HTSS52 - How to avoid burnout in sales - Scott Sylvan Bell

How to avoid burnout in sales 12 steps

First and foremost burnout in sales is real. You may have to recognize it is possible and people do get burned out from the industry the hours and the job. Some people don’t want to hear about the bad associated with sales. You will find it is easier to close deals when you are at your best. This isn’t some unknown but for whatever reason people in the industry dint want to talk about it.

You will have a moment where you are fed up. When you reach that moment it may be tool late for the people around you. You will take losing deals out on the people around you:

• Clients
• Coworkers
• Family members
• Potential clients
• Vendors

The curse of chasing deals

At some point in sales you realize there is always another deal. This means you don’t have to chase every deal under the sun. There are times where you need to walk away and get the next deal. This does not mean you get to be lazy and not do your job. It does mean that you know you don’t have to get every deal on the table and work yourself to death.  

There are some industries where some huge deals may go away and never come back. In most consumer industries this isn’t the case.  Just like most buyers know deals are always around the corner you have to e ok with taking time off and letting other people take leads or ups.

My Goals are not your Goals

One of the fastest ways to reach burnout in sales is chasing the dreams of someone else. You will want to look to your goals and not someone else’s. One way to think about this is “Your goals are not my goals”. So many times salespeople acquire goals for what they think other people will want and not for what they want to do. You can look for small wins as well as big wins when building your goals. You will also find that your coaches and mentors will change over time and so will your overall goals.

If you chase other peoples goals it will lead to burn out. Other peoples goals will take you off path of what you want to do and you will not buy into them. You lose interest in other peoples goals fast and have a tough time with coming up with your “reason why”.

You can void burnout by staying healthy

Your health has many facets and can have multiple directions for you to go. Your diet and exercise can help you stay on top or drag you to the bottom. The diet and exercise you get does matter. The amount of water you drink does help as well as the amount of sleep you get can keep you sharp. This one factor of closing sales is not talked about often enough and it does help keep you on top.

Work your schedule

The way you configure or work your schedule can help keep you in the closers seat. Know when to walk away from deals and sales and know when to take days off. Sales managers will allow you to work as many hours you want and this can hurt you in the long run. know what you are willing to work through and why you will be willing to put in the hours.

When you know how to close you can make some demands. You may be able to get extra time away from the office or not have to work weekends if you are a closer. Not everyone gets that treatment and this is one reason why you should work towards being a closer.

The friends you keep matter

When you have friends outside of the industry you will have other things to talk about other than work. If all you do is talk about work day in and day out it will consume you. Dr. Sean Davis recommends you find other things to be involved with other than sales. You can pick up a hobby and or join a group where you don’t associate with salespeople.

The toxic people trap

You should do everything possible to stay away from toxic people. The average toxic person will steal money from you and your bank account. Now they may not go into the bank and steal it, they get the money from taking your attention. Toxic people are everywhere and when possible it is best to cut them from your life.

Lover time is important

Your sales job will suck the life out of you if you let it. If you have a significant other you should set aside time for them. If you don’t give the person you love attention someone else will give the significant other enough attention. This will cause your sales to spiral out of control. If you are not in a relationship you can set aside time for dating. If you don’t have good role models from when you were younger you can pick some new ones.  

Laughter is the greatest medicine

One of the first things stressed out salespeople forget to do is laugh. You can keep some comedy around or even stream some to a phone or tablet. You can go see live comedians as a way to ensure you set aside time to get some laughter in. If you are stressed out or burned out in sales chances are good it has been a while since you have laughed.

Pick up a hobby to get away from selling

When you have a hobby you get to focus on other things other than sales. The more you can get away from being in a sales call, talking about sales or thinking about sales when you are off the clock the better off you are. Your hobbies can range in fields and knowledge, just know to turn off the sales thinking.

Get some mental help  

Getting a therapist or seeing a doctor to get things off your chest is one of the fastest short cuts in sales you can take. The sooner you can let go of things the faster you can get back to closing deals. It takes a strong person to want to get the help even when they don’t want to.  

Get out of town – no really

If you want to avoid burn out in sales you must know when to take vacation. All too often salespeople will work though time off and not get away from the office. You do need to find your down time and walk away form the industry for a week. You will find deals are easier and you will be less stressed out with the right vacation.  An idea for a mini vacation is airplane mode on your phone for a few hours at a time if you have to be tied to the phone.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #podcast #howtosellshow #Sacramento

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California