Sales Strategy
Three Steps To Break A Sales Slump | March 05, 2015 (0 comments)
Austin, TX—A career in sales can be incredibly rewarding or it can bust your ego in seconds. More often than not, at some point in your career you have experienced one or all of the following emotional impacts of a sales slump:
- You dread going to the store because your low numbers are embarrassing.
- You start cleaning the glass cases to avoid customers.
- Your thoughts continually drift to “What else can possibly go wrong” or “What else can I do in life?
- Maybe you start to become a “clerk” and just take the customer’s order instead of actually selling the customer and discovering what they really want/need.
Getting into a sales slump didn’t occur overnight, so don’t expect it to turn around in 24 hours. But here are some things to think about:
- Change your attitude. Obviously that's easier said then done.
- Focus on what you can control
- Get a coach or accountability partner
- Focus on brands that invest in you and your store. Brands that will invest in training. You need a partner to help you with your success.
Changing your attitude isn’t as easy as it sounds. Unfortunately, when we get bogged down in a sales slump, the first thing we do is blame someone else – the economy, your store, your products, your advertising, etc. The first thing is to take ownership of your slump. Once you take personal responsibility, then you need to truly believe it is possible to be successful. Look around your store. Are there colleagues who are successful? If so, then you know it’s possible.The final step is to commit to your products.
Focus on what you can control. I am by no means suggesting that outside influences beyond your control can’t negatively impact your sales. But they can be debilitating if you allow them to consume you. As a result, you can find yourself wasting time with mundane tasks, like cleaning your glass cases over and over again. That only results in digging even a deeper hole. Don’t get me wrong—the cases need to be cleaned—just not as a means of avoiding a customer. To make matters worse, your customers will sense your lack of confidence in what you’re selling, and they won’t buy from someone who isn’t confident in their product, service, store, or even themselves.
Needless to say, it’s extremely important that you shift your focus to break free from a sales slump. One of the best and most simple things you can do is a personal assessment. A personal assessment allows you to emotionally back away from your situation, so you can take the necessary steps to move you in a more productive direction. Here are just some questions you should ask and honestly answer in your assessment:
- What am I doing during selling hours that could be done at a different time?
- With 75% or greater confidence, how many sales do I project I’ll close in the next 30, 60, and 90 days?
- What else could I be doing with my time?
- In the last 3 months alone, what have I read or listened to that would improve my sales skills?
- Does my store have a training program?
- Do my vendors and brands support me?
I just spent a week with some of the best jewelry and diamond training people in our industry, developing new sales trainings for our retail partners. For everything we develop, we ask: “Will it engage the sales associate? Will it inspire them? Does it help them sell more?” We are constantly developing new content, sales training programs and focusing on our partners sales associates to help them sell more. We constantly self-assess our Hearts On Fire training to improve and produce practical ideas to increase our partners’ sales immediately.
Ask yourself, why do I lose most of my sales and to whom do I lose most of them? The reality is this list could go on and on. If you’re a sales manager, I strongly encourage you to do this with every sales person. Once you’ve completed your assessment, don’t try to change everything overnight, but start by selecting 2 or 3 actions you can implement immediately.
Get an “accountability partner.” I’m not suggesting you have to spend thousands of dollars on a professional sales coach. Go to your sales manager or a respected colleague and simply ask if they will meet you for coffee every other week. Let them know you’re struggling, and you want them to help keep you accountable.
I do this all the time. I am constantly asking for guidance from my colleagues, it’s a great way to learn and stay motivated. I’ve been watching the sales floor for the past two weeks. They ring bells, cheer and applaud each other’s accomplishments; just hearing them gives me a shot in the arm—or a kick in the pants! I get my motivation from others everyday. Set yourself and store up for constant inspiration.
Sales slumps are serious and by no means do I expect this short article to change your world. But maybe it will help you start looking at your sales slump as something that won’t last, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that it will only take some focus and help from others to get you back on track.
Make it the best sales day ever!
Top image: fillthefunnel.com
Pat Henneberry, founder of The Jewelry Coach, was recently named vice president of global learning for Hearts On Fire. With more than 30 years’ experience, Henneberry is one of the diamond world’s top trainers, having helped build multiple brands for the jewelry industry. She spent 10 years with DeBeers’ Diamond Promotion Service, where she helped launched new brands, worked on national ad campaigns like "A Diamond is Forever,” and helped retail jewelers build their diamond business. While there, she was the proud recipient of the Diamond Symphony Award by Diamond Promotion Service and DeBeers. Later, she was part of the Hearts On Fire international training team, where she traveled the world teaching retail jewelers how to sell diamonds and grow their business. Her firm The Jewelry Coach is about building positive principals for self-improvement and personal jewelry sales development, and offers an online 24/7 sales training community.