Sales is a tough industry. It takes an average of 18 calls to even just connect with a prospect. 

With these numbers, it isn’t surprising that most salespeople experience a sales slump at least once in their careers. 

During a slump, you may lose focus and motivation in your ability to sell. As sales growth decreases, so does your confidence. 

However, the way you deal with a sales slump can be the defining point of your career. The most important thing is to keep going. 

Implement these 18 actionable tips to get over your sales slump and prevent it from happening in the future. Don’t let anything get in your way to sales success!

1. Build good relationships with your prospects

Pay close attention to your prospects’ specific needs and pain points. 

At the end of the day, prospects are people just like us. They want to know we care about them and aren’t just looking to close a deal. 

Have real conversations with them so you can understand them better and connect at a human level. This will be key when selling your product as you will be able to directly connect your pitch to their needs. 

Empathizing with them will help create a stronger bond and it will help you build trust with them. This will have a positive impact on your sales performance. 

Implement this in the future by doing research about your prospects before your meetings, listening to them attentively, and always checking in with them for feedback. This will create that spark in your relationship with the prospect. 

2. Expand your sales pipeline

It’s always beneficial to grow your list of connections and meet more people in the industry. 

Networking allows you to meet more potential clients and partners while helping you build upon your existing skillset. 

This is especially important when in a sales slump. For all you know, you could close your next deal with a connection you just met! 

LinkedIn is your best friend when it comes to online networking. Other forms of networking include meeting people through mutual friends or going to professional networking events. 

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Keep in mind that you don’t have to choose just one form of networking. Try them all to maximize your potential and see what brings in the most prospects.   

3. Learn how to handle objections

Everyone deals with rejection at some point in their career. It is how you manage these objections that makes all the difference. 

Don’t take it personally and let yourself feel discouraged. Rather, learn what worked and what didn’t work during your conversation with the prospect, which led them to make their final decision. 

Make sure to have an answer ready when you’re faced with rejection so you can preserve control over the discussion. Anticipating certain objections will greatly help you come across as reliable and on top of your prospect’s needs.

Remember to be polite and respectful to continue being on good terms with the prospect. This will leave room for future deals.

4. Work smart, not hard 

Many salespeople often work hard and put all their efforts into making a project successful. At times, all that work can avail to no actual results, leaving the salesperson feeling drained and frustrated. This is usually the onset of a sales slump. 

Instead of working hard, try to work smart. This will save your time and energy for the tasks that really impact the bottom line.

Utilize resources to make your life easier. There are many apps you could use for free that help with organization and productivity. 

Badger Maps is a great example of such a tool that helps thousands of field salespeople by optimizing their daily routes and streamlining every aspect of their jobs.  

Another tip to working smart is to work in time blocks. If you work for too long at once, you feel a lot more tired, which affects the quality of your work. 

Your blocks could be as simple as working for 60 minutes, then taking a 5-minute break. Experiment with different time blocks to see which is the most effective for you.

5. Strengthen key skills 

Take a look at your life right now and reflect for a few minutes. Use your time to make a list of skills you want to improve on and things you want out of your career. Examples could include communication skills, leadership skills, or even financial security. 

Consider the importance of having an emergency fund as a fundamental aspect of achieving financial security, ensuring you have a safety net in times of unexpected expenses. It's crucial to ask yourself, "How much should you have in an emergency fund?" as this will guide you in preparing adequately for financial uncertainties.

Once you have this list, it will help you identify areas of improvement that would help you in achieving those goals. 

Sometimes when we are in a slump, it can be hard to know where to even start from. The list you make should guide you through your first steps to get out of that slump and get back on your feet! 

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6. Conduct an analysis of past deals 

Throughout your career, it’s always important to keep track of what has and what hasn’t worked in your past deals. Keeping a well-organized record of this data will allow you to be able to look back at it at any point so you can use it as insight to close the next deal.    

Moreover, knowing the pros and cons of your product and your sales strategy enables you to refine your future pitches so you are more likely to convince your customers. 

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7. Maintain a goal-oriented mindset

During a sales slump, salespeople are usually disappointed with themselves for not accomplishing as much as they want. However, it is important to keep in mind that as humans, we all go through rough periods.

Give yourself a break for what happened in the past and focus on making a difference in your behavior to better the future! 

A goal-oriented mindset will help you with this. Keeping yourself motivated - even if you aren’t feeling 100% every day - will help you get out of that slump.

Organize what you want your goals to be short term (3 months to 1 year) and long term (1 year +). Then, prioritize them to help you understand which one to tackle first. 

8. Set a routine

This may seem like an obvious step to some but you would be surprised how many people don’t think to implement a routine in their lives! 

Research has displayed that routines play a significant role in our mental health and can help alleviate stress and anxiety. Plus, managing your time in a more structured way will make you more productive and help you get over that slump.

Routines don’t have to be boring and strict. Try a few different routines to see what works the best for you. Some like to plan out their day in terms of activities by the hour. Others may like to plan by organizing their goals and priorities for the day. 

See what enables you to perform and feel your best. Once you find the right routine for you, that structure and discipline will further your productivity and allow you to fulfill your potential.  

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9. Stop focusing on closing deals

Salespeople are usually too focused on closing deal after deal. However, no customer will do a deal with you if they suspect they are simply a means to fulfilling your quota. 

Change the focus from closing deals and shift it to satisfying your customers’ needs. If you keep this in mind, it will have an immediate and natural change in the way you talk to them. Enthrall the customer to actually listen to you as you are showing you care for their necessities. 

Many times, people in a sales slump put all of their energy into one deal, doing everything they can to close it. A better solution may be to spread that energy and talk to more prospects. Tailor your pitch to that specific customer so you can be sure the product is actually the right fit for them.

10. Check in with an existing client 

Just because you’ve already closed a deal with a client doesn’t mean you should forget all about them. Reconnect with existing or past clients to see how they are doing and how the product has been working for them. 

Sparking up a conversation can let you see how the product has benefited their lives. It could also bring up some pain points with your product. This will be helpful as you can use these points in your conversations and pitches with new future prospects. 

It is also important to keep in touch with past clients as they could be repeat customers. Since they have already established a relationship with you, they are more likely to listen to you and give you their time compared to brand new prospects.  

11. Focus on the big picture

It’s normal for busy salespeople to get carried away with their work. Many get so engrossed in their duties that they forget to look at the big picture of it all. 

This is especially important when in a sales slump. Looking at the bigger picture will help broaden your perspective and spot the main areas you need to focus on to get over your slump.

It also helps to see if you’re stressing over small details that won’t matter in the long run. 

An easy tip to start looking at the big picture is to set aside some time for thinking. Pick a time where you feel the most relaxed and are at ease so you can let your creative juices flow! 

12. Prioritize your prospects

If you notice that you are spending too much time and energy on a prospect that is unlikely to close, it may be time to shift your attention to something more productive. 

To rise to the top in sales, you need to become good at understanding which prospects have the highest potential to close deals. This way, you know which deals to prioritize. 

Don’t forget to still maintain good communication with prospects who may not be as willing to close a deal. This might just not be the right time for them and you can still reconnect with them in the future to see if there’s any potential. 

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13. Write down the best success of the day 

One of the important things to remember in a sales slump is to try keeping an open and positive mindset. 

Every day, reflect back on your goals and what you were able to accomplish. Then, write down what you think was the best success of the day and a few lines of how you felt accomplishing that goal. 

This should only take you about 10 minutes every day and will do wonders in showing you the kind of work you are doing. It will also allow you to see your progress from day to day and help yourself see what exactly makes you successful! 

14. Get inspired by top sales leaders 

When you’re feeling down, you can focus too much on your own emotions and lose perspective. However, there are things around you every day that are inspirational- you just aren’t paying attention to them. 

Start actively listening to sales podcasts, radio shows, youtube videos, and more to gain inspiration from top sales leaders and their journeys. Check out this helpful list of free sales resources to take yourself to the next level. 

Inspiration is often the first step to finding success and building our morale. By listening and learning other top salespeople’s experiences, you can open up to brand new possibilities and try things we may never have thought of before.

15. Do something you're good at 

When you reach a block and feel unconfident in your skills, it always helps to do something you’re good at. 

Whether it’s a hobby or something related to work, doing something you’re good at will help regain the confidence lost during your sales slump. It can also help motivate yourself to keep going and increase your self-esteem. 

Not only can this elevate your mood and ease your worries, but it will also eventually encourage you to work on the things you may not be the best at.  

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16. Ask for help

People are often too scared to ask for help as they see it as a sign of weakness. However, sometimes all you need is to get someone else’s perspective on how to approach a problem.  

In fact, asking for help isn’t a weakness at all. If anything, it is a sign of strength as you’re being open and honest about something you’re not confident about.

If you’re looking for guidance but are nervous to do so, start with a person that you trust completely, such as a family member or a close friend. This will help you believe in yourself and build up the courage to go after the things you need. 

Help is often the thing we need the most when getting out of a slump. Gain the confidence and resources you need by asking for help, to get yourself out of that situation and back to sales success! 

17. Re-adjust your focus

When we are really passionate about a project, it’s easy to get caught up in it even if it’s not necessarily working. Instead of trying again and again to make the same project work, shifting your focus to a different project may help you in the long run. 

For one, it’ll give you a break from the old project. This will allow you to clear your mind and perhaps see things from a new angle when you decide to return to it. 

Additionally, it’ll give you the opportunity to work and be passionate about something new, which could possibly be the very key to getting out of your comfort zone and sales slump! 

18. Take a break

When all else fails and you’re feeling completely drained, you should take a short break. If you’re feeling a burn-out, a break might be just what you need. 

Taking some time to do things just for yourself could be good for your mental health and give you space to reset before coming back to work. 

Talk to your supervisor to see if this is a possible option for you and if they are willing to support you through this journey. 

Conclusion

Remember that going through a sales slump doesn’t have to mean that you aren’t a good salesperson.

Everyone needs some motivation and guidance to advance in their careers. Use this opportunity to better yourself and fulfill your potential! 

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