Dusti Arab — February 15, 2018 When you’re in the business of turning a No into a Yes, it’s an uphill battle making sure you’re staying on top of your quota (and your attitude) in the face of what can feel like daunting circumstances.
And this month, you’ve been watching your Salesforce pipeline… and it’s not looking great.
Even with all of the great momentum you had earlier in the month, you’re looking at the real possibility of not making quota this month. It’s not the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last, even if you’re a sales star.
But when numbers are down, how do you stay up?
This list of practical and proactive tips will have you back on track (or at least motivated to get back there) in no time.
1. “Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” – Og Mandino
Keep doing what works. Rather than attempting to act from a place of desperation, which your prospective buyers can sense, focus on the actions that you know work.
Even if that means you’re filling up the front of your pipeline rather than closing, you’ll be in a better position next month so you don’t come up short again.
2. Remember what you came here for.
Financial incentives are a major motivater for most salespeople. A close second? Being a part of a fantastic team.
Right now, your team is counting on you – and even if you’re not going to reach your financial carrot this month, you can still be a team player, do your best, and maintain a great attitude.
Especially if you’re in management, you help set the tone for your team – make sure it’s one you’d want to be a part of regardless.
3. Focus on the process.
If you’ve hit quota before, you already know you can do it again. However, truly remarkable sales people know there is always room for growth.
Whether you need to be additionally incentivized, didn’t devote enough time to follow up, or find news wasy to connect with your ideal client, you can find ways to improve your process everywhere.
Talk to your manager and get their best advice. Take a communcations training course. Use apps to find more time for calls and emails that will close sales. The possibilities are endless.
4. Be your own master of perfect form.
There’s a story in Zen and the Art of Faking It where a young, ambitious archer travels in search of a legendary archer who has mastered the art. The young archer finds the training camp and attends a competition on a cliff, in which the master archer performs last.
The competition is full of bull’s eye hits and trick shots, but when the master’s turn arrives, he picks up his bow, releases a single arrow over the edge of the cliff into the sea, and places his bow down. When it landed, he said “Bull’s eye!” and everyone agrees that he won.
You know how to do the job you’ve been doing. You’ve created, refined, and mastered the process, and you’ve had results before.
Not meeting quota is discouraging, but it’s not the end of the world. When things are looking tough, stick to what you know works, and above all remember that the most you can do is the best you can do.
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