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4 Reasons Why Your Sales Are Dwindling

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Dwindling Sales|4 Reasons Why Your Sales Are DwindlingIf you’ve been operating a small business for some time you will understand the ebb and flow of sales. When it’s up, it’s up, but when it’s down, it’s really down. Let’s show you some reasons why your sales are dwindling and what you can do about them.

You’ve Lost Your Goals

Many businesses want to just sell as much as possible but this is a very transparent directive. Understanding the why you want to achieve more sales is a far more tangible approach to increasing motivation amongst your sales team. While platforms like Salesforce and the Salesforce playbook can help you with finding clear goals, you’ve got to understand that, if your team is not hitting targets, it’s not to do with the individuals, but the fact that you are not setting clear goals.

Your Workforce Is Unhappy

If you find your employees are not happy, they’re not motivated. If you really want to give your business an advantage, you’ve got to focus on happiness. But what does it take to create a happy workforce?

  • Making your team feel valued.
  • Offering competitive benefits and perks.
  • A better work-life balance.
  • Not applying pressure.


The latter point is pivotal, and while you may find that if somebody is not keeping up their end of the bargain despite the rest of the team hitting targets, you’ve got to delve deeper into why they are not doing as best as they can. It’s a common misconception that we only look at the last week as a hallmark of performance but this is an incredibly short-sighted but endemic part of in modern sales. You’ve got to look at the bigger picture and if your sales team is not performing, is there a real reason that’s beyond them? Because if you’re applying too much pressure this results in an unhappy workforce.

You Don’t Understand the Reasons for the Sales Slump

It’s not just about performance but about recognizing that there are things that are either your fault or beyond your business scope. For example, there can be a global problem affecting the business, but there can also be other issues that have nothing to do with your sales team. You might not be keeping up with the times, and therefore you could benefit from upgrading your knowledge of the marketing world.

Additionally, you might come to the conclusion that you’re not targeting the right customers. If this is an issue, you need to sort out the problems on the inside and invest in a CRM (Customer Resource Management) system. You can have the best salesperson in the world but if they’re not targeting the right person it’s the equivalent of selling mulled wine to a Mexican.

Your New Candidates Aren’t Cutting It

One of the biggest problems we all make as businesses that focus on sales is giving a new candidate a very short space of time to find their feet. It can take up to 8 months for an employee to fulfill their potential. Give people time!

Why Has Productivity Declined In Your Business Offices & How Can You Fix It?

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Productivity|Why Has Productivity Declined In Your Business Offices & How Can You Fix It?A productive commercial office is the heartbeat of any successful business. Unfortunately, performance levels can quickly fall if you leave problems untreated. Therefore, identifying the issues and building a strategy to overcome them is crucial.

Here are some of the most common sources of slowed progress, along with the simplest ways to put your company back on track.

Troubled Employees

Great employees are the driving force in any commercial office space. Investing in a smarter recruitment process will provide a foundation for efficiency. However, lost motivation and disengagement with the work are equally damaging. You can combat these issues by going the extra mile to keep staff members happy. In addition to the personal aspects, you must also try to develop strong relationships between colleagues. Likewise, the employer-employee bond requires ongoing attention. A team that works together is destined for greatness.

Faulty Equipment

Thriving office spaces utilize a wide range of equipment ranging from computer to telecoms systems. Experts at JabberComm can provide the maintenance and cabling upgrades to ensure that all systems are ready to perform. As well as the benefits of increased capability and reliability, the infrastructure can help employees. After all, there’s no greater frustration than not being able to complete a job due to inadequate or faulty products. Regular maintenance, which should be supported by software updates, will work wonders for the venture.

Why Has Productivity Declined In Your Business Offices & How Can You Fix It?Poor Collaboration

Collective success is arguably even more significant than individual productivity. If collaboration levels aren’t at the desired levels, productivity will slide. In today’s world, it’s likely that internal interactions will be supported by connections to other depts. Investing in video conferencing equipment, messaging Apps, and project management tools should help. Above all else, you must adapt your strategy to avoid wasted time. This can manifest itself as shorter team meetings or a smarter approach to using team leaders and senior staff members.

Unsafe Surroundings

Color schemes and design features of the office can impact morale. In truth, though, the greatest threat to productivity comes from shortcomings in safety and security. Employees will be heavily distracted if they are uncertain about their safety. Upgrading the online data protection systems should be at the top of your agenda. Meanwhile, physical security in the form of Swann CCTV and key entry systems can put an end to employee fears. In turn, everyone in the office will have the opportunity to work without interruptions. Cleanliness and good organizational habits are central features too.

Taking On Too Much

The fact that an employee is capable of completing a task doesn’t mean they should do it. When senior staff members spend time on admin and other basic tasks, it stops them from utilizing their real talents. Let your on-site staff focus on the most challenging tasks. Remote freelancers and virtual assistants to take care of the easy tasks. This will maximize the efficiency of the company’s time and budget, opening the door to greater output. In turn, this should encourage increased profitability. Better still, the concept of outsourcing can open the door to smoother expansion.

The Ten Commandments of Workplace Motivation

Unmotivated employees have rightly been called “the black holes of the business universe.” Fortunately, motivation is not something a person is born with or without. Applying these Ten Commandments can go a long way to helping existing employees find their motivation.

1. Commit with all thy heart so others might follow
Before you ask your employees to commit, you must be fully committed yourself. Throw your heart over the bar, make that complete commitment, and others will follow.

2. Call it tight on dysfunctional behaviors
Declare a zero-tolerance policy for dysfunctional behaviors. People saying one thing and meaning another, giving lip service, gossiping, backstabbing… Enlist a company-wide commitment to stop every one of these.


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About the Author

Roxanne Emmerich’s Thank God It’s Monday!: How to Create a Workplace You and Your Customers Love is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestseller. Roxanne is renowned for her ability to transform “ho-hum” workplaces into dynamic, results-oriented, “bring-it-on” cultures in a day. Listen to the free 60-second audio with teammates each Monday to clean up the craziness in your workplace and focus on getting massive results. Sign up today at www.ThankGoditsMonday.com.