{"id":2213,"date":"2021-12-02T06:40:46","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T06:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/?p=2213"},"modified":"2023-11-21T15:29:11","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T15:29:11","slug":"mindfulness-in-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/mindfulness-in-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"Mindfulness in Sales: Skyrocket Your Career and Protect Your Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sales has always been a demanding job. Success requires a unique blend of resilience, constant motivation and charming personality. While currently underutilized, one of the most powerful tools at any salesperson\u2019s disposal\u2014for helping them achieve more success with a more sustainable work life\u2014is mindfulness<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n

Great salespeople have to engage with their own emotions on a daily, hourly and sometimes minute-by-minute basis. They have to manage themselves as much as they do the people around them. Mindfulness is crucial for maintaining the kind of clarity and self-awareness required to be a world-class salesperson and sustaining that performance over a long career.<\/p>\n

The problem, unfortunately, is that most salespeople don\u2019t even know what mindfulness is…<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

<\/span>What is mindfulness?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Mindfulness is awareness. To quote<\/a> one of the leaders in mindfulness practice, Mindfulness is the idea of learning how to be fully present and engaged in the moment, aware of your thoughts and feelings without distraction or judgment.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s about observing what\u2019s going on around you\u2014on the street, in the room, in your head\u2014and simply being there. Many people who think \u201cmindfulness isn\u2019t for me\u201d or \u201cit doesn\u2019t work for me\u201d are usually suffering from a misunderstanding of what mindfulness really means.<\/p>\n

When we say mindfulness can help calm you during stressful situations, it\u2019s not about convincing the brain to be calm; it\u2019s not about achieving some goal like \u201ccalmness\u201d. It\u2019s just about being present. Being aware and seeing things how they really are.<\/p>\n

Mindfulness is a practice. You need to work at it regularly, even for a few minutes per day. Deploying the \u201ctools\u201d of mindfulness takes time; it\u2019s a resource you build up slowly, not a bomb you can detonate to remove a problem.<\/p>\n

While we\u2019ll only touch on mindfulness practice in this article, we will discuss the many challenges unique to salespeople that mindfulness can help overcome. If you like the sound of them, we strongly recommend investigating mindfulness and using it to take your career to the next level.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

<\/span>An essential ingredient for longevity<\/span><\/h2>\n

Burnout is unusually high among salespeople. Our scapegoat of long hours, weekend shifts, constantly hanging by the phone, always reaching for ambitious stretch goals\u2014for a lot of salespeople, this is real life. It is an incredibly demanding career with no let up. Success breeds success and, in sales, hitting targets breeds higher targets.<\/p>\n

When you add into the mix that these workers almost never experience true \u201ctime off\u201d unless they\u2019re on vacation, it\u2019s no wonder that burnout is such a massive problem in the sector.<\/p>\n

The problem with burnout is that it\u2019s a manifestation of a gradual increase in stress: an extra hour here, a minor problem there. This eventually culminates in that state of total exhaustion brought on by long-term, unresolvable work stress.<\/p>\n

And so one day the exhaustion just hits you. It feels like it\u2019s come out of nowhere but in reality, it\u2019s been slowly building and festering for a long time. Mindfulness can tackle the problem before it ever reaches this stage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Connecting<\/p>\n

Connecting with what you\u2019re really feeling<\/h3>\n

Practising mindfulness is predominantly about bringing awareness to the body. What\u2019s going on? How do we feel? Do we normally feel that way?<\/p>\n

It might sound like a tiny effort, but recognizing and acknowledging how and what you feel is the key to preventing burnout. It can be the difference between taking a couple of days\u2019 rest and suffering a full-blown breakdown. It can be the difference between long-term sustained performance and being unable to work at all.<\/p>\n

Anecdotally, mindfulness is used by salespeople to become aware of when we\u2019re putting too much on our plate. It\u2019s about moving away from that bad habit, addressing our emotional needs and stepping off the path to burnout.<\/p>\n

Scientifically, work has recently been conducted<\/a> which analyzed the effect of an 8-week mindfulness course on the Maslach Burnout Inventory\u2014a test which measures factors like emotional exhaustion and depersonalization\u2014and the results were very positive. Further studies<\/a> on high-flying executives found that participants reported less perceived stress, improved physical and emotional health, enhanced sleep, better health-related habits and behaviors, and more self-compassion.<\/p>\n

By noticing the symptoms of burnout before they take firm root, we can address them and protect ourselves over the long term.<\/p>\n

\"Emotional<\/p>\n

<\/span>Emotional intelligence and presence with customers<\/span><\/h2>\n

Most salespeople are obsessed with closing deals, constantly building relationships and opening doors, and generally going at 110% every day. And these are fantastic attributes in an industry that rarely lets you rest on your laurels.<\/p>\n

As any good salesperson will tell you, personal relationships are fundamental to the majority of sales\u2014especially over the longer term. Once price and product requirements roughly align, relationships take over.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, sometimes salespeople get caught up in the excitement and fervour of the job. It\u2019s easy to come across as too pushy or aggressive; to go for the close too quickly; to misread the situation and let a deal slip away.<\/p>\n

Being a top-tier salesperson requires well-developed emotional intelligence; mindfulness is one of the best tools for honing this skill.<\/p>\n

How mindfulness \u201ccalms the beast\u201d<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a part of your brain called the Anterior Cingulate Cortex that\u2019s responsible for decision making, reward anticipation, ethics, impulse control and emotion\u2014many of the crucial factors that determine a great salesperson.<\/p>\n

Research from the Harvard Business Review<\/a> found that mindfulness practice literally strengthens the ACC. This means a greater capacity to be \u201cpresent\u201d during conversations, to read emotions more clearly and not rush into decisions.<\/p>\n

Part of mindfulness is learning to slow down and really take in our surroundings. When your brain is whirring along at 100mph, the practice of mindfulness means you can slow yourself down and truly focus on what the prospect is saying. You can deliver a more personable experience and be fully engaged in your conversations.<\/p>\n

In other words, mindfulness can make you one hell of an attentive salesperson.<\/p>\n

\"Coping<\/p>\n

<\/span>Coping with rejection<\/span><\/h2>\n

Part of the job if you work in sales is getting rejected. A lot. And while it\u2019s easy to give advice like \u201cdon\u2019t take it personally\u201d or \u201ctreat it as experience\u201d, it\u2019s much harder to put that into practice.<\/p>\n

A huge problem is that this kind of advice isn\u2019t really actionable. It convinces us that we need to combat how we\u2019re feeling. You need to believe<\/strong> that it\u2019s them, not you; you need to believe<\/strong> rejection isn\u2019t personal. When you\u2019re feeling down or depressed with the constant rejections, you might find yourself trying to convince yourself that you\u2019re actually happy and optimistic.<\/p>\n

After all, look at all these opportunities for growth!<\/p>\n

As you might expect, this rarely works. A core aspect to mindfulness is observing your thoughts and emotions, but not interfering with them. Say a rejection email lands in your inbox and it makes you feel like crap. Do not try to talk yourself out of feeling bad. Rejection sucks and it\u2019s okay to feel that way.<\/p>\n

This is where your mindfulness training comes in. You simply stop and observe the emotion. You find some inner calm. You are slowly able, as you sit there patiently observing your feelings and your breath, to put the rejection into context. You\u2019re able to accept it, emotionally, without it being overwhelming. You\u2019re better able to refocus and continue your day with a strong, forward-thinking mindset.<\/p>\n

Improving your pitch and offer<\/h3>\n

We’ve already mentioned the ability to take rejection like a pro and move forward\u2014but that’s not all you should be doing. A crucial part of rejection is taking the time (with a clear head and no bitterness) to understand why they said no. Mindfulness is a brilliant “hack” for giving you the clarity required to truly assess your pitch, delivery, offer and choice of prospect.<\/p>\n

Now that you\u2019re centered and \u201crecovered\u201d from the rejection, it\u2019s time to get analytical. What could you have done differently? How did you deliver your pitch? Can you ask the prospect why they said no, in order to build your presentation for the future?<\/p>\n

Trying to engage in this process without a clear head (i.e. without practising mindfulness) will lead you down false paths. You might decide the prospect was simply an idiot for not choosing you; no need to think about them!<\/p>\n

Or worse, you\u2019ll assume you are personally the problem: you\u2019re not likable, not charismatic, not clever. This is an extremely common rabbit hole for salespeople to fall down, and simple mindfulness can keep your feet firmly on the ground.<\/p>\n

\"Stressful<\/p>\n

<\/span>Calmly navigate stressful situations<\/span><\/h2>\n

Every now and then a high-stress situation will hit you like a train. In sales, these situations come up far more often than in most other roles, building on one another over the course of the day. If we haven\u2019t sufficiently recovered from the previous stress trigger, our stress levels rise to unhealthy levels.<\/p>\n

Mindfulness helps us recover faster between triggers. This means that our peak stress level doesn\u2019t compound and grow, allowing us to remain more neutral and balanced.<\/p>\n

Mindfulness is the most powerful tool in our arsenal for reducing our reactive, fearful responses to these situations\u2014but it\u2019s not a switch you can simply turn on and off. Building this kind of capacity for managing stress takes time. It takes repeated, short practices over the long-term.<\/p>\n

Consistent application\u2014even in situations where you aren\u2019t stressed at all\u2014is probably the most vital, and most difficult, aspect of mindfulness.<\/p>\n

How does this help with sales?<\/h3>\n

The more you can control your stress response over the course of a day or week, the better you can deliver pitches to clients, generate creative ideas, and weather bad news. Over the long term, it\u2019s exactly this kind of response that prevents burnout and allows us to sustain our intense work style.<\/p>\n

\"Connection<\/p>\n

<\/span>Connection to bigger goals and purpose<\/span><\/h2>\n

Something that sales roles demand more than almost any other is the need to be in the moment<\/strong>. You\u2019re juggling a dozen different conversations at once; they\u2019re all different, challenging, and all want special treatment.<\/p>\n

As we\u2019ve seen, mindfulness is extremely powerful for allowing you to stay calm, grounded, and present with all this chaos going on\u2014but what about the bigger picture?<\/p>\n

Working in sales, it can be challenging to stop and truly consider the context of our work. What am I really working towards?<\/em><\/p>\n

Mindfulness has this funny habit of making us realize what the bigger picture is. In most cases, it’s not really hitting a sales target or shifting 20,000 units of whatever\u2014it’s making a life for our kids, or making money to buy a house, or that our identity is tied to success at work. For you, it\u2019s probably something equally serious and more meaningful than simply selling.<\/p>\n

While it’s not the \u201cgoal\u201d of mindfulness to consider these things, it is a by-product of the process. The clarity we can harvest in terms of what we’re doing and why (really why) is extremely empowering. It can make rejection easier and it can prevent us from chasing down bad opportunities, as well a helping us find greater fulfilment in our daily work.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

<\/span>Why isn\u2019t mindfulness common practice already?<\/span><\/h2>\n

For many, it\u2019s the simple perception that mindfulness is some woo-woo airy-fairy nonsense\u2014something that hard-hitting, strong, successful salespeople don\u2019t have time for. This perception is changing, however.<\/p>\n

As the wider world wakes up to the idea that mindfulness doesn’t mean living on a mountain and foraging in profound silence for five years, but is in fact an immensely powerful tool for creating more impactful, centered, meaningful lives, it is becoming much more prevalent in all sectors.<\/p>\n

For others, it\u2019s simply that they\u2019re \u201ctoo busy\u201d. \u201cCome on. Right in the middle of a crazy day with meetings, client visits, calls, and slowly sinking into the ground, and you want me to stop everything and just “be” for 10 minutes? That’s crazy talk!\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But actually, that\u2019s the whole point. You need to stop now and then to prevent that burnout, cope with stress and get clarity on the big picture. It\u2019s about the quality of time, not just the duration.<\/p>\n