Managing your Mental Health as a B2B Sales Professional
Isaac Wadick
I, like many in the B2B Sales Profession, have struggled with the extreme highs and crippling lows that are part and parcel of this profession. It’s natural to link your self-worth to your results in life, even when they are often outside of your control, which is a dangerous trap when trying to maintain consistently positive mental health.
After more than 10 years in this profession, I had almost normalised the emotional rollercoaster I was constantly on. It did eventually hit a breaking point. After losing a million dollar deal that was worth at least 50k in commission, to factors largely out of my control, I needed a break. I ended up quitting my role and taking a few months off. It was this time away that helped me begin to unpack and resolve the unhealthy habits and mindset that had plagued me for many years. They were having severe impacts on my relationships and health. I was not the healthy and happy person I desired to be.
In spite of all this negativity, across those first 10 years in this profession, I had experienced unmatchable highs and years of income I never thought I would achieve in my whole career, let alone in my 20’s and early 30’s. At the core of what I was doing, I also loved the profession. I just had to figure out how to operate a healthy life in parallel, or it would eventually put me in an early grave and/or leave me divorced.
1. Find the ‘right’ Boss & Company
Find a boss and company that places the focus on your wellbeing, development, outputs and skills over your final sales results. If they support you in these areas, the results will come if the business is setup for success. If the focus is simply on what ‘deals you bring in’ this will only serve the problem of attaching your self-worth to your sales results, which leads to an emotional rollercoaster given no Sales Professional is immune from poor performing periods.
2. Make time During Every Working Day for a Personal Wellness Activity
Block out time in your calendar every day to commit to an activity outside your work. I always recommend exercise or physical activity to increase to flow of all the positive chemicals in your brain, however a hobby has also worked well in my experience. I alternate in a week between going for high intensity bike rides, boxing classes (sparring sessions), meditation and playing the guitar (be I very much a novice at it). All of these activities create space in my mind from my sales activities and also help increase my confidence and self worth in other aspects of my life. Find an activity that interests you or has a great net outcome (ie boosted mood from exercise). And let your leader know you are bloking out time in your diary to do this. If they aren’t supportive of this and don’t see how this will make you a better Sales Professional, refer to point 1.
3. Focus on what you can control, not your Sales Results
It’s so much easier said than done and this is the one I have struggled with the most. Learn to focus on your daily output and skill development rather than worrying about whether deals are going to come in and anything outside of your control. Sure, you need to always think about how you can influence your deals, however if you have done everything you can, then it’s time to detach from the outcome. If your company promotes sales leaderboards, I always see this as warning sign. Not a ‘must get out of here’ situation but something to mindful of culture wise. If your company does promote sales leaderboard and share them, learn to understand that it’s very unlikely you will always be at the top or at the bottom. Is all you can control is what you do each and every single day. If there are consistent top performers, this presents an opportunity for you to approach them to learn about how and why they are so successful.
4. Plan a life that doesn’t rely on Commission
Plan a life that doesn’t rely on you making commission to pay off your mortgage or be able to afford that lifestyle you desire. Your commission should be the icing on the cake. You never know when an incident like Covid will arrive, a market will have exterior forces that mean your product/ service is no longer require, or your competitors become too strong. The more you have riding on your commission cheques, the more pressure you put on yourself. As a result you will naturally attach your self-wroth and confidence to your sales results. See point 3.
5. Quality & Mindful time with Friends & Family – stop checking emails at all hours
Focus on your close relationships and open up about how you might be struggling with things like a bad quarter and pressure from your boss. It’s a simple one and we all know it, but we often don’t put it in practice. Listen to hear not to speak and without distraction. Contact one close friend at least once a week (ideally more often) and check-in with them.
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I didn’t transform overnight, however I began a journey of prioritising my fitness, changing my eating habits, and ensuring I always made time for the important people in my life. And genuine time uninterrupted by checking work emails and taking calls. Most importantly, I began detaching from the end results to my self-worth and belief in my ability. Although Sales Professionals often seem confident on the exterior, they are usually craving recognition and positive reinforcement to feel good about themselves. Its’ not their fault, as the nature of this role over time morphs you into someone incredibly driven by the dopamine releases achieved through sales success. Recognition also mimics this kind of dopamine release.
The rewiring of your brain to become a dopamine addict (if you weren’t already one), translates into the other problems and addictions Sales Professional often pick up like alcohol, food and drugs. Although many become obsessed with healthier options like extreme exercise and recreational competition.
So how do you unpack all of this and learn how to detach from the outcomes to ensure yours self-worth and confidence is not tied to your Sales Performance? I am no psychologist, but I have been on the journey myself and made significant and measurable changes to my life. And the irony is that making these changes improved me as a Sales Professional, allowing me to achieve better outcomes and results in my profession. Here is what has worked for me:
