I linked up with Direct SalesGal on Twitter. She runs a website which offers advice for anyone in direct sales. She has kindly written this article for Family Friendly Working, all about how to cope when sales are slow.

You were so excited! You wrote the check, and became a part of a Direct Selling Organization. You ordered your business cards. You called up, and sent e-mails to all your family and friends telling them how they could support you.

Sure, you faced some rejection, but that didn’t stop you… you persevered. You hit some of your goals, most of your goals, or even none of your goals. Now, you’re at the “3-month slump.” It is okay to admit… maybe that slump arrived a little sooner for you (or maybe a little later), but it happens to everyone in Sales at some point. Anyone who says otherwise is flat-out lying!

A part of you wants to give up – but there is a little voice that is telling you that “you can do it!” But, that little voice is being drowned out by your need to do laundry, spend time with your kids, and catch up on Facebook.

Here are six ways to re-energize yourself, to bring you back to the person you were when you first joined:

1. Give yourself permission to take a break.

I am so thankful that Football teams only have one game a week, but there is a reason behind it – the game is strenuous, and they need time to recuperate. After months of going full-tilt at your business, maybe your dishes have piled up, and your kids have forgotten who you are. You went into Direct Sales to find more time for your life, not to give yourself another reason to run away from it. Make a deal with yourself. Are you going to take a weekend off? A week off? Set a date that you will return… refreshed, and ready to start anew.

2. Review and revise your goals.

When you first started, hopefully you set goals. Go back to them, and celebrate the ones you achieved. Create new goals, using what you now know after several months in the industry. Make sure that they are STAR goals – Specific, Time-oriented, Achievable, and Realistic. Instead of “Be a superstar,” your goal could be, “Bring in 5 new reps by the 31^st.” Make sure to write a reward next to each… beyond what the company offers. It could be an ice cream sundae, or going to the movies with the kids. It should be a celebration, and something you’ll work towards and look forward to.

3. Find a “Work-Out Buddy.”

We are more likely to go to the gym if we know there is a friend waiting there to work out with us. It keeps us accountable. Find a cohort or mentor within the company to share your goals with, and keep you accountable. Maybe they can share in your ice cream sundae reward.

4. Find a way to incorporate your work into what you love

This business is so attractive because of the freedom it affords us. Find a way to incorporate your business in what you love. Do you love cooking? Maybe you incorporate a recipe-sharing session in your next team meeting. Have a love for the outdoors? Schedule your next client meeting in the park. The reason people come to you is because of what makes YOU special. Does this sound a little silly? Maybe it is… but I once had a meeting while rollerblading around downtown, so I know it can be done, and done successfully!

5. Check out new ideas.

There are thousands of Salespeople, many with very creative ideas. There is no reason for you to re-invent the wheel. Go onto websites and message boards to see what works for others – including those outside your industry. There is always a way to adapt it to work for you. Whatever you choose, make sure it reflects your unique personality.

6. Don’t give up!

People aren’t unsuccessful at Direct Sales –they quit after only a few tries. Have you ever heard about Thomas Edison and the light bulb? He is quoted as telling a reporter who asked him about quitting, “Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.” And shortly after that, and over 10,000 attempts, Edison invented the light bulb.

I don’t care how long you’ve been at it – there is no way you’ve got 9,000 failed attempts under your belt! Keep going… as Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t… you’re right.”