6 Strategies to Help Your Sales Team Cope With Rejection
For many years, mental health awareness was not considered a priority for team leaders and managers. Thankfully, we have come a long way in the past couple of decades. Mental illness is no longer as stigmatized as it once was. However, many of the external factors that contribute to feelings of intense stress and burnout are on the rise. Often for a sales team, continued rejection is the driving force behind mental and emotional anguish at work. Is your team equipped with the right coping mechanisms?
Additionally, as market competition increases and the economy continues to slow, team leaders should take steps to ensure that their business is a haven for their sales team. A positive in-house environment can inspire your sales team to cope better with the difficulties they encounter outside the office. Below are six key strategies to consider when building an office culture that emphasizes mental health awareness.
1. Encourage Your Team to Take Time Off
We do not need to tell you about the restorative power of a long vacation. We also do not need to tell you how certain people may feel too guilty to take time off from work, particularly during the busy seasons.
Make sure that your sales team knows taking adequate time off is not just a luxury, it is also a necessity to avoid feelings of burnout and remain as focused and sharp as possible upon their return. If you notice your sales team becoming increasingly sluggish and demotivated as the week wears on, and your business can afford to do, consider advocating for a 4-day workweek as well.
2. Institute Regular Check-Ins
Many of those experiencing poor mental health tend to suffer in silence rather than share their feelings out of fear of instilling shame and judgment from their superiors. Do not give your sales team a reason to believe that their vulnerability will be met with hostility.
Rather, schedule regular mental health check-ins. These check-ins not only contribute to a more open, honest atmosphere in-house, but they also send the message that if a member of your team is struggling with a mental health crisis they will know how to most effectively express those feelings.
3. Provide developmental Training and Mentorship Opportunities
Confidence and stability can only be built within your team if they are secure in their skills and capabilities as salespeople. Poor mental health only compounds in itself when people feel isolated and ill-prepared for their duties and responsibilities.
Prioritize skills development, training and mentorship and build a progressive and competent team. Utilize your own skills and expertise and share what you have learned with those who would benefit the most from a new, robust training program.
4. Evaluate Their Sales Calls
We have spoken previously about the importance of evaluating your team’s sales calls. In short, sales call evaluations greatly help your sales team feel gradually more confident and prepared for each subsequent call. In the context of helping to cope with rejection, this practice also highlights areas of improvement that may contribute to a caller turning down a sales pitch.
Thoroughly examining the common reasons why a caller would reject a sales pitch is an essential component of combating feelings of self-consciousness and doubt. Do not allow your sales team to dwell on past mistakes. Instead, show them a path forward and reassure them that rejection is inevitable and sometimes completely out of their hands, regardless of performance.
5. Get the Right People in the Right Seats
Perhaps members of your sales team, as well as those working in separate departments are experiencing high levels of stress because their unique talents are not compatible with their current position. An inability to cope with rejection may be a telltale sign that a salesperson is not currently well-equipped for the job, particularly if they show no signs of improvement in that area over an extended period of time.
Sometimes, a radical reorganization is necessary to enact lasting change. Take a step back and ensure that everyone's strengths are being utilized to the fullest extent possible.
6. Incentivize Hitting Sales targets
As a manager and the leader in your organization, it is your responsibility to motivate and challenge your team to keep them engaged and encouraged to perform at their peak. Providing a financial incentive is a guaranteed way to inspire your team to collaboratively find creative ways to attract and retain customers.
Rejection is a genuine human fear that is experienced by every single individual, from business owners to sales executives alike. The most effective preparation against fear is to accept that there is and will always be a possibility in any given engagement, especially a sales pitch. Train your mind to redirect your focus from selling to providing value to your customer and allow them the opportunity to make an informed decision, even if that means rejecting your offering.
Managing your team’s fear of rejection could be a matter of perception which could be resolved with a few mental realizations, script alterations, role plays and an analysis of their recorded sales calls. Get in touch with our office today to learn how our Outsourced Sales Strategy services can empower your business with proven, workable strategies centered on in-house mental health reform, all for a fraction of the cost of onboarding an in-house Chief Sales Officer.
If you are interested in outsourced sales management services for your firm, we here at Sebastian Lane can help point you in the right direction. Feel free to reach out for further information, resources, and recommendations. Call Sebastian Lane Consulting at 443-534-6783 or email us at jesse@sebastianlaneconsulting.com.