Lots of sales professionals go through a sales slump. Nothing is closing. Depression or Panic ensues - or worse, Desperation, that anxiety that all your prospects can smell (and run away from).

What can you do if you are in a slump?

One is to switch gears. Instead of chasing sales - go make a friend. That's right. Stop worrying about the sale and go talk to people as if you wanted to be friends. Sales is about Attitude. It is supposed to be about creating a Win-Win for your company and your customer.

Examine what step you are failing on - closing, negotiating, presenting or probing. (If you can't, ask a coach or manager to identify the pothole in your sales road.) Read a few articles on that step to gain a new technique and try it again.

Keep swinging. Sales is not about the end; it is about the activity. The cliche about sales is a numbers game isn't wrong. You have to talk to a number of people to get appointments, to present, to close. It may take more than before, which means you have to try harder.

A fourth way is from my mother. She always told me that if I get in a slump, write a check to charity. Call it karma. Call it Giving to Get. Whatever, but it usually works.

The final tip is to go run or do yoga or hit a ball. Get some exercise - it will change your perspective. If you exercise daily, change it up -- or do something entirely different. It's a slump, so you want to change it up to change it up. Right?

I would like to hear what you do when you experience a slump. Thanks!