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Top Ten Ways to Overcome a Sales Slump
Even the most accomplished sales professional will find themselves in a sales slump from time to time.

We had some fun in checking the Merriam-Webster On-line Dictionary for a definition of a slump. First of all, the word entered regular English usage in 1887. Guess there were no slumps before then! Wonder if this coincided with the invention of baseball? But we digress.

The formal definition is:
(a) : a marked or sustained decline especially in economic activity or (b) : a period of poor or losing play by a team or individual

Here are the top ten ways to overcome a slump, why not apply at least one today:

1. Maintain a regular practice even when on a plateau (or in a ditch!). This is referring to a regular practice of outbound contacts with prospective accounts. Try this - Joyfully Persevere with your regular practice.

How about this: 10 x 12 (contact 10 prospects by noon); or 20 x 5, ask for 1 referral by 5 each day, etc.

2. Look at your numbers honestly: your appointment levels, prospect contacts, referrals. What have your historical standards been? Can you add one more per day, per week? Start from the possible and move towards the impossible.

Take an honest inventory of your active prospects - are they really prospects or suspects? Are you kidding yourself? Due to human nature, if your active prospect inventory is low, you will typically kid yourself. We can assure you of this - if your pipeline is full, your fear will diminish.

3. Write down, map out your sales process: what are the predictable, necessary/critical steps from planning your initial prospect contact until after the close? Is there a sales process breakdown that you can correct?

4. Be absolutely clear as to the identity of your target markets, industry segments, target accounts, size, location, quality and lead/referral sources and how to best reach them. What are your specific target account characteristics?

5. Work on your body. Add a ¼ mile to your routine, add 10 pushups, add a few pounds to your free weights – start from the possible. Increased energy is called for.

6. Guard your prospecting time ferociously by managing your calendar: eliminate distracting tasks and avoid distracting people. Make an appointment with yourself for prospecting activities and don’t cancel your appointment!

7. Seek out and attend a half-day sales workshop or a one hour webcast. Pick up one or two new ideas and get a quiet reminder of the things that you used to do. Read Selling Power Magazine.

8. Talk about it. For most sales people, this one can be tough. Try it out with a mentor, someone you trust. Why not call Tom Redmond: 732-957-0005. This is what we do all day long every day.

9. Celebrate your success, even small victories: that impossible appointment, that objection you overcame, a terrific referral.

10. Keep your sense of humor engaged; it’s helpful (if you’re in sales, we know you have a sense of humor!)

* Your job is to relieve your competition of the burden of their accounts!
* Contact your prospect until they surrender!
* Re-read Dr. Seuss’s “Green Eggs & Ham” – a terrific sales manual!

…and create and give value to your prospects, clients, and colleagues.

Best wishes are flying your way,

Tom

Sales Coach Newsletter is a product of Redmond Group, Inc. We are specialists in the systematic process of developing and retaining new business. We design sales and retention process maps and unique measurement tools to track progress to meet business objectives. We conduct in-house workshops, individual and sales team coaching, Webcasts and assist with product launches.
© 2010 Redmond Group, Inc.

Redmond Group, Inc., 43 Frost Circle, Middletown, NJ 07748
732-957-0005, tom@redmondgroupinc.com

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