Many sales professionals are accustomed to operating in feast or famine mode. They are either over the moon with sales pouring in—or they are up all night wondering where they can find their next client. Living a feast or famine kind of lifestyle is emotionally draining and professionally stalling. You might be enjoying great success one quarter, but when your sales pipeline dries up, you may begin to doubt yourself and struggle to put your best self forward.

Sales coach Tom C. Wren says prospects can smell this a mile away, and it can create a vicious cycle. So, what can you do to break free from the feast or famine cycle? We share Wren’s top tips in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Stay self-aware. To put an end to the grueling feast or famine cycle, you need to know your ups and downs. According to Wren, celebrating your high points will help you extend them and recognizing your low points before they get worse will help you recover faster. All of this requires self-awareness. Pay attention to the behaviors and self-talk that contributed to your current position—whether you’re at a peak point or a valley.

Use your time strategically. If you regularly spend time on low-value actions or bad habits, you will probably find it difficult to escape the feast or famine cycle. Wren suggests eliminating or outsourcing activities when you can and focusing on higher-value tasks. For example, rather than sending generic mass emails, consider using your time to develop your expertise in one specific area. When you do this, Wren says you will see your status rise with your prospects and customers as you become a trusted advisor.

Get support. Not all sales professionals are lucky enough to work on a collaborative team with supportive bosses who coach them regularly. That’s why Wren suggests rising above the fray by finding a mentor or coach outside of your organization. It’s often the high performers who reach out for outside counsel, he says. To rise above the feast or famine trap, take control of your own growth and development.

Celebrate your victories. In his sales coaching, Wren uses a #wins channel to ignite positivity for not just the rep who got the win, but for all the other reps, too. This starts a flow of positive momentum that becomes an unstoppable force, he says. By take credit for positive daily actions and small wins, you’re building confidence, joyful energy and better attitudes, which can all help you break free from the feast or famine rut.

Sales can be an incredibly rewarding profession. When you learn to avoid the feast or famine trap by understanding your personal high points and low points, using your time wisely, getting outside counsel, and celebrating your wins, you can set yourself apart as a high performer and enjoy more feasting than lean times.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Tom C. Wren is a B2B sales coach who works with salespeople at firms including SAP, Automation Anywhere, Oracle and Netskope.