Experiencing a SLUMP in MOTIVATION?  

Feel like you’re STUCK IN A RUT and you can’t figure out exactly how to GET OUT?

The good news is, whatever you’re experiencing, we’ve all been there at least once. The bad news is, most of us don’t know exactly how to snap out of a slump.

First – don’t panic! If you’re in panic mode, you can’t be creative, and creativity is exactly what you need right now. Besides, just as dogs can smell fear in humans, prospects can smell desperation in sales people. If you panic, your prospects will sense that you’re desperate, and they’ll avoid you like last night’s leftover Tuna Surprise. Just take a deep breath, stay calm and focus on what needs to be done.

Next, don’t get down on yourself. Think about a time in your past when you were in a similar situation, and how you were able to climb out if it. Focus on that positive experience, instead of focusing on the negative.

Third, don’t get angry. Anger will be misinterpreted by your clients, peers and managers as being emotional or out of control. When you’re in a slump more than at any other time, you need to be totally in control, and assure others around you that you know exactly what to do. Whenever you find yourself becoming angry, try to be as honest as possible, and focus on solutions and options – not on laying blame.

Last but most definitely not least, don’t quit! The worst thing you can do during a slump is to stop trying. The Chicago White Sox were on the verge of a 90-year slump before winning the World Series last year. Yet during that entire period, their team motto stayed the same: “Win, or die trying.” Guess it paid off for them in the end.

Remember: there could be an almost unlimited number of reasons why you’re in a slump. Admitting that your success is up to you is the first step in getting out of a slump, and getting your career back on track.

Here are 6 QUICK TIPS to help you STOP the SLUMP:

1. RECONNECT to your VISION.

Remember back when you first set out on this journey to accomplish “A, B + C”…well I’m sure a LOT has happened since then! Maybe your game plan has changed, maybe you’re still very much on the same path you started out on, maybe you feel like you’re in the “Lord of the Rings” franchise series and this is NEVER going to end… WHATEVER your current situation, step back and RECONNECT to what got you FIRED UP in the FIRST PLACE.  No matter what is going on around you, you have gotten this far from the spark of your original passion and self-belief.  Now it’s time to FAN THOSE FLAMES and get that FIRE STOKED AGAIN!  WOO HOO!!

2. BACK to the BASICS.

Once, after Tiger Woods had spent hours on the practice green sinking hundreds of puts, a commentator asked him why he was still practicing considering how consistent he had been. Tiger responded: “I don’t like the way the ball is rolling into the cup.” That’s mastering the basics.

As Tiger knows full well, problems aren’t usually caused by something complicated. They’re usually the result of doing the simplest thing just slightly wrong. And more often than not, we know exactly what the problem is. In my experience, for example, slumps are almost always caused by not having enough qualified buyers in the pipeline – in other words, not enough prospecting. If you’re in a slump, start by looking internally, not externally. Remember that the slump is your slump, not someone else’s. Be strong enough to realize this, and take corrective action.

3. Work Smarter AND Harder. 

The name of the game here is EFFICIENCY.  And then after you get your systems operating more EFFICIENTLY…DO MORE OF THAT!  The greatest thing about EFFICIENCY, it that it allows you to work BOTH SMARTER AND HARDER!!  You are getting things done in LESS TIME, so you have MORE TIME to get a LOT MORE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS DONE.  Basically, you are able to over so much more ground in a day when your systems in your business are highly efficient.  You may feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends for a short period of time while you work to get all wheels turning efficiently, but the benefit and payout over the long run is PRICELESS.  So focus on paying that price in the short term, and keep your eyes on that light at the end of the tunnel.

4. Hire a COACH. 

Have someone you respect listen to your phone calls, watch you at networking events and evaluate your presentations. This could be a manager, a colleague, a friend or a hired gun. Whoever you choose, ask them to be honest with you, and when they are, do something with the advice they give you.

5. Coach YOURSELF Daily. 

Video or audio tape your presentations and calls, and be honest with yourself. Whatever positive motivational / educational coaching you put in your head, make it a DISCIPLINE and do it EVERYDAY! NO DAYS OFF!!

6. Stay away from LIFE SUCKERS!

You know who they are. The one who lies in wait at the water cooler, just so they can whine, moan and complain to whatever poor, parched soul happens to wander by. The one lurking in the lunchroom way past 1pm to tell you about how nothing is ever right, and they’re always getting the short end of the stick. The one waiting to walk down the hall with you, just so they can dump their most recent load of sh*t on you…  NOTHING is ever good enough for these people, and BOTTOM LINE: THEY DON’T ACTUALLY WANT THEIR PROBLEMS SOLVED!!  NO! They want to steal your time, energy, attention and POSITIVE ENERGY!!  So cut the cord, go cold-turkey with these LIFE SUCKERS, and get back to MAKING YOUR LIFE WIN BIG!

So GET BACK UP + get MOVING out of that RUT!!