Good Wednesday morning everyone. Actually your reading this on Wednesday the 31st, I’m actually writing this at 12:39 am on the Wednesday morning of the 17th of May with a quick edit on Memorial Day. I had just got done watching the movie the Replacements with Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman. When you’re in quicksand
, like in a sales slump or even blogging slump, if you have a lot of heavy stuff strapped to you, you will not get out. Top salespeople don’t get caught in a sales slump, even in the toughest of times, because they know what to do to steer around a slump.
In the movie, The Replacements, Keanu Reeves plays a quarterback, Shane Falco, hired along with an entire team during a pro football strike. During a locker room scene, the coach asks the players what they fear on the field such answers go from spiders and bees to our hero Shane Falco finally answers, quicksand.
“You’re playing, and you think everything is going fine. Then one thing goes wrong. And then another. And another. You try to fight back, but the harder you fight, the deeper you sink. Until you can’t move… you can’t breathe… because you’re in over your head. Like quicksand.” – Shane Falco
So what do top salespeople who rarely get caught in a sales slump do differently?
It could be a little like getting out of quicksand:
4 Ways Out of Quicksand to Conquer Any Sales Slump
1- Stop fighting and remain calm.
If you didn’t pay attention to the signs of “Quicksand Ahead,” which I often am guilty of too, by the time you are stuck, you might be ready to give up or give in. But, being hopeless or frantic is going to pull you further into the slump. Stop, get quiet and then consider your plan to move forward. Getting off to a slow start can have a serious impact on your confidence. That’s why you should start by talking with your existing merchants. Before you call even one new merchant, touch base with several existing merchants and ask how their sales are and if they need anything from you. This is a great time to review their business and see if any upgrades are needed.
2- Drop everything you are carrying.
Stop listening to the negativity in your own self talk! Negative thinking and talking are too much baggage to carry. Shift to thoughts and talk about what you want instead: salespeople always want more qualified people to get to know. Find out what you want, Then move on: to get more introductions, join a local BNI or city chamber. You’ll find more contracts signed and more connections made by simply doing some networking.
3- Call Referrals First
Cold calling may be what kicked off your business in the first place, but as I’m sure you know, it takes time and you’re trying to economize. Remember, your goal is to get out of the slump and back to where you were before the slump began.
Referrals, especially if they come from your satisfied merchants, are more likely to lead to successful sales. They are also easier calls then cold calls and help you get back in the practice of calling to promote your credit card processing business.
I do want to share one major caveat, though. Remember, being told “No” is not a bad thing. Not every merchant will sign, so don’t let hearing “No” impact your confidence. Plus, even if the merchant is not interested, they still may be a referral source. All NO means is Next Opportunity.
After you have gone through your new referrals, call back those referrals you received shortly before the slump. Many may have been waiting for some time to pass and may be willing to talk now.
After working through your referrals, you will likely find that your confidence is restored, and new business is again starting to flow.
4- Crawl across the sand, slowly the rest of the way.
Salespeople who conquer the sales slump attend to every part of the sales process become more finding success once again. It’s a planned and purposeful process.
At this point, it’s time to restart your cold calling program. Even if you typically receive a lot of referrals, it’s important to remember that your credit card processing company won’t reach it’s full potential unless it includes some form of cold calling.
Before you start, look back and identify what worked well before the slump, and what didn’t. Concentrate on the positive and steer clear of any roadblocks. No matter how you cold call, if it was valuable to you before the slump beagn, it will still be valuable today.
Like sporting events, Quick sand in sales is sometimes is self-generated. It only waxes and wanes when you stop selling. By following these steps, you will find it never left.
What tips would you like to share for overcoming from a sales slump?
Please share what has worked best for you over the course of your career, email me below.
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