It has been a while since I have posted; 16 months to be exact! To say I have been busy would be an understatement. Since my last post, last October, I have completed Raymond's D.A.R.T. program, got pregnant, had a baby, took 5 weeks off work to care for said baby, had a record year for my territory, celebrated that record year, and now, I am experiencing what most every sales person experiences at some point, a slow slump in sales.
The beginning of the year is always terrifying. I feel that is even more true after having a great year prior. Come mid-January, still high on my achievements, I took a look around and thought, "The score board is back to zero and I have nothing in the cue." Well, I did have some in the cue, but I lost three deals right in a row, which really, REALLY, hurt my ego.
So, I am sitting back, with my tail between my legs, and asking myself what made me successful last year and why did I lose all of those deals to competitors? My excuses are pretty weak, but they make sense when I dig in. I was "greener" last year, much more pregnant, and not as busy. Being green in the business, I think I worked harder to ensure all my ducks were in a row, details were beat to a pulp and every question was asked and answers were prepared prior to my meetings. Being so pregnant, I made sure to have my upper management at every meeting so my new clients knew that I wasn't going to bail when I had my baby. This also brought experienced ideas to the table and answered questions more thoroughly than I was able. I worked from my home office more, because it was hot and I was massive, so I was on my computer, getting out quotes quicker than any competitor could. And as far as not being as busy, I was able to put all my time, energy and effort into the tasks in front of me. I was able to go to any location at anytime because nothing else consumed me. No task was too small because I was hungry, had another mouth to feed on the way, and wanting to sweep up anything that came in front of me.
And as a lot of successful salespeople seem to do, I got cocky.
I had three big deals in front of me, I thought "oh, these are no problem." I didn't include upper management, I was missing important details, and my quotes were taking longer than normal. I was skipping out on the little things clients were requesting, and obviously that was noted. I never want a sales person to fail, but sometimes it is good for them to lose deals. It was good for me for a few reasons. I was able to take a step back and look at who brought me to my success last year. Half of my income was from small things like battery orders, watering systems and shelving. It was the meticulous work I did and the way I treated every deal like it was my life's work. I started from the bottom, and I think I moved up so quickly, I forgot where I came from! I got knocked down, and gracefully, I am going to stand myself back up, brush myself off, and start from the bottom again.
When you are losing deals, here are a few of my tips to get back on track:
1. What Previously Helped You Succeed?
This may be at your current job, or maybe a past job. When I was struggling in the material handling business early last year, I thought about what made me successful in car sales. We had Monday morning meetings and daily group huddles that really got me pumped. I personally went to my boss at Raymond, MADE him sit down with me every Tuesday, until I started getting on a roll. We would discuss projects, my goals, he success stories.. and slowly the meetings became less necessary as that time slot started filling up with client appointments. Recreate what made you successful in the first place.
2. Sales Training
Some of the old (I say that lightly) sales people hate this because they are stuck in their ways and no way will you teach an old dog new tricks. To them, I salute. However, to young pups like myself, I have to go back to Sandler Sales training every Thursday to get new tips, ideas and polish my sales techniques. Coaches and trainers can really help get you back on track.
3. Don't Forget About the Small Stuff
Remember when you used to care about all of the deals? Even it was a $15 commission check? Get back to those. We have heard it and said it 1000 times, small deals can lead to big deals. Companies grow. You may show up to a tiny little warehouse and think "I don't have time for this," but you never know where they will lead you in your sales future. Even if they don't, small deals add up. If I can do five extra $100 commission deals a month, that's $6000/year. I could use an extra $6,000 in my pocket, couldn't you?
4. Goals
Never forget to write down you goals and have them in a visible spot every day. It sounds stupid, but I put my goals, as well as my husbands, typed out and typed on our bathroom mirror. Everyday it is a small reminder as to why I am waking up and what I am working toward. There is so much power in the subconscious and just having your goals written out will get you one step closer than the guy who doesn't know what he wants to do this year.
5. Be Green Again, and Ask for Help
This may be easier for a newer person to do, but don't be afraid to ask your management for help. They already recognized you are slipping, but now they don't have to confront you when it is too late. I approached my boss and told him I wasn't doing as well as I wanted to be and I could see a sigh of relief from him. He said, "I'm happy you brought this up..." As many who have gone through AA have heard, Admitting your problems is the first step to recovery. Your management is there for a reason and that is to make you succeed. If you succeed, they succeed. Hopefully they can give you tips, guidelines or guidance on how to improve. My boss won't micromanage, so it takes my desire to improve to get him to push me to the next step.
That is just scratching the surface on how to get back on track, but hey, it will get you started. I wish you all the best this year and look forward to posting more about material handling in 2016!
And just for good measure, here is a picture of my greatest accomplishment last year:
This is Thomas Allen Harper at 4 Weeks Old - He's about double this size now!
