Page 183 - Social Media Marketing

Blasting Out of Your Sales Slump 169

Focus on the Fundamentals

When a professional baseball player is in a batting slump, the
batting coach doesn't take him aside and browbeat him for batting
.200 when he used to be batting .330. The coach examines the
videotapes and tries to find out what the batter is doing wrong.
Then, he encourages the batter to focus on the fundamentals, the
mechanics of watching the ball, maintaining the proper stance, and
swinging the bat.

When you find yourself in a sales slump, focus on the funda-
mentals of selling. Are you building solid relationships with your
clients? Are you asking the right questions to assess the customer's
needs before you start selling? Are you highlighting the benefits
rather than simply rattling off the features of your products? Do
you demonstrate your commitment to your client's success? Are
you following up after the sale?

If you work in an office with several salespeople, team up with
them to hone your sales skills. Develop scripts and practice them
together, with one of you acting as the customer and the other as the
salesperson. You can learn a great deal regardless of which role you
play. Provide one another with honest feedback, so you can sharpen
one another's skills.

Babe Ruth is remembered for hitting home runs, but he also
carries another record you seldom hear about-strike-outs! Even as
the strike-out king, he managed to return to that batter's box over
and over again. Lesser players may well have given up after hearing
the umpire holler "strike" so many times, but Babe Ruth had the
forethought to realize that the more chances he had at the plate, the
better his odds of hitting a home run.

Take the bat and keep swinging. Learn from everything that
you do.

Pick up the Phone

In Chapter 8, "Hosting Your Own Hour of Power," I encouraged
you to spend an hour a day making 100 phone calls. I have coached