Every salesperson has experienced Mental Health issues at some point during their career. Most have at least one nightmare Mental Health story where work became totally overwhelming.
However this post is about sharing stories from contributors about when we as a community got Mental Health in sales right.
Times when our Mental Health was suffering and our workplace, leaders and/or peers did the right things to support us so we could recover.
When it comes to Mental Health small changes in behaviour matter A LOT.
They are clues to Mental Health issues in sales and when signs are missed they can have major consequences.
Consequences like under performance or retention issues.
Below are two stories from two anonymous contributors. One manager was attentive to the change and resolved diffused rep anxiety that was building up. The other manager was not and lost a great employee.
Small changes in behaviour with major positive and negative consequences.
Story 1 – Getting it Wrong – Submitted by Anonymous
“I actually wanted to attend one of your Mental Health Workshops and had sent an email to my boss and his superior asking to attend. Even offered to present to our sales team, what I had learned.
I was shocked that both of them ignored my message.
When I was ignored, I didn’t feel comfortable bringing it up to them when I saw them in person, because I thought there was a reason why they neglected my request.
Needless to say, I didn’t feel that my previous company cared about my Mental Health. As a result, I was happy to move on to another company that did care.”
Story 2 – Spotting Mental Health Issues – Submitted by Anonymous
“Hey man, just wanted to say thanks again. I’ve been struggling with things piling up recently and it’s certainly taken its toll on me psychologically.
After my boss saw me connecting with your Mental Health posts on LinkedIn, he approached me to check how things were going. We were able to have a frank discussion about Mental Health. Then we worked out how best we can manage these things moving forward.
I was definitely anxious about broaching the subject before, but he was able to alleviate those preconceptions.
Basically keep doing you man. You’re making a difference!”
Spotting Mental Health Issues in Sales – Key Learning:
The difference between a good sales manager and a bad one doesn’t always come down to whose team performs better.
Bad sales managers often have their heads so buried in spreadsheets, CRMs and putting out fires that they’ll miss small warning signs when their reps are struggling.
Even if their team does perform one month, it will be hard to remain consistent if good talent is continuously walking out the door.
A good sales manager has a team that hits target, but is also attentive to the micro-changes in their reps behaviour. They check in on them when their intuition is telling them something is off.
Sometimes it’s nothing and sometimes it’s something BIG.
So it’s always worth checking.
If you’re “too busy” to do this throughout the day then make sure you keep track on a notepad. Document the changes you perceive and bring them up in your weekly 1 on 1’s with reps.
When you notice the little things, it’s also a great way to show your team you care about them. It’s clear the sales rep in Story 2 developed a much deeper bond after receiving the support they did.
Only when you know you have a loyal sales team can you truly have peace of mind as a sales leader.
Tell Your Story
If you have a story about a time when you were struggling with your Mental Health and you found support in your workplace we’d love for you to share!
Your story can help create hope for people in toxic environments. It can also provide direction on how we can improve workplace Mental Health together.
To submit your story please click on the button below.
Submit Your Mental Health Story
