Over the years there have been lots of “Got” campaigns, one of the most famous being “Got milk?” In selling, when we get stuck, it seems far from being a pleasant experience like a mustache from a tall, cold glass of milk.

This was true for Fred, a manager who ran a book of business in executive search. As Fred sat across a conference table from me, he clearly had gotten quite stuck. He was in a slump of all slumps, having not closed a deal in several months. For a guy that had always placed multiple candidates every month, this felt like the beginning of the end.

Fred told me that, in the past, he had never had this issue. “Business just seemed to flow,” he said, the stress of the circumstances audible in his normally strong and confident voice.

I asked, “What were you doing then that you’re not doing now?”

That one question began an immediate change in momentum as he realized there were several rather simple things he had been neglecting, including actively taking talent to market, presenting people in the way that all buyers buy (which I call Front of the Box Marketing). Fred and I collaborated on a plan of action which incorporated these neglected aspects of his desk back into his daily routine. He went from being stuck to having some of the best months in his career.

That’s the beauty of getting stuck…it’s the universe’s way of reminding us of what’s really important in the practice of selling.

Next time you’re stuck, ask yourself:

What were you doing then that you’re not doing now?

If you’re like Fred and you take action on what you learn, you’ll go from “Got stuck?” to “Got deals!”