Diversification often helps businesses, and for Compass Minerals International (NYSE: CMP), the combination of road salt for highway deicing and plant nutritional products offers two different markets that have much different seasonal characteristics. Nevertheless, Compass has had to deal with some tough conditions over the past year, and coming into Monday's third-quarter financial report, Compass investors were bracing for a big decline in revenue and net income.Unfortunately, not only was Compass unable to avoid the full brunt of its expected hit, but it also ended up doing still worse.