The USA talk is we’re knee deep in a recession, with rising and not as quick falling gas prices and the feds have just bailed out the infamous mortgage lenders Fannie May and Freddie Mac.
Do NOT get beaten down with all this.
Just a quick review before I get to the sixth thing that top salespeople do to avoid devastating affects:
Top salespeople CHOOSE to be a thermostat of sales results, not a thermometer. A thermometer measures temperature – like you finding your sales go up in a good economy or down in a downturn. A thermostat controls the temperature in your home – like you deciding to take some actions to regulate your own sales results.
Top salespeople choose not to be uncomfortable with a thermometer’s ups and downs. They either repair or replace the malfunction!
The top seven things I’ve found in 32 years of sales and sales management is that top producers don’t fall victim to negative chatter. Instead they:
First, Step away from the talk. Any negative economy or recession pulls you right into the vortex of a downward spiral. Take actions that get you away from the gloom and doom.
Second, Flex more muscles. Examine all the ways you get prospects – and start rev up the way that works best for you. Speaking in public, referrals, networking. What is it for you?
Three, Be renewed: relationships, resize, repeat, repackage. What avenues can you renew?
Four, Invest in yourself. NOW is not the time to have your head in the sand or turn the other way about new ideas and professional development.
Five, Treat yourself. Strategizing – like resize, repeat, repackage, and tactics along with them, are important now. Stop from your constant doing and take time to plan.
Six, Take a more global perspective. Weather is different all over the world. What is the size of your sales world that you could pay attention to a larger or different territory?
Seven, Follow up like your life depends on it – because it may!
We’re on to top secret number 6.
My husband and I have a Ferrari as one of two cars in our car collection. Hey. If you are a car enthusiast you know if it’s not a daily driver, it’s in your collection whether one or two. We enjoy fairly mild weather in Virginia. My son lives in Seattle, not so mild; much more prone to rain fairly regularly. Odd though; (I’m thinking out loud), when I visit there’s not much rain until my husband follows me out. Anyway.
My point? We drive our Ferrari where the weather is mild and sunny. We would never own a Ferrari, I doubt we would, in Seattle because of the upkeep it would require. If you are currently suffering from a sales decline could it be that you want to change who and where you are marketing? Could it be that the territory you have chosen is stuck in the problems of the US economy? If so, then who could you market to who is not? There are many industries thriving right now.
The off track and lesser watched news is reporting about bicycle sales soaring! Imagine that! Some people are buying more bicycles. What else could people be ready for? Many people are in pain right now. If you have a product or service you may want to reposition it to target that pain.
If you are in a geographic area there is a sector not affected by all the media hype about, “our misery!”
So whether you go larger and cast a wider net or go deeper to find out how to position what you sell for people to better identify with how it can help them, take a more global perspective on what is going on in the world.