Your Slumping Sales, Your Problem
The economy may not be to blame for disappearing clients

When sales go down, all kinds of hell breaks loose, and all kinds of fingers get pointed. Most people blame it on the economy when, in fact, the economy has little or nothing to do with it.

It’s interesting to note that at the point sales go down, more companies are interested in maintaining their “numbers” than they are in maintaining their relationships.

My first recommendation would be to call your existing customers and find out why. When sales are decreasing, there’s a reason. And unless you find out the reason – from the people buying from you – you’re not likely to fix it.

Here are some strategic areas to look at:

1. The quality of your product is declining, especially as relates to the pricing of your product. If your customers have slowed their reorders, it may mean your quality or your technology is lagging behind.
2. Your competition is undercutting you and trying to steal some of your customers. This is a bigger problem if your customer perceives little or no differentiation between your products and your competition’s products.
3. Your salespeople are being outsold. When sales are declining, one of the first areas “cut” is training. This is the one area that should be expanded. If salespeople are losing because they’re not strong enough either in the market or against their competition, this can only be remedied by enhancing their skill.
4. Your sales tool technology has not kept up with the world. Here’s a good rule of thumb: Every time you see a new model announced in the technology world (new phone, new computer, new iPod) immediately take a look at your own - especially as it compares to your competition.
5. Your hours of operation are not in sync with your customer’s needs. Call your business after hours and try to place an order for your product or your service. Or try to talk to someone in your company. See how easy or difficult it is. Then, try to do the same thing with your competition. Customers tend to do business where it is easiest to do business. Visit your competition’s Web site. Now take a look at your own Web site. Tell me which one you would prefer to buy from. Tell me which one is easiest to navigate.
6. It’s not as easy to do business with you as it used to be, as it could be, and as it should be. If you’re losing business to the Internet, it’s because someone else has made it easier to acquire the product or services that you’re selling. If you’re moaning about it you’re going to die. If you invest in it, you keep up or even get ahead.
7. You are not responsive enough to your customers. This usually happens to people who have “been in the business for 20 years.” They’re the same people who can’t turn on a computer or complain that they continue to lose a sale for price. They’re also the ones who complain that their product has become a commodity.
8. Your market may be in decline. Take a look at the history of sales in your marketplace. If there’s less business in the market, it means you have to fight harder to keep your share.

If you’re looking for a place to start, start by stopping. Stop looking for excuses. And for heaven’s sake, don’t panic. Intensify training and have daily meetings that encourage rather than threaten.

Call your customers – they have the answers. Once you have assembled as many answers as you can, take action. Continue to get customer feedback until you begin to see the trend reversing. When it does, throw a huge thank you party for your customers to reward them for rewarding you.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, and Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com.

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