It is so embarrassing. But, it happens to everyone eventually. Most of us do not like to talk about it. Just admitting it seems like an admission of failure. What am I talking about? I am speaking about a sales slump.
I have had times like that during my sales career. I am talking about a slump so bad, it feels like you will never sell anything again. Even if you have been really successful before, self-doubt can start to creep in.
It is time to take a step back and analyze the situation. To help, here are suggested questions to uncover the causes of a slump:
Industry-wide factors:
- How does the business cycle/interest rates affect your industry?
- Have there been any stories in the media that might have changed your client’s perception of your industry?
Competitive factors:
- Has there been a shift in your competitor’s tactics, pricing, products or services?
- Has there been a shift in the type of objections you face? Is there a trend?
Company-wide factors:
- How are other salespeople faring in your company?
- Have changes in company products or procedures affected your sales success?
Personal factors:
- Do you still feel highly motivated to sell?
- Do you still believe in your company’s products and services?
- Have you been assigned a new sales territory?
- Have you been in your old territory for too long?
- Has the quality of your prospects changed?
- Have you changed (or ignored) your prospecting methods?
- Have you changed how you assess your client’s needs?
- Have you changed your sales presentation content?
- Have you changed your closing methods?
- Are you still doing the post-sales follow-up?
Use this checklist to discover possible causes of a sales slump. After all, knowing what is causing your slump is the first step to curing it.
Are you interested in selling Verizon Wireless services? Call us at (855) SELL-VZW or fill out the form below. We look forward to talking to you soon!
