Five ways to slay the burnout beast

Even in robust and thriving economy business owners and sales people get burned out. One of the biggest obstacles these professionals are facing is the battle of burnout. “Sales burnout” is the inability to continue to function at top professional efficiency or at the previous level. Burnout is a debilitating condition in any profession, but can be a career killer for anyone in the sales profession.

Very few sales people recognize or admit to burnout, especially when they are in the midst of burning out. Some of the red flag symptoms include increased absenteeism, withdrawal, deteriorating performance, low energy and feelings of dread at the thought of another day of work. Then cynicism sets in and they begin complaining about their customers, managers, the products they sell and the economy they have to sell in.

This crash and burn is tragic because sales burnout is not just about a personal hard ship, it involves the devastating loss of a highly valuable company asset. Management has to spend time, money and energy in addressing or replacing the burned out victim. It is up to the sales manager or staff to see the signs before it is too late.

Sales burnout can be beaten, so when the symptoms and warning signs begin to show up, make sure to take action to prevent burnout from taking hold. Here are five ways to slay the burnout beast:

1. Take care of yourself: Salespeople that are always on the run can fall into bad eating habits. Eating fast food in the car between sales calls, getting snacks from vending machines and grabbing something quick running through airports can pack on the pounds and adversely affect health. How can you take care of customers and perform your peak efficiency if you body is not at its peak?

2. Take some time off: How long has it been since your last vacation? A long weekend in 1998? Many salespeople put off vacations and don’t spend time on their favorite hobbies. Everybody needs a break. Play a round of golf, schedule a massage, go for a workout or just hang out. Put it on your calendar and schedule it just like you would an appointment with a customer.

3. Leave work at work: Many business and sales professionals are now tethered to their job via a Blackberry, Droid or some other device. It becomes increasingly difficult to avoid working twenty four hours a day. Occasionally we all have to work at night or on the weekends. The key is to set an expectation when important projects arise. If you really don’t need to work, keep the electronics off. Don’t login just because you are curious.

4. Start fresh with a positive attitude: When people get into the burnout phase, they tend to dwell on it. Start fresh and leave the past where it belongs, in the past. If you haven’t been seeing enough customers, cold calling or networking, stop dwelling on failures and focus on fresh opportunities. Start thinking, acting and talking like an upbeat peak performer. It is an essential ingredient to your sales success.

5. Change your routine: Shake up your day and make a complete change to your routine. Change time you wake up, the time you leave for work, what you do for lunch…everything! Restructure your day and watch what happens to your mindset and your paycheck. Ruts and routines are bad for business, and devastating for sales people.
Recognizing the symptoms and taking action can save your sanity, your job or your business.

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