The Anatomy of a Sales Slump Ninety-nine percent of sales slumps can be linked directly to a failure to prospect. The anatomy of a sales slump looks something like this: At some point you stopped prospecting (see the 30-Day Rule). Because you stopped prospecting, your pipeline stalls (see the Law of Replacement). Because the prospects in your pipe are dead, you stop closing deals. As you experience this failure, there is an erosion of your confidence.

