I love Forrest Gump – so many scenes, so little time. However, there is one scene that all sales people should watch when they find themselves in a slump. Remember when we find Forrest lined up during boot camp, with his drill sergeant screaming in his face…
Drill Sergeant: Gump! What is your sole purpose in this army?
Forrest: To do whatever you tell me, Drill Sergeant!
Drill Sergeant: Gump! You're a genius! This is the most outstanding answer I have ever heard. You must have an I.Q. of 160. You are gifted, Private Gump.
Forrest Gump [narrates]: Now for some reason I fit in the army like one of them round pegs. It's not really hard. You just make your bed real neat and remember to stand up straight and always answer every question with "Yes, drill sergeant."
(If you’ve seen the movie 100 times like I have, you’ll notice that I’ve cleaned up Drill Sergeant’s language.)
Whenever I get into a slump, I try everything to rebound. I used to be superstitious. During one season of Babe Ruth baseball when I was 14, I started eating Wendy’s chicken sandwiches before every game because it was the last meal I had before dipping into a slump. In my second sales job, I stopped wearing white shirts on demo’s because of the bad luck I was having. I’m not superstitious anymore, but I’m still tempted to try every gadget or process known to man to get myself back in the groove. Then I think about Forrest’s narrative above.
“It’s not really hard.” It usually comes down to doing the right things over, and over again … and those things aren’t that complicated. If you’re in a slump, or the next time you have a few months of slow sales, don’t buy a special bracelet at the local Celtic Fair. Get out of the office, visit your favorite coffee shop, and run down the checklist. Have you been…
- Consistently calling on new prospects in a creative, and modern way?
- Preparing for all of your sales calls, focusing on their business rather than your features and benefits?
- Working in the field, or at your desk performing unnecessary tasks? One of my former drill sergeants used to say: “When your head is facing your computer, your aiming you butt at your customers – no wonder they’re not buying.”
- Keeping a positive attitude, or are you complaining about operations, price, service, technology, etc.?
- Working hard? Seriously, have you been working hard, or has your slump beaten you to a point of not caring anymore?
Sales is one of the simplest, but hardest careers one can choose – especially when you’re in a slump. Remember how simple it really is: “You just make your bed real neat and remember to stand up straight and always answer every question with ‘Yes, drill sergeant’.” Review your checklist, get back at it, and leave the Rabbit’s foot at home.
