Ep 350: Do this FIRST when your product or service sales are going down.

What It Really Means When Your Sales Slow Down

If you've noticed your products or services aren't selling like they used to, you are not alone — and you are not failing.

So many small business owners are feeling this right now. The revenue that came easily a few years ago just isn't showing up the same way. And it's easy to spiral into panic, slash your prices, or start questioning whether you should even keep going.

Before you do any of that, there's one question you need to ask yourself.

Our Buying Habits Have Changed — A Lot

Since the pandemic, the way people shop has shifted dramatically. Stats show that the vast majority of people who tried online shopping for the first time in 2019–2020 became permanent converts. Online buying isn't a trend anymore — it's just how people buy now.

But it's gone even further than "online vs. in-person." In just the last year or two:

• Discovery has moved from Google search to social media. People are finding products through Instagram and TikTok — often without even searching, just scrolling and seeing it appear.
• Social commerce has exploded. Platforms like TikTok Shop have seen explosive year-over-year growth, and live selling and creator content are now driving real purchases.
• AI is part of the shopping journey. People are using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to research products and get recommendations, especially for service-based businesses.
• Trust is harder to earn. A slow website, a site that doesn't feel "real," or a checkout process that takes too long will send a buyer somewhere else in seconds.
• The coaching and course world has shifted too. Courses that sold like crazy in 2020–2023 have slowed for a lot of creators, because people don't just want information anymore — they want a personal touch. One-on-one coaching, group coaching, and hybrid models are filling that gap.

If any of this sounds familiar, it's not because you did something wrong. It's because the market moved.

The Two Questions You Actually Need to Ask

Here's the framework that changes everything: when your sales slow down, don't ask "What's wrong with my business?" Ask this instead:

Is it that nobody wants this anymore? Or is it that nobody wants it this way anymore?

These are two completely different problems with two completely different solutions.

Question 1: Is there still demand for the result you offer?

Forget the specific product or format for a second. What is the actual transformation you provide? People starting businesses still need help starting businesses. People who want jewelry still want jewelry. The question is whether the underlying need still exists — not whether your current packaging of it is working.

Question 2: If the demand is there, how do people want to receive it now?

This is where most businesses actually get stuck. The need hasn't disappeared — the delivery method has changed. Blockbuster didn't fail because people stopped wanting movie night. People still wanted movie night. They just didn't want to drive to a store and rent a VHS tape to get it. Netflix figured out the new way to deliver the same result.

What This Looks Like In Real Life

Think about t-shirts. People still want cute t-shirts — that demand hasn't gone anywhere. But maybe they don't want to walk into your local store anymore. Maybe they want to discover them through a TikTok creator they already trust, or see them pop up in an Instagram ad, or buy them in two taps without ever "searching" for them at all.

The product is fine. The way you're inviting people to receive it might be the part that needs to evolve.

This doesn't mean every business needs to go fully digital, either. There's a real countertrend happening too — people craving offline, in-person, "analog" experiences and genuine community, which is part of why things like local coffee shops are having a moment. The answer isn't always "go online." It's "go where your people actually want to meet you."

How To Figure Out What Your Audience Wants

Once you know there's still demand, the next step is research — not guessing, and definitely not panicking. A few ways to do this:

• Ask your actual past customers and clients. This is the most reliable source you have. Ask them how they'd want to buy from you now, where they'd go looking, and what would make the decision easy.
• Research trends in your specific industry. What's shifting in your niche right now? Don't assume your industry mirrors every other industry.
• Use AI tools to help you research patterns and ideas — but pair it with real conversations, not just data.

You Don't Have to Pivot Your Whole Business

This isn't about throwing out your business and starting over. It's about staying anchored to the transformation you provide while staying flexible about the vehicle you use to deliver it. Sometimes that looks like adding a new format. Sometimes it's a hybrid model. Sometimes it's simply showing up in a new place your audience already is.

The businesses that last aren't the ones that never change — they're the ones that stay curious instead of scared when the ground shifts beneath them.

So if your sales have slowed down, take a breath. Ask yourself the real question. And get curious about the answer.

Want more support figuring out how to adapt your business with confidence and strategy? Follow along on Instagram @StartWithKimberlyBrock or reach out at KimberlyBrock.com — I'd love to help you move forward.