How to Put the Wind Back in Your Sales

It’s an exciting time of the year full of holiday festivities and feasts with family and friends. Preparing and celebrating can equally consume a lot of time and energy. In a blink of an eye, it’s over and a whole new year is here.

Inevitably we all ask, “Where did the time go?!”

Throughout the holiday season, the social calendar fills up while the business calendar slows down. It’s understood by most professionals that contacts are going to be more difficult to reach and meetings and appointments will most likely be pushed back possibly past the holiday season. Therefore, for many professionals this is a time for doldrums: a state of inactivity or stagnation.

During the holidays and the winter months it’s common for doldrums to take place (any time of the year really) and especially in the sales environment. So to be proactive, how do we prevent those doldrums or when they do come, how do we put the wind back in our sales?

Here are a few suggestions by my colleagues as well as a few from yours truly:

• • Clear your head and get back to basics. Get your activities in gear by setting goals throughout your day. By achieving these goals, not only do you set yourself up for success but it builds confidence.
  • Engage a colleague or two or the whole team in a friendly competition. Who can make the most calls in one day? Who can set up the most appointments? You will need to be creative to get people engaged but no matter who wins, you’ll build morale and it’s a win for everyone.
  • Find an activity outside of work to kick start your energy. Search Living Social or Groupon for deals on health and fitness, sports, and dancing. Deals generally range from a single session to 1 month of fun for yourself or a group of friends. Affordable and no long-term commitments.
  • Change everyday monotony. Get up early, exercise, change your breakfast and drive a different way to work.
     
  • Incorporate positive affirmations. “I am committed…” “I am focused…” “Today is the day I will…” “I am highly motivated, ambitious and driven.”
  • Read. Reading is a great exercise for your brain but also a stress reliever. How often do we have work whirling through our mind as we try to sleep? Read a chapter or two and allow your mind to rest.
     
  • Browse the vitamin aisle and the vegetable department at your local market. B vitamins are a great source for sustainable energy and to combat gray skies.

Doldrums can happen any time of the year. Whether you need a boost in your routine during a slow business period due to the holidays or simply need extra energy or motivation, I hope our suggestions will be of help. Keep in mind we all go through them so have a tool box on hand so you can reach for what will “put the wind back in your sales.”