OVERCOME A “SALES SLUMP”
HOW TO OVERCOME A “SALES SLUMP”
1. Identify Your Weakness. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, right? A chain of sale-after-sales-after-sale each week is possible, as an agent zeros in what steals your selling opportunity. What are you allowing to snatch away your positive outlook, your selling time, your “can-do” spirit? Whatever it is, this has become your weakness – your Kryptonite. Know your weakness! Understanding the problem is half the solution.
2. Stay On Schedule. A “streaky” work ethic ultimately ends up with inconsistent sales results. Why? Perfect practice makes perfect. “Taking a break” for several hours, or days, when you are in a slump, puts an agent into the habits of failing. Instead of “taking a break” from selling, practice making a sale without a customer on the phone. Deliver your entire sales presentation to a “practice buyer”, including the application process, so that you get familiar with collecting customer payment info. KEEP YOURSELF BUSY IN HABITS OF SUCCESS. Do something to “make a sale”, even if it is a pretend sale. Afterwards, ask your “practice buyer” to point out what you could improve on. Keep Practicing, until your sales presentation sounds more “perfected”. Then, put a new and improved Sales Presentation into play with live customers. An improved YOU guarantees improved RESULTS.
3. Refocus On The Basics. In sales its kinda’ obvious, isn’t it? Talking to the next customer is the ONLY way to make the next sale. At the beginning of my sales career, as an average salesman, I discovered the more I worked, the luckier I got. The more people I talk to, the more sales presentations I delivered, resulting in more sales. Winners, who earn thousands of income commissions each and every week, are smart enough to know that “the main thing is to keep the main thing, the Main Thing”!! Keep talking daily to as many people as it takes to reach your sales goal.
4. Stop Telling Yourself You “Can’t”. Positive or negative self statements often lead to exactly what will happen. Why is this important? Our feelings are caused by what we tell ourselves about our circumstances. Misguided thoughts can creep in through the natural ebb-n-flow of selling’s ups-n-downs. Empower your reality instead! Say loudly, “I am getting better”. “I control my destiny”. “I don’t have to make a low paycheck”. “I can overcome this”. Combat emotions to truth by verbalizing who you really are, and what you really want. Truth is, YOU CAN SUCCEED.
5. Change Your Close. Stop “wimping out” when a customer does not want to make a buying decision today. Your sales slump can be fixed immediately, if you stop enabling a customer habit of procrastination. When your hear a customer say, “Can we have more time
to think about it?” “Will you call me back tomorrow?”, in a nice way, use authoritative closing remarks that boosts YOUR confidence….
No mam. No sir.
I prefer that you decide if this plan right for you, while you have me on the phone with you.
I prefer that we apply for the benefits, while you have me on the phone with you.
This is not important tomorrow, this is important today.
Sure. Go ahead & think about it for a few minutes. I’ll be here at my desk working. In 5-10 minutes you can tell me which one you
want. *(I assume they want to think about it, while I am talking with them today!)
Premiums can go up for people who wait. I cannot hold these lowest premiums and no cost benefits open for anyone. However, you do not have to spend any money today to secure the permanent coverage you want for your family. If your family ever wants you to get more later, you can always call me direct, once I qualify you. Now, which plan fits best into your lifestyle and budget to protect your family, if, God forbid, something should happen to you tonight?
6. Change Your Clothes. This means – Your business attire is important! Example: I personally wore a tie every day in my phone sales schedule for the first 6 months, even though my customers never saw what I was wearing! WHY? Because of how it made me feel. I felt important dressing for success. Look like a professional! If you work in your pajamas, you are going to feel like you’re still in bed. On page 49 in my book “How YOU Can MASTER Final Expense”, I articulate the value of looking the part. In today’s culture, perception is reality, even to yourself. Like him or not, Rush Limbaugh is the most listened to broadcaster in America today, pulling in a radio audience of more than all major news networks combined. He sports a tie collection sold at Dillard’s and oftentimes wears a tie while “on air”, esp. in the early years of his radio program, even though the audience mostly cannot see him. Why is Rush one of the best in his business? – he looks and feels the part, while he is working! I never “dressed down” while selling, ever. It makes a HUGE difference to put into practice what successful people do to become a winner in life. I am certainly not suggesting that you become me, or Rush Limbaugh, or wear your Sunday best to work in. I am suggesting, however, that what you wear while you are working, determines how important you feel as a professional.
7. Reward Yourself. Set a doable goal. When the goal is reached, reward yourself with a small purchase, or savory meal. HOWEVER, agents in a slump are “rewarding themselves” way too early, trying to make themselves feel better by spending money, or taking breaks, because of poor sales results. Reverse your slump by reversing your reward system. No sale, no reward. Decide to reward yourself ONLY AFTER reaching a doable, yet worthy sales goal.
Implementing these practical suggestions are ways to help get you “unstuck”. The key is to improve one thing every day about yourself. Habits of improvement in one area of your life connect to improvements in other important areas. And, vice versa. Habits of failure in one area of your life connect to failure in other important areas.
Go from a “sales slump” to a Sales Bump. Now is your time. It’s your life.
I believe YOU CAN !!!
