Entrepreneurial Truths Part 1

Here’s the reality. As an entrepreneur, there are constant stresses, pressures, the feelings that you have. It’s something that I believe that all of us as entrepreneurs go through on an if not daily, then certainly a weekly basis. Let’s look at one of those here, and we will continue this blog post next week.

Many of us struggle with sales as an entrepreneur from time to time. Maybe your salesperson isn’t making quota this week, month or year. Maybe you yourself are slacking in this department. Maybe they’re on a roll with sales and yet they are getting really cocky and they think they know it all because they haven’t had a downturn in a little bit. That’s awesome for you but you know it’s coming. In sales and in sports and in life, we ride the hot hand while we have it, but inevitably something will come up. The entrepreneurial truth beyond that and behind that is you need to be able to manage yourself and your teams; to build them back up after that downturn and rebuild them. You have to manage that sales rollercoaster sometimes, the highs and lows of where you are. This is what we take on when we venture out to become entrepreneurs.

Let’s look at how to do that.

1. If your salesperson is experiencing a downturn, first give them time. Schedule them a day off, send them out to a restaurant that they love with their significant other, get them out of the mental space of “I NEED TO BOOK THIS NEXT APPOINTMENT”. The mind **** that happens when you place that kind of pressure on yourself is not becoming for the company nor the individual. That being said, quotas are designed for a reason and every business has to have goals of their own. All I am saying is put the individual first until they have proven otherwise to you.
2. Send them an email or jot them a note or place a photocopy of a past customer success story they had where they can see it. Looking back at past praise (especially when one is in a slump) can help them to get their swagger back. Sales is a mental game as much as it is a people process.  Serve both well and you will be rewarded.