How to Dig Yourself Out of a Hole | Sales Strategies

We’re a couple of months into the year and maybe you’re behind. Maybe January and February didn’t start out as strongly as you would like. It’s not the end of the world. In fact, being behind the first quarter of the year is probably the best time to be behind. However, more importantly, you have to do something about it.

Get Uncomfortable

First step is to get uncomfortable with how much you are behind. Identify what’s that number and how many opportunities on average it is going to take to get you back on track.

Set Realistic Goals

Far too many salespeople panic. They may be half a million dollars behind at the end of the first quarter and they think they’ve got to make that all up in the second quarter—when that’s not possible. So break out the increases that you need over time. Add a little bit to your target every single month or every single quarter so that you can make up for the difference by the end of the year. 

Closed Opportunities 

Spot your highest likelihood of closed opportunities and go after them. Maybe it’s repeat business, referral business, add-on sales, or increased sales from your existing customer base. Additionally, perhaps there’s an opportunity for you to network, join an association, or be in a trade show that will attract a higher quality opportunity.

It’s not the end of the world if you’re behind. What is the end of the world is when you do nothing about it or just cross your fingers, wishing you’ll make up the difference towards the end of the year. You can plan to make this difference up, but it starts with accepting it, recognizing why it happened, and finding the solutions proactively.