Sales roles can be uniquely high-pressured. Here’s how to look after your wellbeing – and maximize performance
Sales can be an incredibly rewarding profession, but it’s also notorious for being one of the most stressful careers. Constant pressure to meet targets, regular rejection and a fast-paced work environment can push salespeople to the brink of burnout. The problem is widespread: a 2022 Gartner survey found that 89% of salespeople feel burned out from their work.
However, taking care of your mental health isn’t just about preventing burnout: it’s about boosting performance, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. Taking action starts with understanding the relationship between mental health and success in sales, knowing the stages of burnout, and learning practical strategies to protect your wellbeing and help you excel in your role.
Mental health and sales performance
Numerous studies show that mental wellbeing is directly tied to performance in sales. According to Shawn Achor’s book The Happiness Advantage, sales professionals with higher wellbeing and happiness outperform their counterparts by 37% in sales revenue and are 31% more productive. When you feel balanced, energized, and mentally sharp, it’s easier to engage with clients, navigate challenges, and maintain the motivation needed to meet – and exceed – your sales targets. Indeed, McKinsey & Company reports that salespeople with a good work-life balance are 21% more likely to exceed their targets – and 32% more likely to stay with their company long-term.
Imagine your energy like your phone battery. When you wake up in the morning, you might be fully charged – or starting at 35% after a stressful week. As you go about your day, different tasks deplete your energy at different rates, just as some apps drain your phone battery faster than others. For example, answering emails might feel like a quick task, but when they have piled up it can easily drain you. Attending meetings, demos, or cold calling blocks can be mentally exhausting, much like running a demanding app in the background of your day.
If you don’t recharge or manage your energy effectively, you’ll reach a point of burnout, comparable to your phone shutting down unexpectedly. To avoid this, it’s crucial to manage your daily energy use – and ensure you avoid going into a low-performance ‘energy saving mode’ too.
It’s important to understand that burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual process with five key stages.
The first is the honeymoon phase, when you’re excited about a new job or project, filled with optimism and high energy – but overworking to prove yourself and neglecting your personal life can be early warning signs.
The second phase is the onset of stress: as work demands increase, stress becomes noticeable. Symptoms include irritability, fatigue, and self-doubt.
Third is chronic stress. Prolonged, unmanaged stress leads to physical and mental health issues. Performance may drop, and you might start to feel disconnected.
Fourth is the crisis stage. This is full-blown burnout. Symptoms like apathy and disengagement become more frequent, and it starts affecting your personal life.
Finally, you might reach the point of habitual burnout, when it becomes part of your everyday experience. Motivation and performance collapse, and emotional numbness sets in.
Recognizing these stages can help you act before burnout takes a serious toll.
How to avoid burnout and boost performance
I believe sales professionals face two hidden causes of burnout that are easily overlooked. The first is neglecting your non-work identities, such as your role as a partner, parent or friend. It’s vital to recognize the value and importance of these identities, and to set aside time and energy for them each day or week. You need to understand the unique value you bring to each identity, not least because they’re often a big part of what drives you in your professional role.
The second is a lack of self-reflection. Failing to pause and self-reflect amidst the daily grind can quietly contribute to burnout. If you’re constantly pushing, but not acknowledging your progression, your brain will constantly feel you’re not doing enough and will stay in overdrive. Self-reflection allows you to identify early signs of burnout, understand your needs and boundaries, and make necessary adjustments.
Managing your mental health requires both proactive and reactive strategies. Here are three practical steps to prevent burnout and maintain high performance.
1. Create recharge stations
After recognizing stressors, establish proactive and reactive recharge stations. Proactive stations are non-negotiable actions you consistently incorporate into your routine to prevent excessive stress build-up – for example, having a walk at lunchtime, or turning your phone off in the evening to improve your sleep. Reactive stations are used to counter unexpected stresses, such as a tough call or email – for example, taking five minutes to get some fresh air, or noting down what you can control now, in the situation.
2. Set upper and lower boundaries
Define upper and lower boundaries to set realistic expectations for daily or weekly achievements. Lower boundaries represent the minimum you aim to accomplish, providing satisfaction on challenging days. Upper boundaries prevent over-commitment and neglect of other essential tasks. Incorporate your non-work identities into these boundaries, balancing work and personal aspects. Reflect on your boundaries weekly, preferably on Friday afternoons, so you start the weekend prepared and self-aware.
3. Build the habit of self-reflection
Dedicate time at the end of each week to reflect on your progress and well-being. Ask yourself: how am I better off than last week? What challenges did I face, and how did I overcome them? These reflective practices can help you stay on track and make adjustments as needed.
Burnout is a very real threat in the world of sales, but it doesn’t have to be inevitable. By prioritizing your mental health and managing your energy, you can not only avoid burnout but thrive in your job. Implementing the strategies outlined here can help you to create a more sustainable, fulfilling approach to your work – allowing you to maintain balance, enjoy your career, and achieve long-term success.
Chris Hatfield is the author of Sales Psyche: A Guide to Mastering a Healthy & High-Performing Mind (LID Publishing)