For many professionals, achieving work-life balance is harder than it sounds. This is especially true in sales. When every dollar counts towards your quota, you’re far more likely to answer your phone at the dinner table, respond to emails during a movie, and generally spend every fee minute focused on closing deals.
While it can be difficult to “cut the cord” and unplug when you’re outside of the office – without feeling crushed by guilt or fear of leaving money on the table – there are steps you can take to help you strike a healthier balance.
Exercise Every Day
Sticking to a daily gym routine can be difficult, but exercise should be a priority for every salesperson, especially inside salespeople who sit at their desks 8-10 hours a day. Even if you simply take a walk at lunch time, make time every day to move around. Taking care of your body will improve the sharpness and focus of your mind. Exercise is also the single most effective way to fight stress. Regular exercise will also help you stay healthier which means you’ll be less likely to catch colds or the flu. After all, as a salesperson, you can’t afford to be sick when you’ve got deals to close.
Learn The Power of the Word “No.”
By nature, sales professionals are “people-pleasers.” In an effort to make a client happy, salespeople may feel as though they have to skip dinner with the family, put off a doctor’s appointment, or reject a long weekend away in favor of getting a jump start on Monday morning. While there will be times when you have to trade personal time for work (everybody has to, these days), don’t make it a habit. If a client can only meet after four pm, schedule the meeting on a day when you know your kids won’t have a soccer game. If a client must call you over the weekend, set a timer and politely end the call after half an hour. You can give your clients your personal time, but you shouldn’t give them your entire personal life.
Set Boundaries
The first time you take a call or answer an email from a client at nine pm, you’ve set a precedent. As salespeople, our biggest fear is that if we don’t answer the phone, a competitor will. While this may be true, you don’t want to get in bed with a client who consistently calls you late in the evening or on weekends. The stress isn’t worth it. If a client calls or emails late in the evening, respond the very first thing during the workday. You may be supposed how quickly you can “train” customers to keep their expectations in check.
If you are a professional salesperson in the enterprise software field on the hunt for new and exciting opportunities that will afford you a healthy work-life balance, contact Strategic Search Solutions. We are a full-service recruiting firm that works to place enterprise software sales professionals with some of the most innovative companies in the market. We’ll work with you to help you achieve your long-term career goals, without sacrificing your mental health.