Sales is renowned as one of the most stressful professions, often leading to burnout. We believe that improving the wellbeing of salespeople is crucial for enhancing performance and achieving better revenue outcomes. Our recent round table discussion brought together industry leaders to address this critical issue and explore solutions.
Key Aspects of Wellbeing
The round table highlighted several key aspects of wellbeing for sales professionals:
- Physical and Emotional Wellbeing: Maintaining physical and emotional health is essential for productivity and job satisfaction.
- Resilience: Salespeople must develop coping mechanisms for rejection and stress management.
- Empathy from Managers: Understanding personal circumstances and offering flexible work arrangements can greatly impact employee morale.
- Psychological Safety: Creating an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up and sharing concerns is vital.
- Supportive Team Culture: Fostering collaboration and celebrating achievements can boost team spirit and overall wellbeing.
Challenges of Remote Working
The shift to remote working during the pandemic has created additional stress, blurring work-life boundaries and challenging social connections. To mitigate these challenges, the following suggestions were made:
- Scheduled Breaks: Implementing short breaks, such as a 10-minute break every hour, can help maintain focus and reduce stress.
- Meeting-Free Time Blocks: Designating certain times, like no meetings on Fridays, allows for uninterrupted work and relaxation.
- Team Social Events: Organising virtual happy hours or game nights can help maintain social bonds.
Addressing Stressors
Sales professionals face significant stress from unrealistic targets, excessive administrative burdens, and the pressure of being constantly “on” due to technology. While many organisations offer wellbeing resources like employee assistance programmes, utilisation remains low. Building trust and regularly reminding employees of available confidential support is crucial to ensuring their wellbeing.
Training and Support
Training on mental health for both salespeople and managers is inconsistent. A more personalised, bottom-up approach to skills development may be more effective.
Next Steps
- Summarise key wellbeing themes.
- Collect survey data from participating organisations to quantify wellbeing challenges.
- Create a wellbeing charter or pledge.
- Explore developing a sales wellbeing curriculum with universities.
Questions Explored
The round table explored several important questions:
- What does wellbeing mean to you?
- How significant is the problem within your salesforce?
- How often do wellbeing conversations occur?
- When and how do you typically identify a problem?
- What are your formal and informal policies for employees struggling with mental health?
- What support are you providing?
- Who is responsible for mental health initiatives?
- How do you overcome sensitivities surrounding mental health issues?
- How are you measuring performance and identifying stress factors?
- Do you find any technologies having a positive or negative impact on salesperson health?
- What training do you provide to managers to help identify and address mental health problems?
Conclusion
The ISP is committed to addressing the mental health challenges faced by sales professionals. By fostering a supportive and empathetic work environment, providing necessary resources, and implementing effective training, you will help to create a healthier and more productive salesforce.