Burnout WILL cost you money

For those of us salesmen who are high performers, we tend to spend quite a lot of our free time engaged in some kind of self development. Consuming podcasts, webinars, and audiobooks about sales and the art of selling with a ravenous appetite are certainly hallmarks of the highest skilled and most competitive in our field. While it is certainly important to always be sharpening your saw, so to speak, I feel it is important to acknowledge the potential downside: BURNOUT.

I am speaking from experience. When I first got started in my commission based sales career many years ago, I was HOOKED! The feeling of receiving a big fat check that was directly proportionate to my efforts rather than a flat exchange for my precious time was exhilarating, and I instantly wanted more. I was driven to outperform my peers and become the very best there is at what I do, and so I started reading everything I could get my hands on. Very quickly I realized that if I started listening to books rather than just reading them, I could consumer 5 books in one week rather than just one. In a short period of time I advanced in this pursuit of self development to the point where my every waking moment was spent either in the act of selling or in studying the act of selling. this did of course have some benefits, I advanced my skills very quickly and surpassed most of my peers in sales volume month to month. I kept up this frantic pace for about two years straight. But there were also some serious consequences.

While my sales skills were advancing, other areas of my life were suffering. My personal relationships dwindled. My marriage did not get nearly enough attention from me. My physical health declined from the stress I was putting myself under and every area of my life that was not directly related to work suffered. This not only worsened my personal life, but as my general mental state declined, so too did my sales. In the end, I actually worsened my production at work, the exact opposite of what I was trying to accomplish in the first place. I was burned all the way out.

 It became clear that I needed to strive for more balance and less obsession. I dialed back the many hours I was spending on studying my craft and made the conscious choice to give more attention and focus to my marriage, my friendships and my hobbies. When I brought balance back into my life, not only did my personal health, my marriage and my relationships improve, but so did my sales. Balance is so very necessary! 

There is nothing wrong with being driven, and I would certainly encourage any salesman to spend some time outside of work studying their craft and improving their skills, but I would also remind you that work isn't everything. That you are not your numbers. That there is more to your life than the act of selling. Make sure you strive for balance between work and your personal life, and when you do, you'll be delighted to see that as a result, your commissions will also increase.

Wishing you all a productive and BALANCED day! Now go get those fat stacks!

~Kat Jack