4 Signs Your Team Have Hit a Sales Slump (And How to Beat It)

A high-performing sales team is a vital ingredient in the success of any business, so it's undeniably a concern when the members of this department go through a difficult period and results start to drop off.

However, it's important for managers to remember that even the most skilled and successful employees will experience sales slumps, and the key thing is that you're able to support your reps and help them get through these times.

So what signs of a struggling team should you be looking out for, and what can you do to help your staff get back on track?

4 signs of a sales slump

Staying vigilant to common warning signs can help you put a plan into action before declining sales performance starts to have a major impact on the business.

1. Dropping conversation rates

Maintaining a consistent focus on fundamental sales metrics like conversion rates helps you to track the performance of your team, and therefore provides crucial indicators of when one or more members are experiencing difficulties.

A sales slump isn't the only reason why your percentage of conversions might be below expectations - with poor lead quality and adverse market conditions among the other possible factors - but it's certainly a significant one to consider.

2. A low rate of quota attainment

The proportion of your sales staff meeting or exceeding their quotas is another key metric that could inform your thinking about whether your team is struggling and needs extra support.

If you're used to seeing a quota attainment rate of 70% to 80% and the figure suddenly drops below 60%, it might be a cause for concern. Again, it's important to bear in mind there could be other drivers behind this trend, but a sales slump might be among your biggest concerns.

3. Increasing funnel leakage

A high rate of sales funnel leakage means a large proportion of leads passed on to the sales team are dropping out of the process before converting.

This is clearly a metric you want to keep as low as possible, but if it starts to creep up, it might be a sign that your team is having difficulties with certain parts of the sales cycle - such as pitching or negotiating prices - which could be denting their confidence.

4. Low morale and confidence

Taking a more human and less data-driven view can be a good way to keep your finger on the pulse of how your team is performing.

If sales staff are finding things tough and their results are starting to suffer, you're likely to see a drop in workplace morale and sentiment, not only in individuals, but across entire teams who can see that certain people are struggling.

How to tackle a sales slump

Knowing that one or more of your salespeople have hit a slump is just one part of tackling this problem. You also need to think about what you can do to get performance back on track.

Re-evaluate your methods

If the entire team is going through a sales slump, it's possible the problem lies not in individual performance, but in your fundamental methods and processes.

It can be useful to focus on the points in the sales cycle where you're having the most difficulty. If a large proportion of leads are dropping out late in the process, consider taking a new approach to bottom-of-funnel activities like product demos and negotiations.

Shift focus from closing deals

It's easy for sales reps and managers to become obsessed with closing deals at any cost, but focusing too much on this can be counterproductive. It can pile more pressure on people who are already stressed and panicking about the fact they haven't closed a deal in weeks.

Try shifting your focus away from closure rates and instead concentrate on how you can help your staff get to the root cause of the problem and work with them to find a solution.

Try different confidence boosters

A salesperson who’s going through a slump hasn't suddenly become bad at their job. One likely explanation for their issues is that they're lacking confidence, and this is an area where managers have a crucial role to play.

Think about tactics you can use to boost their confidence, such as:

• Focusing on the areas of the job where they traditionally excel and have done well in the past
• Being frank and honest about the situation and your willingness to support them through it
• Demonstrate your faith in them by asking them to get involved in training or mentoring others

Hit the reset button

If members of your team are getting stressed about falling behind with their sales targets, give them a break by resetting their numbers. For instance, if someone misses their sales quota by 20% in a month, let them make a fresh start to the next month, rather than expecting them to make up the shortfall with an even tougher target.

As well as keeping stress levels down, this shows that you're willing to cut your team some slack when they really need it.