How To Manage And Support Your Sales Team Mental Health
Every salesperson has to face unrelenting expectations to perform and execute their tasks on time. Unfortunately, this can take a dramatic toll on your mental health and sales performance.
Team members must understand the impact of mental health and how they should support one another through tough times. Providing support and guidance about mental health among salespeople is essential. It’s recommended that sales leaders bolster their sales team’s mental health by creating an open environment to discuss their worries and troubles, which will drive consistency and increased performance.
What is mental health when considering sales?
Sales and Anxiety come hand in hand, especially when you’re so close to your goal and one golden deal could it get over the line.
Usually, stress and Anxiety can dip at the beginning of the month because it’s “a new month, new me”, but pressure can build up as the weeks go by. For some, it never drops. A recent study found that 68% of individuals feel anxious and pressured to hit their quota for over three months and never feel relaxed in their job. So at some point, they break. Yes, closing a deal can be elating, but losing a prospect that you have worked on for months on end can cause depression, which will affect your current disposition and mood.
So what can sales leaders and organisations do to support their team’s mental health?
Develop strong communication between the team and their managers.
Knowing how to communicate with your team members is more than just assigning tasks. Strong communication between coworkers may lead to powerful teamwork, adequate performance, and trust among themselves.
Provide clear and insightful instructions.
When assigning tasks, make sure that the instructions are clear and concise. Straightforward tasks and procedures can help guide your teammates into doing a proper job.
Allow individuals to set their tasks and motivators.
Giving team members accountability gives them a sense of agency in their work. Setting goals and allowing them to choose how to achieve them will enable them to feel empowered and to have a voice. It is essential to provide them with a platform for all employees to share their thoughts and collaborate.
Create a supportive but driven atmosphere.
Creating an environment of winning together enables low performers to feel still part of the team and at “the chopping block”. Building a structure and networks is key to a successful team and ultimately helps sales people progress professionally but, most importantly, personally.