What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? If you have battled ‘burnout’ in your careers, you might strongly disagree. The cut-throat world of sales demands long working hours, a high tolerance for overcoming setbacks, and the vigor to meet ever-increasing revenue targets. By design, salespeople experience high-stress environments. Hence, more often than not, sales professionals fall prey to the ‘burnout epidemic’.

Are there any tell-tale signs to identify burnout? What can you do when you’ve stretched yourself too thin? This blog aims to answer such questions and highlight viable strategies to cope with sales burnout.

What are the burnout signs to watch for?

In 2019, WHO (World Health Organization) included workplace burnout in its ICD (International Classification of Diseases). It characterizes burnout by feelings of energy depletion, cynicism related to work, and lack of accomplishment. If you are in sales and answer ‘yes’ to most of the questions below, you are probably experiencing burnout at work.

In 2021, UNCrushed, Sales Health Alliance, and The Harris Consulting Group conducted a joint survey around the state of mental health in sales on 770 respondents. About 60% of salespeople (SDRs, Account managers, Account executives, and Front line managers) agree to belong to the ‘Struggling’ and ‘Unwell’ categories in the survey. 

These real-life stories will give you an idea of how sales burnout may creep in on you without your knowledge.

What are the root causes behind sales burnout?

Lack of mentorship

At work, the tenacity to do everything on your own is often idolized, especially when you are in sales. Though it helps to be proactive, trying to weather the storm on your own, at all times, might be counterproductive. When you have been a consistent performer, you might not feel the need to seek mentoring. 

Unrealistic targets

In the sales profession, reaching your targets is the name of the game. Yet, you also need to voice your opinion if you are overwhelmed with your targets. Since covid-19, many businesses have been grappling to survive in the new normal. Struggling to meet unrealistic targets in an unprecedented economic climate will only add to your existing pressures.

Challenges with technology

Irrespective of your job role, every working professional will need to adapt to automation. Today’s dynamic business environment requires you to get familiarized with automation and digitization. While automation may accelerate the sales workflow on the bright side, the inability to utilize rapidly changing technologies will engender additional stressors. If you struggle with learning new technology, you either lack training or resist change.

Blurred boundaries between personal and professional life

You take your work home. You have been working 6-7  days a week for a while now. You don’t take/have the luxury to take frequent breaks to re-energize yourself. Sound familiar? Then you need to pay attention to the prevalent (and overused) phrase called ‘work-life balance’. 

There can be two main reasons behind your inability to separate your work from your personal life.    

1. Your office culture or team size (probably because you work in an SME) compels you to work longer hours, resulting in work spilling over in your personal time. ‘The Great Resignation’ is the latest compelling evidence of an overworked and burnt-out workforce. HiBob surveyed US employees in Aug 2021 to understand the sentiment behind the resignation epidemic. The results indicated that mid-size companies (50-1000 employees) had the highest potential for  resignations. The survey also stated that 55% of employees from mid-sized firms and 40% from small companies were planning to quit due to lack of work-life balance.

2. It is self-inflicted, as your career goals often outweigh your physical and mental health. An UNCrushed survey reveals that 74% of the respondents feel obliged to be available 24*7 for their customers to salvage their relationships. Additionally, 67% of respondents admitted working longer hours above and beyond their contracted hours.

How to cope with burnout?

Of all departments, the sales function has been the most impacted by high turnover rates. Unable to cope with ever-increasing targets and stress, salespeople often gravitate towards frequent job changes in the hopes of greener pastures. Although you can’t control the external conditions that trigger burnout, your reaction is under your control. So, if you genuinely love sales, want to be in this profession for the long haul, and are looking for ways to avoid burnout, read on. 

Reach out to your mentor

In a fast-paced result-oriented domain like sales, it is easy to feel lost or overwhelmed. And this is irrespective of your performance. Hence, you can’t underestimate the presence of a great mentor. Your mentor/manager would have probably braved challenges similar to what you currently face. So do not hesitate to speak up and soak up any golden nuggets of wisdom they may be willing to share. Whether you are looking for constructive feedback or just to talk it out, you need a sounding board to navigate rough waters.

Organize your workday

As a sales professional, you might struggle with structuring your workday as target achievement may often take precedence over your organization skills. By adopting the below practices, you will be able to manage secondary tasks and prioritize your quota better.

Focus on revenue-generating activities

Every salesperson knows how precious those limited prime calling hours are. Do not spend this time on non-revenue generating tasks like administrative activities, socializing with colleagues, or browsing social media. Even if your manager hasn’t asked you already, keep a personal record of how you spend these hours daily and do better the next day.

Shelve non-essential tasks

If you don’t want to lose focus during your calling time, organize your calendar so your co-workers and manager know the same. Mark your calendar and internal chats as ‘On calls’, ‘Do not Disturb’, or ‘Expect delayed response’ for those particular time slots. You can also set an automated email response like the one below.

You will need to get comfortable with denying internal meetings/status reports at those times. Saying no to your manager can be daunting. But, if they are invested in your growth, they will appreciate your dexterity.

Avoid procrastination

It’s only natural for you to avoid the sales tasks you dislike. Like postponing that tough negotiation call or rescheduling your meeting with a difficult client. Build the courage to grab the bull by the horns. Completing these grueling tasks early will save you several anxious hours throughout your workday. You will focus better on your sales calls once you know that the hard part is over.

Prepare for the unexpected

Honing your pivoting skills in sales is crucial, especially for outside sales. Appointments may get canceled when you are out in the field to meet prospects. Be prepared with a list of potential leads in that area to avoid losing out on your valuable meeting time.

Learn productivity hacks

Maximize productivity using analytical strategies like the  Pareto principle or the 80/20 rule. An Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, founded this principle. If applied to sales, it essentially implies that 20% of your customers/time generate 80% of your sales/results. 

Use real-time data to analyze which 20% of your customers/time generates 80% of your revenue. Then map out your ideal customer profile (from that 20%) and reach out to similar leads. Or, spend more time doing those 20% activities that generate 80% of the results. If you would like to understand this principle in detail, read Perry Marshal’s 80/20 Sales and Marketing book.

One task at a time

Break up your day into smaller achievable tasks by considering the 80/20 rule. As you tick off every task in your calendar, it will give you a confidence boost to carry on the next day, irrespective of the result. You can also divide your weekly and monthly tasks/goals accordingly. Keep evaluating your results from time to time and change your technique if it does not work.

Utilize CRMs

To succeed in the tasks listed in this section, you will find numerous sales enablement tools or CRMs in the market. Among other things, these platforms can help you manage your calendar, log your sales calls/activities, automate your sales campaigns and give you quick access to your database. You can review and take your pick from this list of top sales CRMs.

Choose a workable sales strategy

You will find countless sales workflows online. Nevertheless, everyone has a unique selling style. So you need to do your research and find something that suits you. Take a look at our blog on Sales Strategy, which offers the blueprint to generate exponential sales.

Upskill yourself

The adage ‘when there is a will, there is a way’ has never been more accurate. Today’s 24*7*365 digitally connected world facilitates information at your fingertips. There are numerous ways you can upskill yourself to move up the corporate ladder.

Upskilling your sales abilities

Like any other skill, the art of selling can also be developed and trained. Whether you are a business owner or an independent service provider, you need sales skills to promote your product/service. Here’s a list of sales upskilling resources to sharpen your sales skills.

Sales videos

To start with, go through these top trending sales tutorials by the best in the industry.

Sales podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to consume knowledge on the go when you don’t have time to focus on a screen. Try this list of top sales podcasts and follow the ones you like on apps like Spotify or Apple podcast to keep yourself updated.

Sales coaching

No matter how strong you feel your ‘sales game’ is, investing your time in sales coaching will give you an edge against competitors. Our comprehensive guide on sales coaching will provide you with a 360-degree overview of the same. You can also refer to these best-selling books on sales for advice, tips, and motivation.

Peer training

Learning from your peers is probably the most practical method to upskill yourself. Your colleagues sell the same products/services every day to prospects with diverse personalities and backgrounds. Learning from their experiences with help you prepare for challenging clients.

Upskilling your industry knowledge

The bitter truth is that your leads hardly have time to attend cold calls, let alone have you stumble on a query. If you are out in the market selling something, ensure you learn everything you need to know about your product/service and your competitors. This may appear time-consuming at first but will pay off in the end. 

L&D programs

Almost every growth-oriented company will invest in training programs for their employees. These programs are your low-hanging fruit when upskilling your industry knowledge. As you set your quarterly or annual goals, make sure to fit a few of these trainings into your schedule.

Industry conferences

These are great avenues to absorb industry information often offered by experts in the field. They also help you stay updated with the latest market trends, keep track of your competition and understand your customer’s pulse.

Job rotation

Most companies introduce job rotation to familiarize employees with other business functions. However, this can be a great learning tool. For instance, spending some time with the product team can enhance your product expertise exponentially. 

Technical upskilling

If you find this daunting, you need to acknowledge these two facts. 

1. Automation is unavoidable. The simplest example would be a demo tool/platform that your prospect is comfortable with but you are not. That can be a deal-breaker.
2. If chosen carefully, the right technical skills or tools will save you countless hours of documentation and leave you free to do what is most important- speaking to your clients! Besides, salespeople often dislike record keeping. So spending a few hours learning a new platform/tool now will only help you in the long term.

Diversify your network

If you are an energetic extrovert, a people person, and a natural seller, spending your downtime with like-minded people is only logical. While this may be sometimes good for your morale, it isn’t without ramifications. For instance, listening to your friends/co-workers complain about not meeting their quota may indirectly dampen your spirits.

Instead, once in a while, meet people from diverse backgrounds. Do fun activities with those outside your network. A change of scene can rejuvenate your mind, and you may be able to look at your work more objectively.

Prioritize your personal life

• If you are lucky enough to do what you love, you may disregard your other interests and romanticize your profession as your only passion. Yet, it is imperative to have an active personal life. You will have bad days at work, no matter how hard you try. So having someone/something to go home to can be your saving grace. It can be your family, pet, or hobbies/interests. 
• This becomes even more critical for those who are not sure about your long-term goals but need your job to pay your bills. An active personal life will help to take your mind off work. It will give you something to look forward to after every workday.
• Take frequent short breaks from work. Also, do not pass on your annual leaves. They are there for a reason. Sometimes a break is what you might need to gain some perspective and then get back to your goals with a renewed passion. Check out this video to hear what Simon Sinek says about taking breaks to beat burnout.

Invest and Focus on self-care to recover from burnout

Earlier in the blog, we read about  Jeff and Ali, two dynamic sales professionals who experienced sales burnout. 

Here’s how Jeff Riseley turned his life around.

Jeff is now the founder of Sales Health Alliance, a consulting firm that focuses on helping salespeople address their mental health concerns at work. Jeff also recommends incorporating these stress relaxation exercises in your day-to-day life to manage your burnout triggers.

Was Ali Mujeeb finally able to get back to his original self? Let’s find out.

Tools to manage sales burnout

To support the anti-burnout strategies mentioned above, here is a list of tools and resources. You can start small and gradually incorporate more daily mindfulness practices into your workday. 

Meditation 

There are several helpful guided meditation videos that you can access on youtube for free. If you want to build your meditation plan, you can use apps like Headspace and Calm.

Counseling

The pandemic has normalized therapy in the corporate world. Apart from seeking out therapists at your local hospitals, you can also look at the below options.

• Counseling apps like BetterHelp and Talkspace give you access to therapists from diverse backgrounds and specializations, to address your emotional needs. 
• Companies like Sales Health Alliance specialize in providing  mental health and resilience training to salespeople, which helps them manage their inbuilt anxiety.

Wellness tools

Try including a few of the below things/activities into your daily life for a more holistic approach to sales burnout.

Become your own savior

The coping strategies listed in this blog are primarily about helping yourself rather than searching for the perfect job or boss. This is mainly because the benefits of the second option will be short-lived if you do not develop these coping skills. Ultimately, your mind is like a muscle that you can train. It might take some time and unwavering resilience, but it is far from impossible. 

If you find yourself or someone close to you experiencing burnout in their career, do give these strategies a chance. Are there any other mechanisms that have helped you stave off sales burnout? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.