Q: What should I do if I'm in a sales slump?

A: One of the key characteristics of a truly professional salesperson is to be able to quickly recognize when a slump occurs and have a plan ready when, not if, a slump happens.

  • Recognize the problem: It's you.
  • Turn the music off and listen to sales tapes or CDs on the way to your appointment.
  • Plan for everything that could happen to prevent your getting the sale.
  • Cut your talking in half and increase your listening.
  • Ask for the business on each call.
  • Keep a journal of what you did right and what you did wrong on each appointment.
  • Ride with another salesperson and/or ask someone to ride with you.
  • Ask someone who is successful to help coach you through this period.
  • Be open to change.
  • Ask your prospects what you're doing wrong.

    • Chances are what got you in a slump was poor work habits and what'll get you out of it is good work habits. —Phil Rea has conducted more than 13,200 in-home sales calls and trained more than 1,750 salespeople. He shares his sales strategies each month with salespeople across the country through his MasterMind Program. For more information, call 866.441.7445.