How to Break a Sales Slump (3 Quick Fixes)

Every salesperson knows the feeling. Your pipeline looks thin, deals stall, and the harder you push, the less progress you seem to make. Before long, you’re in a slump—and the pressure from your manager (or yourself) only makes it worse.

You’re not alone. In fact, research shows that 69% of salespeople miss their quota in any given year. But here’s the truth: most slumps don’t come from “bad markets” or “cheap competitors.” They come from inside—how we think, how we act, and how consistently we show up.

The good news? A slump isn’t permanent. With a few small adjustments, you can reset and get back on track. Here are three quick fixes you can apply today.

1. Reset Your Outlook: From Excuses to Ownership

When you’re in a slump, it’s easy to blame the economy, the pricing, or even your company. But that mindset keeps you stuck.

The Will to Sell research from OMG shows that only 50% of salespeople score strongly in Outlook. That means half of us let negativity, frustration, or self-doubt drag us down. And when you believe the problem is “out there,” you stop improving “in here.”

The fix? Take responsibility. 
Instead of saying, “They didn’t buy because of price,” reframe it: “I didn’t create enough value for them to justify the price.”

One manufacturing rep we worked with used to complain about a competitor undercutting him by 20%. After shifting his outlook, he started leading sales calls by asking deeper questions about downtime costs. He discovered that his solution saved clients far more than the 20% difference. Within two months, he turned his worst quarter into his best.

Ask yourself today: Am I pointing the finger out—or back at myself? Ownership is the fastest way out of a slump.

2. Recommit to Prospecting Discipline

Slumps often come from an empty pipeline. When deals don’t close, it’s tempting to “hope” the few left will save you. But hope is not a strategy.

OMG data shows that Hunting (prospecting) is one of the weakest tactical competencies across sales teams. Too many reps stop prospecting the moment they feel busy—or when rejection stings.

The fix? Block 45 minutes every day for new outreach. No exceptions.

• Make five calls before you check your email.
• Ask for one referral every day.
• Keep a running list of walk-away deals and backfill them immediately with new prospects.

We coached a sales engineer who had been in a three-month slump. He agreed to a simple rule: no lunch until he booked one new meeting. Within three weeks, his calendar was full again, and his slump broke.

Slumps starve on activity. Feed your pipeline, and momentum follows.

3. Change the Conversation:
Stop Being “Nice,” Start Being Useful

Many slumps come from spending time with the wrong people—or having the wrong conversations. According to OMG’s research, too many reps fall into “approval seeking”—the need to be liked. That means they avoid tough questions, don’t ask about money, and settle for “nice chats” that go nowhere.

The fix? Flip the script.
Instead of chasing rapport, lean into consultative selling:

• Ask tough questions about cost, risk, and decision-making.
• Push past “nice to have” into “must solve now.”
• Don’t hesitate to challenge assumptions respectfully.

Example: A rep told us, “I don’t want to upset them by asking about the budget.” After role-playing, she tried: “If we find the right solution, how will you justify the investment internally?” That one question revealed both the real decision-maker and the real barrier. The deal closed two weeks later.

Remember: being liked feels good, but being trusted closes deals.

Why These Fixes Work

Notice something about these three shifts? None of them requires a new CRM, a new comp plan, or a new manager. They’re inside your control.

• Outlook → fuels resilience.
• Discipline in Prospecting → fills your pipeline.
• Asking Tough Questions → moves real deals forward.

Taken together, they break the cycle of waiting, worrying, and blaming. They turn slumps into momentum. But here’s the catch: a quick fix can spark change, but without reinforcement, most people forget 90% of new ideas within one week. That’s why peer learning, practice, and accountability matter.

A Word on Staying Out of Slumps

Breaking a slump is one thing. Staying out of one is another. Sales is a profession of peaks and valleys. What separates consistent performers is how quickly they recover from the valleys.

That’s where continuous improvement comes in. At The Strategic Sales Council, salespeople and managers practice these exact skills—responsibility, prospecting, consultative conversations—in a live, peer-driven environment. You gain perspective, repetition, and a system to prevent the slump from returning.

Because in sales, the real cost isn’t the slump itself. It’s how long you stay in it.

Final Thought

If you’re in a slump today, remember this: you don’t need to overhaul your life to get moving again.

• Reset your outlook.
• Recommit to daily prospecting.
• Change the conversation.
• Small actions compound into big momentum. And momentum breaks slumps.

If you’d like a place to keep sharpening these skills with peers who understand the grind, the Strategic Sales Council is here for you.