Uncertainty in sales isn’t just daunting—it’s a killer for momentum, pipeline, and long-term growth. But uncertain times don’t have to mean stagnation. In this episode, Mark Hunter and Meridith Elliott Powell unpack why waiting, hesitating, and dragging your feet in tough markets is costing you opportunities, and how the best sellers stay ahead when everything slows down.
Adaptability Beats Waiting
The market has slowed, and as Meridith Elliott Powell notes, “It feels slower to me right now than it did right in the middle of COVID.” If you want to thrive, you need to adapt—fast.
“Prospects and customers are going to remember who showed up right now.” — Meridith Elliott Powell
What worked last quarter might not work today. Sticking to old habits in a shifting environment means you’ll get left behind.
Don’t Take Your Foot Off the Gas
When times get tough, most sellers pull back. It sounds logical: Wait for the market to recover and then jump back in. But as Mark Hunter points out, “By the time you see it’s ticked back up, it’s too late; it’s gone.” This is when determined sellers grab the most market share.
“Stay in the repetition. Stay in the groove. Keep doing what you’re doing. That’s how you’re going to drive yourself through and wind up with a tremendous amount of business.” — Mark Hunter
Think Long-Term: Plant the Seeds
Sales is about patience and playing the long game. Like tending a garden, results take time. If you don’t plant seeds during slow periods, you’ll have nothing to harvest when business picks up.
“If you don’t plant the seeds, if you don’t water, you don’t go out to the garden and there’s all these beautiful flowers…you’ve got to wait on it to come. But you still do the work every single day.” — Meridith Elliott Powell
Bring Clarity, Not Negativity
Your customers already know times are tough. They don’t need another person bringing pessimism into their world. Sellers who become positive voices and offer actionable insights become indispensable partners.
“The last thing a customer wanted to hear was a salesperson talking negative to them about how bad things are. No, you’ve got to be the positive voice out there.” — Mark Hunter
Emotional Resilience Makes the Difference
Resilience isn’t just about staying active—it’s about withstanding rejection, setbacks, and slow responses. “You’re going to need to build resilience…one of the biggest reasons people succeed is because they got up more times than their competitors,” says Meridith Elliott Powell.
Actionable Skills for Uncertain Times
- Adapt quickly—small pivots make a big difference.
- Stay active—keep prospecting, even if responses are slow.
- Listen deeply—find out what’s shifted for your customers.
- Build business acumen—know your market and your customer’s challenges.
- Use objective information before changing your strategy.
- Play the long game—today’s effort fills tomorrow’s pipeline.
Recommended Reading
Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud
A timely read for anyone navigating uncertainty. Focus on what isn’t working, and don’t settle for being busy—be productive.
Lightning Round: 10 Ways to Build Resilience in Sales
- Stay focused on what you can control and forget about what you can’t.
- Start the day strong—your first hour determines your results.
- Build routines and habits and stick to them.
- Accomplish something significant before 10am.
- Focus on progress, not necessarily results.
- Align yourself with other successful people.
- Protect your mindset: Watch what you consume and whom you surround yourself with.
- Never stop prospecting—the muscle must be exercised daily.
- Reframe setbacks as feedback; failure is just information.
- Play the long game—even championship teams lose a few games along the way.
When you stay active, adapt, and focus on relationships, slow markets become your opportunity—not your obstacle.
Question: Pavin from Singapore asks, “I’m struggling this year with sales, worried as my pipeline is not full. My boss is really putting the pressure on me. What skills do I need? What do I need to do? And what advice do you have? What I’m doing is not working.”
Book: Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud