The Most Effective Way to Reduce Stress for Salespeople

It’s a fact: sales is always a go, go, go world. Our minds are constantly processing myriad issues:

• Understanding our customers
• Handling tough objections
• Solving problems
• Dealing with upset customers
• Trying to make our quota
• Handling paperwork
• Managing company expectations

One thing you need to understand is that since you are going, going, and going, you are giving out energy all the time – and you’re often not getting enough back. And that, my friends, is a recipe for burn-out.

Burn-out happens when you are always on. Your brain has no recovery time because you take your problems, issues and stresses home with you. The cell phone sits at the dinner table. You check e-mails at 10 at night, only to find that this action raises your stress levels.

Your brain needs rest, but it cannot get that rest if you never give it the opportunity.

For many of you, when you get home, your brain is still spinning like a tornado. You want to be “present” with your friends and family but your mind is still cranking through whatever issues you are facing at work.

If you want to be successful in sales (and, more importantly, in life), you must learn how to fully disengage.

When I’m at work I want to be fully engaged. That makes sense. But when I’m at home, I want to be fully engaged there as well.

I’ve found that there is only one way for me to become fully engaged at home, and that is to fully disengage from work.

What are you doing to relax your work brain? What are you doing to fully engage in something outside of work?

Interestingly enough, one of the things I do to relax is play hockey. That may not sound relaxing but it serves the same purpose.

Think about it. When I’m on the ice, when I’m involved with playing a game, what’s happening? Am I thinking about work? Am I thinking about the stresses in my life? NO!

I’m fully engaged playing hockey – which allows me to fully disengage from everything else.

What could it be for you? Perhaps karate, yoga, or a good hard walk – any good physical activity. Maybe it’s reading, or putting together a puzzle, or working on a project in the garage or garden. These are just a few examples of intentional relaxation.

You need it. Your company needs it. But most importantly, your customer needs it.