There are many unknowns in the world of sales and business. Fortunately, there are also some things we know will happen at some point in time. And one of the things we know for sure is that there are ups and downs. There are periods of time when business is booming, and there are times when achieving your goals will be more challenging.

When business is good, it's good. And when it's bad, it is bad. Having an off month or quarter can be extremely stressful for sales professionals. And you can imagine that stress goes right up the ladder. You're stressed and worried, but so are the others who are responsible for the performance of the team and company.

When you're in the middle of a bad month or quarter, it's normal to be concerned. After all, we are judged solely on our performance. Nothing else matters. And when your performance isn't meeting the expectations of the company, it's normal and healthy to have a little fear.

But there are also certain things you need to avoid. First and most importantly, you can't panic. If you show others that you are dismayed, they will be, too. You can't show emotion, and you have to stay focused on the activities you can control. While you never want to accept below-par performance, it's important to recognize that business will fluctuate.

Second and close in importance is not spreading negativity. Don't be one of the people in the office who spreads paranoia and fear. Negativity in a sales organization can be devastating to morale and performance. You don't want to get caught up in it. Discipline yourself to focus on the positives and steer clear of people who try to drag you into a cloud of negativity.

Here are a few other suggestions on how to handle a period of time when your numbers are off.

Focus on activity: Sales is a numbers game. Anyone who argues that will lose. Activities drive results. When business isn't where it needs to be, it's critical to stay focused on positive behavior and activities. Pay close attention to all of the metrics that affect your business and put in the extra effort to turn up sales.

Go the extra mile: You can bet that managers and people in leadership roles will pay extra special attention to the small things when numbers aren't where they need to be. You should be doing this anyway, but go the extra mile. Put in the hours it takes to get the job done and go above and beyond with everything you do. At the end of the day, ask yourself this question: “Did I do everything I possibly could today to be successful and work as hard as I could?” Only you can answer that question.

Get feedback: Collaboration is usually underutilized in a sales organization. Talk to others about what they are doing and share ideas with each other. It's amazing what you can learn from your peers if you ask and have discussions about what is happening with your business. It's also a good idea to evaluate what was different when your numbers were in a better place.

Definition of insanity: I know this is overused in the business and sales world, but there's a good reason for that. It makes sense. If you are doing the same things over and over and expecting different results, you will drive yourself crazy and most likely fail. Analyze what you are doing and make the necessary changes to your behavior, activity and skills.

Christopher Thompson (cthompson@catch22solutions.com) writes Closing the Deal weekly for the Sunday News.