Summary: Uh oh. Sales have dropped off a bit. Not a huge decline, just a few percent. Well maybe, four, six, eight, something like that. No big deal, right? Well, it could be no big deal, or it could be one of the Five Early Symptoms of a Seriously Struggling Business.<br> <br> <br> <br> I have conversations all the time with salespeople and business owners who are dealing with various issues in their businesses. Maybe it seems like a small issue. Maybe it's a few small issues. Or maybe it's one BIG issue that indicates there might be trouble ahead.<br> So today, I'd like to outline Five Early Symptoms of a Seriously Struggling Business.<br> 1. Undiagnosed Sales Decreases. Maybe it's just a percentage point or two. Maybe it's more like eight to ten percent or even more. Regardless of the numbers, if your sales are declining you need to know why.<br> <br> Sometimes, a decrease in sales means nothing. But if you don't know WHY your sales are going down... If you don't have the knowledge or experience you need to fix it... If you don't know what's causing the decline, or more importantly, if you're not completely clear on the specific actions you need to take to turn it around, then it could be an indication of a serious problem.<br> <br> In some cases, an experienced salesperson may see a drop in sales because they lost a single account. That's not catastrophic, unless they were entirely dependent upon that one account for the bulk of their sales OR if they don't have a tested, proven system in place for replacing that account. If your sales are dropping, there's one or more reasons for that. You need to identify those reasons and address them as quickly as possible.<br> <br> 2. An Unpaid or Underpaid Owner. In the early stages, many business owners either can't or don't take a pay check. If that's you, don't be okay with that! Yes, it may be necessary for a short period of time, but if it starts to stretch out at all, that's a serious indication that you are doing things wrong. In business and sales, excellent performance is its own reward. When you're doing it right, it pays. When you're doing it wrong, it doesn't pay. So if you're not getting paid, it means you're not yet doing it right.<br> <br> 3. A lack of urgency in addressing issues. Complacency is a killer. Waiting to see what will happen is a death sentence. Imagine you have nothing but a big plot of dirt for your front lawn. Someone comes by an offers to plant some grass for you. You say, "no thanks, I'm going to wait to see what will happen." Is it likely you'll end up with a beautiful, manicured lawn? Probably not. Inaction almost always leads to a decline into chaos and disorder. Waiting for your problems to go away on their own is often the worst possible course of action.<br> <br> 4. Counting on others to fix it. I've talked with countless business owners who think they can hire the "magic salesperson or employee" who can turn it all around for them. But here's the problem. Let's say such a person exists, and let's say you happen to find that person. And let's say you even have the money to pay them. How can you possibly help or assist that person, let alone manage them, if you don't understand the problems your business is facing yourself? In our work with clients, we help them understand the issues they're facing so they can address those issues head on and provide intelligent, thoughtful guidance for all those they employ.<br> <br> 5. Failing to learn what actions to take. Trial and error in business is inevitable. But there's no need to make it your business model. Monthly overhead costs are incessant. They eat away at businesses a little at a time. It's death by a thousand paper cuts. So while many people think they're saving money by not investing in the solutions that would actually help them to grow their sales and profits, they are actually hemorrhaging money every month on rent, mortgage, payroll,
