Being a sales manager is a tricky business. Managing any group of people is tricky, but salespeople can sometimes be especially difficult because of the intensity they bring to their careers.
Salesperson burnout is all too common, and it can catch your salespeople off guard if you don’t keep an eye on the symptoms.
These three strategies below will help you manage your salespeople so they avoid burnout and continue to thrive in their careers.
1) Encourage Learning & Professional Development
Focusing solely on sales quotas and customer service can be exhausting. Yes, the company’s bottom line is made of money, but that doesn’t mean you should completely ignore other elements of selling that don’t directly relate to the sales numbers.
Encourage your salespeople to invest in themselves, not just in their job or their objectives. Have them take a few hours each week to rejuvenate their mind by reading a book, taking a walk, or just taking the time to sit back, sip a coffee and think.
New ideas can be energizing and motivating. Send them to a conference so they can learn how to improve themselves, and they’ll come back completely refreshed.
2) Talk Openly About Struggles
When things aren’t going well, it’s easy for salespeople to get hard on themselves.
We’re competitive. We don’t like to lose. We don’t like to have off weeks or months, and when we do, it sometimes feels like we’re the only ones having issues.
Schedule a monthly meeting to touch base with your team and create a culture where it’s okay to mention failures. Even better, keep it casual and go out to lunch. This will lessen any unnecessary stress.
Ensure They’re Leaving Work At Work
Sometimes you have to save a salesperson from themselves.
This means making sure they’re taking the necessary time off each day, despite a mile-long list of to-dos.
Happy salespeople are productive salespeople. And the only way to make sure your salespeople are happy is to make sure they’re still taking time to do other things they enjoy.
How do you avoid salesperson burnout?