How is your stress-life? It seems like the number one area I am addressing in coaching today is the reduction of high levels of stress. As peak performing salespeople try to accomplish more in their work day, their stress level seems to increase exponentially. Many accept this as fact and believe it is an offshoot of heightened performance and greater effectiveness while others are committed to implementing stress- reducing strategies as they go through life.
I received an email from someone who regularly reads my column where she stated that she was at the top of her sales stack ranking and wondered if it were worth it. The degree of stress she was experiencing was ruining her personal life and a good night’s sleep was a distant memory. After a brief email exchange, we agreed to meet to discuss the problem. About 20 minutes into our meeting, I determined her problem was associated with the choices she made regarding time. She prided herself on being a "multi-tasker" and credited her success with keeping a lot of balls in the air. My behavioral assessment did substantiate the fact that she did have an incredible tolerance for stress which she celebrated as a strength. By the end of our session, she had a greater idea of ways she could control her stress level.
Here is a summary of the advice I gave her to reduce stress and transform time from a liability to an asset:
- Execute a pattern analysis: Analyze what you do and why you do it. Identify unproductive patterns that are mindlessly performed even though they don't achieve the desired result.
- Stay on goal time, not clock time: Manage daily activities with goals. Set daily/weekly and monthly goals as a road-map of success. As an aside, goal setters typically accomplish more than problem solvers if they have the discipline to stay focused on the prize.
- Allocate behavior vs manage time: You can't manage time! Sure, everyone tries to, but time wasters will still invariably creep in. Choose the top 10 behaviors necessary for success, plug them into a calendar and use each behavioral time block within it as a commitment to act.
- Act systematically: Build systems and methodologies and then rely on them. Systematize prospecting, selling, managing and servicing as well as other impact sales functions.
- Develop a life calendar: Maintain a comprehensive calendar that incorporates both professional and personal schedules.. Many times, salespeople fool themselves into believing there is more time available that there actually is and continue to add tasks that must be accomplished.
Bonus: Learn to say NO! Saying No is not a sign of weakness and should be judiciously used to create a realistic pace for the work week. Continuously saying YES to all requests elevates stress and creates an imbalance in life.
Time is a finite resource that must be used wisely and the lack of it is a key driver of stress. My research reveals the astonishing fact that most average salespeople waste about 40% of their week and try to be hyper-productive in what’s left. Some of the most significant contributing factors that raise stress levels are: inadequate planning, heavy focus on problem solving, lack of self-discipline, selling by crisis, and procrastination.
My mantra is "Control those things in life that I can and learn to deal with those things that are beyond my control." With this belief, I don't get bogged down trying to be superhuman and I am able to develop a realistic and balanced course of action.
The following quote from Carl Sandburg is among my favorites, "Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."
Go conquer your worlds!
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