Numbers are down?
Here’s what you need to do – DON’T PANIC.
There is a cycle of seasonality to all things – and that includes your business.
Winter turns to spring. Days get longer, nights get shorter. Sales dip and climb. The same thing happens to me, my clients, to everyone.
It’s natural, and yet, the first thing that comes up for every entrepreneur I know when they hit an ebb is SALES PANIC.
“I’m never gonna get a client again.”
“Nobody’s ever gonna say yes, again.”
“I ran out of luck. It’s all over.”
Learning how to meet those moments with curiosity instead of fear is an essential skill for any business owner.
How to Break Through Sales Panic
Here’s the difference between how I processed these ebbing times when I was starting out in business and how I handle those downturns decades later.
Because in the beginning, you better believe I panicked.
Of course, I did. But now?
The first thing I do is look at my historical data and what time of the year we’re in.
I have a spreadsheet that charts my numbers through the last ten years of my business. I can see the month-to-month movement and seasonal surges and put my current sales into the bigger context of the patterns of my business.
Instead of panicking, I can identify whether I need to take decisive action or a deep breath.
Three Steps to Stop Panicking and Get Grounded
Here are three simple steps you can take and some questions to ask to help you breakthrough sales panic to the possibilities on the other side.
Step One:
If you find yourself in a slowdown, take a deep breath.
Step Two:
Grab your numbers and review the trends in your revenue and profits over the last few years.
Step Three:
Note any patterns or anomalies you see and any insights you uncover in the process.
⇒ How does seasonality impact your business?
⇒ Are increases in sales frequently reflective of holidays, specials, or sales?
⇒ How can you use this information to enhance your operations?
Analyzing and navigating the ebbs and flows of your business is one way that I help my Catapult clients shift their perspective, create new opportunities to grow, and make more money.
It’s never a straight shot to the top, but when you’re willing to do the work and open to learning, you’ll find lessons and opportunities everywhere.
Like in that space between panic and finding perspective.
Put Your Panic in Perspective
As a high-impact business coach, those moments that feel stressful and uncertain are a compassionate reminder of what my clients are feeling and processing in our work together.
It’s a chance to put myself in their shoes and find a deeper understanding that empowers me to serve them better.
And I share that perspective with them because it’s a powerful opportunity to foster trust and connection not only in our relationship, but in their relationships with their clients too.
Because when my clients in the marketing space are rebranding, they run into almost all the same issues that their own clients experience.
My response?
“Great! Now you know what it’s like for your clients. What are you going to do about it?”
Ultimately, the challenges you face in your business are opportunities to learn if you’re willing to take them.
⇒ What tools and resources do you need to have in place so you can find perspective when faced with sales panic?
⇒ How can you use this experience to bring more compassion to your own clients?
⇒ What lessons are you willing to learn in the ebbs of your business?
When you get curious instead of panicking, you uncover new possibilities to grow yourself and your business.
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