February
2009
How to Sell Out of A Slump
If you played baseball, do you remember getting into a batting slump and not being able to get a hit? It is going to happen and it happens to professional baseball players too. What sports professionals do to get out of a slump is the same thing we must do if we want to get out of a sales slump.
Perfect Practice and Focus
A baseball player who wants to improve hitting will spend time in the batting cage to hit more baseballs. While he or she is in the batting cage, a batting coach will watch and critique the swing of each bat. With technology, they can film the swing with slow motion actions to break down the swing. When the batting coach or batting experts can do this, they can analyze small details of how the batter swings at the ball.
The goal of batting practice is to correct the small details. Anything and everything that will improve the batters swing at the plate. The batter might be taking their eye off the ball as it streaks across the plate. The batter might be dropping their elbow as the ball approaches. It could be a leaning back and way from the ball instead of leaning into the ball. All of these small details can be corrected to improve the results.
If the batter is in a slump because they got away from the fundamentals, the player must retrain their body and approach so they return to the form that gets results. The perfection of practicing each move will get the results they want. This improvement strategy is the same in selling.
Practice and Perfect Your Selling Process and Approach
When a salesperson gets out of rhythm in selling and is not following a proven selling process, they can quickly get into a sales slump and not know why. Their confidence level will drop and the salesperson will begin questioning themselves. When this happens, salespeople need to re-focus on the fundamentals of the selling process. A selling coach can help in determining what is wrong. If you are able to record what you are saying on sales calls or the telephone so you can play back your words, you might discover simple ways to improve selling techniques. You might even hear it in your voice.
When I am on fire with selling, it is like a baseball player who is in a hitting streak. When this happens to you, you don’t want to change anything and you look forward to stepping up to the plate so you can repeat your actions. Your confidence will rise and it creates an unfair advantage of sorts against the pitcher. You will expect to hit the ball out of the park each time.
If we are talking about selling, your prospects will sense your confidence from your voice. Prospects will close themselves because they want what you have. I know from experience that when I have a high confidence level in what I’m selling and I have an expectation of closing business with my prospect, the closing is simplified. Following a proven selling process is also fundamental to success. I know when and where I am in the selling process of a prospect. When you have confidence in your selling process, you are one up on your prospects.
By Steve Martinez – the Sales Magician for Business Development
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