What Do I Do When Nothing is Working???

If you’ve been in sales for a while you’ve experienced a drought. A slump that seems to go on and on, no matter what you do. You try, and try, and try some more, but you can’t seem to get anyone to speak with you, no one you’re speaking with is returning your phone calls or emails, and nothing is closing. You’re gaining weight, losing sleep, and you feel like giving up. So, what do you do when that happens?

You have a couple of options:

1. Keep doing what you’re doing. Sometimes you’re just about to get the break you’ve been waiting for, and your fortunes are about to change any minute, but you give up and go in a completely different direction. You lose momentum (I know, it didn’t seem like you were getting anywhere but sometimes it IS just a matter of time, effort, and activity) and have to start over with a “new idea.” Almost everything takes time to produce results. By stopping what you’re doing and trying something different it’s going to take time to see positive results, if they come at all.
2. Try something different. We’ve all heard the definition of insanity…doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result. By trying something new, when what you’re doing isn’t working, you may increase your chances of success. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know if that’s the correct path until you try.

So what should you do?

My (self-serving) advice is: Speak with someone. If the decisions you’ve made and the actions you’ve taken aren’t working it’s time to get some outside help. Go to your manager and ask for help. Discuss with a business associate you respect. Talk to an expert…a coach who specializes in sales.

Typically when we hit a slump our judgement becomes clouded. We get upset, worried, and nervous that things are never going to get better. We don’t make smart decisions. Someone other than you can look at your situation dispassionately, ask smart questions, discover what you’ve been doing, and offer advice that’s “outside your box.” (I like the sound of the phrase “think outside the box” but don’t believe most of us can do it for ourselves, but someone else can think outside our box for us because they see our situation differently)

As a coach I’ve worked with tons of sellers (both professional salespeople and people who aren’t professional sellers but who have to sell as part of their job) in this situation. Humming along, being successful, then it suddenly stops. Invariably, by understanding the nature of sales, asking the right questions, and getting commitments for various actions I can help turns things around. It’s VERY hard to self-diagnose because you’re in the thick of it. An outsider can look at your situation and often see things you can’t.

Don’t let things go too far. A slight dip in sales is not a cause for panic. But if you’re experiencing a downward trend, and it’s been happening for a while, speak to someone (manager, associate, coach) who can help. It just may be exactly what you need to get back on track, and the sooner you do it, the better.