Stress, anxiety, deadlines…so many deadlines. They’re creeping up and they’re not going away until the work is done. Send help....SOS...
I know that feeling all too well.
A life in sales is not a life that one goes into without frequently second guessing their career choice. Whether it’s, “sorry, they’re not available right now. Can I take a message?” or that annoying *click* of a phone being hung up in your face, sometimes it can feel like the whole world is out to get you and that sweet, sweet commission might as well not exist.
It’s not all bad though. If you find yourself in a good team with a good leader, you’ve generally got people to lean on when the going gets tough. Sometimes you contact that one lead who you may not have managed to convert, but just speaking to them brightens up your day a bit because they treated you like an actual human being. Good times!
I’ve come a long way in my sales career and learned a whole lot along the way, but it’s still not easy work. The mind is a funny thing and does it’s best to work against you sometimes. In saying that, you just need to know how to defend yourself against it. After all we are our own greatest enemy!
The best weapon we have is a little thing called mindfulness.
Mindfulness is described as “paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity and without judgement” and I can confirm, if used correctly, it helps...like A LOT!
Everyone practices mindfulness differently. Mindfulness can be taking a walk, reading a book, cooking a meal, getting out in nature...it doesn’t have to just be meditation! You can practice mindfulness anywhere at anytime, just pay attention and be present in what it is you’re doing!
To me, mindfulness is just taking a little time to refocus and reset. Sometimes I’ll take a walk in the park or I’ll put my headphones on and listen to some music, all the while focusing on exactly what I’m doing in that moment and nothing else. An easy way to do this is to engage your senses, take a big deep breath through your nose, what can you smell? Or simply notice the smallest beat in the music you’re listening to.
Being behind on sales targets is frustrating, I know, but the brain doesn’t like to be overworked. What I’ve come to realise is that taking 5 minutes out of my day to stop and reset is the best thing for it.
Since adding a little mindfulness to my day I’ve proven myself an absolute asset as a salesman by consistently exceeding my yearly targets, resulting in a promotion (that’s the dream, isn’t it?). I’m less stressed which means my head is clear and I can forge more meaningful, valuable relationships with my clients. I’ve even gone on to win a corporate fundraising boxing match. That may not seem like the most mindful activity, but I swear my mindfulness techniques came into play in the ring and helped me think more clearly while being knocked about.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s ok to take a bit of “me” time. That’s the only way your brain can keep up with a hectic sales lifestyle. Give it a try. You might just notice a difference!
Ryan Verba looks after HubSpot's operations for direct enterprises across ANZ. Using 10+ years of knowledge and experience around inbound marketing and sales growth, he helps large companies transform the way they engage with their prospects and customers online.