It can happen in any field — that feeling of hitting a rut or plateau. Scribes encounter the dreaded, consuming agony of writers’ block. An athlete can go cold for seemingly countless games where the ball seems like their enemy. An artist’s medium can go from fulfilling to frustrating where inspiration or creativity just feels stymied.
Whatever the area, a dip (or sheer blockage) of output can feel defeating. And in the numbers-driven, hyper quota-conscious world of sales a slump, when those deals aren’t rolling in quite as expected, a peaks-and-valleys discipline is part of the territory.
“The second you lose one or two deals, your whole perspective on a year can change,” said James Ellis, named account executive at DevOps software provider Redgate Software.
When things aren’t clicking, it can be hard to lift one’s self out of the morass. But Hanna Goldfarb, account executive at Moov — which offers a platform for facilitating sales of semiconductor equipment — explained that thinking at the micro level can help right the ship.
“Keep your head down and stay focused on the smaller goals, and the larger-picture ones will become clearer,” said Goldfarb, who recommended outlining a realistic game plan with a timeline of executing on goals.
And remember: It might be one individual who’s aiming to close a deal, but as Goldfarb noted, team support is a cornerstone of selling. Supporting colleagues who have hit a rough patch doesn’t just help them with their craft (“When I see someone who might not fully understand a situation, I make sure to reach out and give insight,” Goldfarb said), it can also pay dividends on a personal level.
“Without confidence in your ability, sales can be a very difficult place to be. Therefore, it's important to reassure those around us that they're here for a reason,” Ellis said.
Below are the account executives’ best practices on regaining one’s sales groove.
As a sales person, how do you know when you’re in the midst of a sales slump?
You know that you are in the middle of a sales slump when you are not hitting your quota and if you are struggling with KPIs. There has to be consistent activity for the sales to get done. Keep your head down and stay focused on the smaller goals, and the larger-picture ones will become clearer.
How did you ultimately recover from that slump?
Take a step back to reground yourself and look at the daily work that you have been doing. What’s working and what’s not? What are your goals for the day, week, month and the next six months from now? Make a realistic game plan to get where you want to be in the future. Test some new daily routines or strategies to get you there. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help and admit that you have been struggling. People want you to do well.
Make a realistic game plan to get where you want to be in the future.”
If a salesperson notices that a colleague is currently experiencing a sales slump, what role can they play in helping them get back on track?
Team support in a sales team is crucial for the company to be successful long term. As a newer account executive, I’ve had a lot of experiences on both sides of this. The other account executives help game-plan deals, give me insight on where to focus and share overall sales strategy. I’ve also been there to support people as they transition from business development representative to account executive. When I see someone who might not fully understand a situation, I make sure to reach out and give insight. Having someone that is open to answering questions is super valuable.
As a sales person, how do you know when you’re in the midst of a sales slump?
The second you lose one or two deals, your whole perspective on a year can change. Going from feeling confident in hitting your target and to being worried about missing your target can happen in the space of a few hours.
With this “slump” comes not only a professional concern but a true knock in confidence. Your demeanor with friends and family can be impacted. When I notice this change in my attitude toward life, I realize I’m in a slump and it’s time to step back to understand why I’m here and how I’m getting out of it.
In Q1 of 2022, this felt very real to me. On the last day of the quarter, a client who we had worked with for a year advised us they were going with a competitor. We had been aggressively undercut on price. This was my worst performance to date. I sat in my car. My mum called, and I began to cry as I felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment, shame and disappointment in myself.
How did you ultimately recover from that slump?
At that point, it’s a fork in the road. You either use this moment to feel sorry for yourself, or you use it as a catalyst to improve.
You either use this moment to feel sorry for yourself, or you use it as a catalyst to improve.”
For me, it was a tough pill to swallow for a day. However, after listening to the great team around me, I decided to take proactive action. I stepped back, analyzed what had gone wrong and where I needed to improve and moved on. You win some, you lose some.
Following this, I put a plan in place to make the subsequent week a success — small, actionable goals to build my confidence back up whilst understanding what errors I made to apply these into the deals for the rest of the year.
If a salesperson notices that a colleague is currently experiencing a sales slump, what role can they play in helping them get back on track?
Sometimes we can forget the emotional toll it can take knowing you have a number above your head. Ultimately, our role is to execute for the business and make money. However, without looking after yourself and those around us, none of this will happen, nor is it particularly relevant.
We can play a key role in looking for signs that might show us that others are in a dark place with work. In my own experience, this is the time to approach that individual to understand how they’re feeling. Without confidence in your ability, sales can be a very difficult place to be. Therefore, it’s important to reassure those around us that they’re here for a reason.
With that being said, they may need coaching and constructive criticism to understand where they’ve gone wrong. Being a sounding board to their plans can be a way to do this. Not only can you then learn how they’re doing the role and pick up important areas you can apply to your process, but you can question why they’re potentially doing certain tasks in a certain way. This is a win-win: they feel supported and listened to while you act on the key pieces of importance you’ve learned from them.
