Spiky

Sales Slumps? Shake Them Off With These Tips and Tricks

27 Feb 2023

An illustration depicts a woman on a couch, sipping tea, offering tips to overcome sales slumps and bad luck faced by salespeople.

Sometimes it's bad luck, and sometimes just a series of unfortunate events. But we know that every salesperson dealt with slumps during their career. It can be hard to overcome, but it's not impossible.

Hold onto your salt shakers. For the sake of the 13th, we will give you tips to shake off those sales slumps!

Listen to the experiences of others.

  • Always start with the most challenging task, right? Get advice from your boss and other senior leaders within the company. It's always nice to have a second opinion about the business. They might see something you still need to do, or they can help you develop a new game plan.
  • Listen to your peers. If you see that other people are having success, it's essential to note down what they did. Did they follow a specific process? What kind of training did they receive or not receive? How did their sales numbers compare with others in their company or industry?
  • Listen to customers! Ask them how they feel about using those products now and then how you could make their experiences better. This brings us to the topic of…

Maybe it's not your fault.

Good company image affects sales. No one would want to buy a product with a majority of bad reviews. In that case, don't feel down. Customers are not saying no to you; they are saying no to the product. Then it's time to work with your product and marketing teams.

After you fix the issue with your product, focus on finding ways to improve your business' image to attract more customers. It could mean changing your marketing strategy, improving your website/social media presence, and creating a better brand.

Take a few steps backward.

Let's say your product is almost perfect, and your reviews are flourishing. The only thing worse than being hit by bad luck is hitting "reset" mode and starting over again.

Use a systematic approach. We need to take a step back amid a sales slump and look at how it all came together. Focus on the positives first. Ask yourself and your sales team: what worked before? Then go to the next step; what didn't work before? What can we do differently this time around?

It's important to note that each slump is different and will require other tactics to get out of it. But for the starting point, analyze the problem and find out what's causing it.

Look for patterns in your sales data.

If you see a pattern in success and failure, it's time to make changes. For example: Are there any specific days or times of day when you receive more emails and calls than others? If so, consider adjusting your schedule accordingly so you're available during peak hours.

Are any customers not responding to your emails or calls because they need to see themselves as part of your target market? If so, it might be time for a shift in strategy here—maybe try sending out personalized emails or making frequent follow-up calls with those specific customers.

Adjust your methods

One of the most important things is to adjust your methods - again and again. Do A/B testing. Only try one thing at a time. Look at what's working for others, try something new or different, then move on to another idea until you find something that works best for your company or team.

Analyze your calls and get insights

The great news is you don't have to do it alone! Spiky can help you with all the above. We analyze your meetings and then give you deep metrics and actionable insights so you can understand what went wrong/right. It's as easy as pie. Check out more: Spiky product page

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

It sounds cliche, but as long as you believe in yourself and work hard, you will be successful. Remember, It's most breakout sales are not plain luck. Instead, they result from a well-planned strategy that started with a strong foundation. With this in mind, you should get back on track fairly quickly.

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