Are you really in a sales slump?
You would be amazed at the number of jewelry sales professionals that tell me they are in a sales slump.
When we sit down and analyze the numbers we find out most of the time that they are about where they should be given the circumstances.
In some cases, the sales professional is actually ahead of the store owner’s expectations but in the mind of the associate, they are behind.
As devastating as a sales slump can be to someone on the sales floor it is essential that we determine if they are really in a sales slump.
Here are three points to consider.
Are You Really In A Sales Slump?
– Self-induced or not.
The vast majority of sales slumps are self-induced, however; in today’s economy, there are some compelling reasons to believe that at least some of your slump is outside of your control.
Carefully look at your sales from last year vs this year.
Are you closing a similar number of jewelry sales?
Are the price points that you are selling roughly the same?
What you might find is that fast sellers are not being restocked or that the clients for that price point aren’t coming to the store.
Do not use this as an excuse for substandard performance but it is important to be realistic.
– What is a sales slump?
Be clear what a sales slump means to you.
Does it mean that you are only 30% ahead of last year but you were really expecting to achieve a 45% increase over LY?
Some sales associates
are not really in a
sales slump
What has happened is that their personal expectations have risen beyond what is logical for the situation.
It is good to push yourself just as long as you don’t push your personal expectations so high that you actually push yourself into a slump.
– The competition is doing better than us.
The sales associate is up for the year but” rumor” has it that there is a sales associate at a competitor’s store that is really having a great year.
Our associate begins to look at their accomplishments as lacking.
This also happens in corporations all of the time.
Your corporation is up 15% for the year over plan but your competition is rumored to be up 25%.
Now all of a sudden you aren’t happy to be ahead of plan by 15% because you are upset that you are behind the “rumored number”.
Concern yourself with what is in your zone of control.
Let the rumors take care of themselves.
Sales slumps are difficult to overcome because of their potentially devastating consequences to your selling confidence.
Too many times we rush to label our results based on rumors, outside influences, or unrealistic personal expectations.
Only after you have carefully looked at all of the relevant data available are you able to answer the question, “Are you really in a sales slump?”
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The host of “Inside the Jewelry Trade” Radio Show – Jewelry Business Strategist – President of Four Grainer LLC. Author of the business books “A Reason To Chant,” and “A Reason to Chant – Jewelry Trade Edition.” Rod lives in Atlanta with his wife and two almost-human cats.