Everyone knows that sales can be incredibly stressful and even mentally taxing. But did you know that it is considered one of the most stressful jobs in the working world– it’s even up in the rankings with paramedic, surgeon, and air traffic controller. In fact, according to the recent findings of US News, sales fall under the category of the top 25 most highly stressful jobs. And when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. After all, most salespeople rely on their performance for a large part of their paycheck. So with all this built-up stress, how are salespeople expected to perform without feeling burnt out from exhaustion and pressure?
The scary truth is that burnout is becoming more common among salespeople. According to a survey on sales burnout conducted by UNCrushed.org, an alarming 67% of sales professionals are dangerously close to burning out of their current roles. Additionally, the average ranking of stress among salespeople is a staggering 7 out of 10. This means that the avenues of relief that companies are offering are insufficient in resolving their employee’s recurring stress.
For instance, most companies offer some sort of mentoring or educational programs to deal with burnout as a result of immense pressure or anxiety, and while these programs may temporarily appease stress, it does not allow professionals to fully overcome the pressure. It explains why organizations everywhere are turning to sales coaching as a way to help their employees deal with the stresses that come along with working in sales.
Although they may seem similar, the difference between sales coaching and mentoring is vast. Mentoring can typically be described as the guidance passed down from a senior employee to a junior employee. And despite being helpful in a handful of scenarios, the benefits of mentoring programs are limited.
With sales coaching, employees have an external resource to flesh out any conflicts that arise within their role, some of which might not be appropriate to discuss with an internal mentor. Additionally, sales or leadership coaches are certified professionals that utilize performance psychology to define goals and potential interferences that might keep a salesperson from performing at their highest level.
By working with a sales coach, professionals begin to develop the skills necessary to reach their goals and to handle the stress that accompanies sales. For example, if you are preparing for a large presentation, your sales coach will guide you through the steps of preparation, performance, and recovery, so that you can knock that presentation out of the park. And more importantly, you and your coach can reflect on the situation with a growth mindset; understanding where you fell short and learning ways to avoid shortcomings in the future. All of this boosts confidence and encourages heightened sales performance and engagement, which in turn reduces burnout.
Sales coaching provides sales professionals with the opportunity to learn and develop new sales skills and knowledge. Coaches work with individuals to identify areas of improvement and provide guidance and training on specific sales techniques they need to enhance their ability to generate leads and close deals.
Sales coaching also helps to boost the confidence and motivation of sales professionals. Through coaching, individuals are able to identify and overcome any personal or professional obstacles that may be holding them back. This leads to an increase in self-belief, which in turn helps to drive motivation and a desire to succeed.
By developing sales skills and knowledge, increasing confidence and motivation, and working on personal and professional obstacles, sales coaching leads to improved sales performance and better results. Sales professionals are able to generate more leads, close more deals and achieve higher sales targets.
Improved performance and results lead to less burnout, increased job satisfaction, and opportunities for career advancement. Sales professionals who receive coaching are more likely to be recognized for their achievements and to be considered for promotions and other career opportunities. Sales coaching not only helps individuals to achieve their goals but also helps them build a successful and rewarding career in sales.
Whether a prospect changes their mind at the last minute or your potential buyers are ignoring your messages, being in sales is tough. It takes a special kind of person to be successful in a sales environment.
Some evident qualities of successful sales leaders might consist of
All great qualities to possess, but difficult to maintain when an excessive amount of stress is present. Sales coaches use a number of techniques to understand what causes a leader's stress to find the methods that will be most effective in resolving that stress, so they can focus on doing their job without lingering anxiety.
Find the method that’s right for the individual. Although many salespeople have similar qualities, everyone is different. Understanding what methods work best to empower an individual is a sales coach’s specialty. They work to understand how an individual learns, how they communicate, and how they react to conflict, all to define techniques to help leaders proactively address challenges so they can avoid stress and succeed on a higher scale.
Set measurable goals. For those that are extreme go-getters, it might be typical to set high, even unattainable goals for themselves, leading to disappointment and shattered confidence when they are not met. By working alongside a sales coach, leaders have an additional voice of reason to determine whether or not those goals are practical. Additionally, a sales coach will help set guidelines and milestones necessary to achieve the overall goal, so leaders can feel accomplished when they conquer each task, as they are now one step closer to achieving the goal.
Create opportunities to practice. With the help of a sales coach, leaders can walk through stress-triggering situations to have the skills to avoid or work through stress when it arises.
Regularly track process. As humans, we often dwell on times when mistakes were made, making it easy to forget about our progress. Sales coaches keep an individual's progress at the forefront, igniting a growth mindset and enabling them to view challenges and mistakes as opportunities to grow.
Provide regular feedback. In addition to reminding leaders of their progress, sales coaches allow you to view situations from a different lens; introducing a new perspective that can alter your emotional biases to the situation which allows you to address things with a stable mind.
The key to reducing the stress of the members of your sales team is to recognize each challenge they might face so that you can provide them with the necessary support. It is also important to create opportunities for growth and development so they can feel confident within their career and your organization.
Utilizing sales coaching for leadership development is the best way to enable your leaders to thrive in their careers and in your organization. Valor Performance Coaches are skilled experts in working directly with sales professionals under pressure. Our elite coaches and digital exercises are designed to empower high performers to excel at their positions and reach their potential. Request a demo to learn more about Valor Performance Coaching and how it can drive your business to success.