If you find your recent sales numbers lower than they should be, it’s time to consider a sales action plan. Following a designated plan helps you sharpen your focus and get back on track to closing deals.

No wins? Time to start a sales action plan

You may find yourself in a scenario in which you are putting in the work but getting little to no result. This can be frustrating, but it is also a sign that you need to strategize.

“Hitting a wall is a reality that any salesperson can face at any point in their career, writes Dan Tyre, sales director at HubSpot. “Making no sales can be demoralizing, but it's important you keep your head up when you reach that point.”

Tyre recommends a specific sales action plan that has easy, actionable steps, with the first one being focusing inward. Don’t let this dry spell shake your confidence. It can be easy to feel defeated, but you must believe in yourself for any improvement to happen. 

“‘No sales’ isn't necessarily a reflection of you as a salesperson,” Tyre points out.”It's generally a matter of your mindset, the degree of effort you're putting in, the strategies you're employing, and other factors that you'll be able to adjust with some thought and persistence.”

Be proactive and prevent yourself from losing any more confidence, which will only hurt your success even more. Work on reframing how you think about your current situation. As SalesFuel suggests, “By adjusting your reactions to rejections, losses and other sales lows, you can use them as inspiration and a way to actually build confidence in sales. Use them to motivate you to seek ways to overcome and keep going.”

Take a look at this advice for nurturing your confidence, as well as learning how to have more control over your mindset. 

Review and then compare your goals and stats

Another step in Tyre’s sales action plan is to go back over the goals you’ve set and your activity. Take a look at what you’ve achieved and where you’re behind. What milestones can be set or adjusted? Use these benchmarks as inspiration, and check in frequently to see your progress. This boosts morale, as Tyre explains, “Having that reference point can give you definitive objectives that help you understand and appreciate the progress you're making. It lets you see the ground you might be making up.”

Keep an eye on the details

This is an important step in the sales action plan because it’s easy to get caught up in the big things. But paying close attention to smaller details can help drive results. And this requires patience and effort. Take your time when planning calls and meetings or tracking details following conversations with prospects. 

Andrew Gibbins, JDR Group, agrees. “The way to develop and improve your sales strategy is, ultimately, to keep meticulous records, monitor your data, and evaluate your successes and failures.” 

If you don’t already, consider using digital tools, like a CRM, for help with this step. 

Reach out to others

Don’t go through this dry spell alone. First, ask for feedback from your manager and strategize areas where you could adjust your strategy. SalesFuel’s research found that sellers aren’t getting as much one-​on-​one time as they’d like with managers. It’s up to you to be proactive and make check-​ins a priority. Also, consider coaching: 63.2% of reps say their manager’s coaching has a positive impact on their win rate and/​or they’d like to have more sales coaching.

Also, seek out other sellers who’ve been in your same spot. No seller is immune to periods of slowed sales; use their own experiences as guidance for your next steps. And don’t be afraid to go beyond your own sales team for advice.

“Don't be too reluctant to reach out to more senior reps at your organization,” Tyre writes. “There's a good chance they've been in your position, and even if they haven't, they can still provide valuable insight about strategies and concepts that helped guide their sales efforts.”

When you find that your sales numbers aren’t what they need to be, don’t panic and don’t wallow. Instead, leverage this sales action plan to get back on track. With patience, persistence and a plan, you’ll be set for a rebound in no time.

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Navigator