“Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion. Usually brought on by prolonged or repeated stress.”

Psychology Today

As we dive into common facts and causes of burnout within sales teams, we will also touch on how to identify signs of burnout and steps of action you can consider. Compensation is clearly a driving motivator for sales teams to hit their goals.

In order to distinguish signs of burnout, you’ll have to conduct weekly 1:1 ‘s to review metrics and performance. That said, having sales-driven data tools like SalesForce, HubSpot, Salesvue, and FrontSpin can provide these reports. Now let’s take a look at why salespeople typically experience burnout.

Causes for Sales Burnout

Not For Everyone: Mental Burnout

I can speak from past experience in this regard. Since sales can feel like a game of survival, it’s not for everyone.

At times, occupations in sales are commonly chosen because of the high demand to generate ROI. Therefore, it’s common to wind up in a sales position coming out of college. Even if it’s to just get you by until you land your dream job.

That said, we all can relate to a degree. Shoot, I studied exercise science and nutrition. So, what did that mean for me? Well, I thought I’d have to sell computers for a living. Instead, I learned to quickly commit to accelerating my sales career.

Exhaustion: Physical Burnout

Sales will always be a volume game and can seem frustrating at times. So, it’s common to experience daily exhaustion. Think about it, you are dialing numbers all day. In most cases, you’re reaching voicemails. It can get rather dull when your connection rate is low.

Furthermore, exhaustion will be present in the sales prospecting and closing process. Simply put, you’ll need a plan to identify and separate top performers. In return, you’ll discover what your best performers are doing to avoid fatigue.

Lack of Motivation

Know whose motivated on your sales team vs. whose not. Additionally, it will be provided in the data. If you see a steady decline in results week-to-week, it might indicate burnout. As a result, company performance takes a hit. Sales reps that experience a lack of motivation will lack drive in hitting their goals.

Negative Emotions: Emotional Burnout

Negative feelings on the calling floor will cause harm to success rates in sales. So, be proactive and think of solutions to lighten up their spirits. If that does not work, encourage days off.

However, they might just need a break. It’s not a bad thing. In other words, try suggesting personal days when burnout is present can allow one to feel revived and back to new.

How To Prevent Sales Burnout?

Sales Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

Performance improvement is defined as measuring the output of a particular business process or procedure. Therefore, It requires modifying procedures to increase performance.

1:1 Manager Consultations

First, refer to your CRM and sales data will help shed light on what’s working and what’s not. Secondly, ask questions like,

  • “Do you have other ambitions?”
  • “Is everything okay?”
  • “How can we help to make you successful?”

“Trust-Tree” Meetings

Trust-tree meetings are implemented to improve transparency in sales environments. That said, it’s common on the sales floor to hear miscommunicated information. Therefore, trust-tree meetings should include the entire organization. As a result, everyone is reminded of the company goals and back on the same page.