one bad sales performance, you are far too
quick to judge yourself so harshly. A more reasonable definition
of a slump would be where you have a series of poor outcomes.
2. Don't Let People Talk You Into A Slump. Some people
love to tell you that you're in a slump. They think they can
see the slumping pattern you're in. Don't let their negativity
affect you. Make up your own mind about your sales performance.
3. Change Your Routine. Sometimes a slump starts because
you're bored, yet you may not realize it. Your routine may
be too predictable. Mix it up! Try some new selling skills,
some new selling practice systems and some new presentations.
Often just a change in routine will wake you up and give you
a new perspective.
4. Practice Harder And Improve Your Sales Weaknesses.
Simple as it sounds, sometimes you sell poorly not because
you are weak mentally, but just because you have a selling
weakness or outdated presentation. Try practicing your presentations
and closes longer, harder, better and smarter. Work the slump
out on the selling practice court.
5. Stop Trying So Hard When You Are With Customers.
This sounds like a contradiction from the previous tip, but
think for a minute. Slumps are very frustrating. They can
make you exert incredible amounts of non-useful energy. From
a performance psychology standpoint, only a perfect amount
of effort gives great results. Too little effort and your
performance is flat. A slump unfortunately brings out too
much negative energy in your efforts to defeat the slump.
Trying too hard kills your selling performance. Relax and
try softer, not harder.
Don't assume you are in a slump before one is truly there.
Have a slump plan ready to go and take concrete, positive
action. Stay one step ahead of the slump and you'll keep your
sales performances soaring.
To learn more about how sales coaching can help you become
a better, more confident sales professional, visit Bill Cole,
MS, MA, the Mental Game Coach™ at www.mentalgamecoach.com/Services/SalesCoaching.html.
Copyright © Bill Cole, MS, MA 2005, 2008 All rights reserved.
This article covers only one small part of the mental game.
A complete mental training program includes motivation and
goal-setting, pre-event mental preparation, post-event review
and analysis, mental strengthening, self-regulation training,
breath control training, mental rehearsal, concentration training,
pressure-proofing, communication training, confidence-building,
breaking through mental barriers, slump prevention, mental
toughness training, flow training, relaxation training, psych-out
proofing and media training.
For a comprehensive overview of your mental abilities
you need an assessment instrument that identifies your complete
mental strengths and weaknesses. For a free, easy-to-take
66-item sales skills assessment tool you can score right on
the spot, visit https://www.mentalgamecoach.com/Assessments/SalesSkills.html.
This assessment gives you a quick snapshot of your strengths
and weaknesses in your mental game. You can use this as a
guide in creating your own mental training program, or as
the basis for a program you undertake with Bill Cole, MS,
MA to improve your mental game. This assessment would be an
excellent first step to help you get the big picture about
your mental game of selling.
Bill Cole, MS, MA, a leading authority on peak performance, mental toughness
and coaching, is founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching
Association, https://www.mentalgamecoaching.com.
Bill is also founder and CEO of William B. Cole Consultants, a consulting firm that helps
organizations and professionals achieve more success in business, life and sports.
He is a multiple Hall of Fame honoree, an award-winning scholar-athlete, published
book author and articles author, and has coached at the highest levels of major-league
pro sports, big-time college athletics and corporate America. For a free, extensive
article archive, or for questions and comments visit him at www.MentalGameCoach.com.
Article Source: MentalGameCoach.com
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