We’ve all been there – you’re in the groove, phones are hot, follow-ups are coming through, and meetings are being scheduled. It feels like you have everything all figured out, right? But then one bad day turns into a bad week, which turns into a bad month. Before you realize, you’re in a rut – or what I refer to as quicksand.
What does that mean?
It’s best explained by Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman in a movie called, “The Replacements.” Coach (Gene Hackman) asks the team to share their biggest fears. Some players say spiders, others say bees. Quarterback (Keanu Reeves) mentions quicksand.
It doesn’t resonate with the team until he explains, “You’re playing, and you think everything is going fine. Then one thing goes wrong. And then another. And another. You try to fight back, but the harder you fight, the deeper you sink. Until you can’t move… you can’t breathe… because you’re in over your head. Like quicksand.”
How does this relate to Sales?
We’ve seen burnout or lack of drive, but I want to talk about non-incremental repetition. Incremental repetition stems from poetry, where a line is repeated with subtle changes in syntax or context to progress a narrative.
Sales can become stale if there is a lack of innovation or change. It can be easy to find yourselves in quicksand when you’re stuck in the same routine – calling the same leads, providing the same information, asking the same questions, sending the same email – and getting no response.
Incremental repetition is important to prevent “sinking.” A cadence is important, but you can still incorporate small changes into your routine to create a dynamic pitch.
What does this look like?
It could be changing your lead view to see something different, see new leads or contacts.
It could be calling a different vertical.
It could be trying a different inform or asking a different question to see what might resonate.
Even a small, personal change could help springboard you. Try switching from coffee to tea, adding variety to your lunches, or taking a
twenty-minute walk during a break.
Do you feel like you’re getting caught in the quicksand? Try something different, something new. At the end of the day, what do you have to lose?
