Increasing the productivity & mental health of your sales team

Working in sales may be extremely unpredictable. After exceeding your sales quota, you are currently at the top of the globe. After losing an account, you'd feel like nothing is working. Jobs in sales don't finish at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. A salesperson's schedule does not take into account overtime or vacations. Only after business hours or on the weekends might potential be accessible for meetings.

Salespeople are constantly moving, especially when they are running behind schedule. Many people deal with anxiety, stress, and burnout. Yes, it is time to have a conversation about mental health in sales & end the stigma.

The sales industry is frequently characterized by its notoriously stressful "hustle" mentality. Salespeople have struggled with this perspective for years. A crisis is on the horizon, as evidenced by record-breaking turnover rates and 3 out of 5 salespeople experiencing mental health issues.

Sales a results-driven industry

The pressure of exceeding absurdly high quotas is all too typical in sales. The founder of Pause, Ryan Zadrazil, claims that he experienced a manic episode early in his career in sales and connects one of the causes to the nature of the work.

"The sales sector is a results-driven one. But if you're not in a mentally good state of mind, it will be tough to attain those results," he says of the job's high-pressure level.

The Uncrushed, a mental health awareness organization, conducted a study of salespeople, and at least 60% of them reported that their performance was subpar due to mental health difficulties. Daily stress shouldn't be taken lightly because, if untreated, it can develop into various mental ailments, from depression and imposter syndrome to anxiety and anxiety disorders.

Stop selling the "grind" and start putting your sales reps' happiness first if you want to enhance their productivity.

Why should you be concerned about the mental health of your salespeople?

Every sales team, or any team, for that matter, should prioritize addressing mental health issues in the workplace. According to a Farleigh Dickinson University article, stress is responsible for 60% of lost workdays annually. 

An unproductive sales team is a team that is under stress. According to The Oxford Handbook of Strategic Sales and Sales Management, salespeople who frequently suffer from high-stress levels tend to be less invested in their work, less dedicated to the company, and have lower work and life satisfaction levels. They are more prone to switch between organizations.

A sales crew that is unmotivated due to mental health issues

Considerable risk of burnout exists for your sales crew if they cannot manage stress. Burnout is described as "the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one's devotion to a cause or relationship fails to achieve the intended results," by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, who first popularized the phrase.

Burnout has lately been acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an occupational issue. The organization points out that burnout only applies to the workplace and not other spheres of life. Salespeople who are dealing with this mental illness at work go through the following:

• Reduced professional efficacy.
• Emotions of energy depletion or tiredness
• A widening mental distance from one's employment, or thoughts of pessimism or cynicism about one's job.

By providing a healthy environment for your team and helpful management that supports and upholds mental health, you can help them combat sales burnout, thereby highlighting the importance of sales management in fostering employee well-being, morale, and overall productivity.

Improve your sales team's morale and mental health by using your leadership and motivating talents.

Approaches to dealing with mental health in sales

Employees should access adequate support and mental health programs from their employers. Your people should be aware that they may always access qualified assistance and other resources. Make sure you can get expert assistance.

Make an effort to lead by example as a leader. Recognize the presence of mental health problems. Communicate openly with your team. Listen to them, particularly those who need assistance, and share relevant sales conversation examples to foster understanding and empathy.

Take note of the following advice as a team leader to assist in managing mental health in sales teams:

• Be transparent with your team in your communication. Listen to them, particularly those who require assistance. The WHO states that open, honest, and supportive communication with management can aid those struggling with mental health challenges in remaining employed or finding new employment.
• Ensure that each salesperson is conscious of their obligations. Clarify their work tasks if there is any ambiguity.
• Be understanding and sympathetic to the difficulties that your people face. Recognize the presence of mental health problems.
• Comment on how you can support your team in achieving their goals more effectively. Share enlightening advice.
• Come up with creative and fun exercises that deal with stigmatization and discrimination at work.

A positive and healthy Work Environment should be the Goal

Sales professionals should consider their mental as well as their physical wellness. In actuality, these are physical problems that demand the care of medical specialists. A company needs to look after the mental health of its employees if it wants to succeed so that they can work to the best of their abilities.

Similar to physical health issues, mental health issues in sales restrict people from performing to their full potential. These problems could cost your company a lot of money if they are not resolved.

Create a healthy work environment for the benefit of your sales force as well as the financial stability of your company.