eBusiness Weekly
Robert Gonye
January for most sales teams, companies and executives is the month of relaxation. Recovery from the hectic December targets and sales of yesteryear is never an easy ordeal. As January comes to an end, all sales teams are now geared for a fresh and busy 2019.
Our focus today addresses the key concerns on managing a work-life balance. This is a topic that comes up quite often in today’s workplaces. The subject matter is personal yet vital. I must say the idea of a work-life balance is especially prevalent in sales.
Sales is a gruelling role: long days, long hours, and a job that requires you to be “on” most, if not all, of the time.
Just before burn out or exhaustion catches up, we will share on how to reduce the fatigue. Valentine’s Day targets are just a few weeks away and Easter will be the next big thing too. In order to manage the work life balance and make it a fit, allow me to share on some key recommendations for yourself and even your team.
Exercise as often as possible
You might be thinking how this will affect business and sales . . . every way possible! This should go without saying, but taking care of your body will help take care of your mind and improve your performance at work. Studies show that not only will you look, feel, and perform better, but you’ll have a healthy way to relieve the stresses of your daily routine.
Objections, hours of prospecting, and always having a positive attitude can be exhausting! When you have not only a place but also an activity that can help you be competitive with something outside of work, you have an amazing outlet to unwind.
Any kind of exercise that you enjoy will do. For instance, I do soccer on weekends and jogging during the week which really helps me relax. Exercising will always reduce the likelihood of getting sick.
Eating healthy
Almost along the same lines as working out, you need to take care of your insides with the right foods, one needs to adjust his diet and reduce junk food intakes.
Ever notice how after a big lunch all you want to do is to sleep. Eating healthy and not drinking alcohol during the week will help keep you clear and alert, allowing you to think and articulate clearly at work.
Give yourself some me-time
Me-time is a serious game changer. Many famous businesspeople have attributed their success to allowing one to have some me-time, time which you spend alone and just empty your thoughts on a piece of paper and you measure your progress versus your set expectations, could be as simple as writing all the achievements on one side of the paper and another side all the areas of improvement. Trust me this always gives you clarity in what you are doing and how fast you are progressing. With an intense position like sales, it’s imperative to take time to reflect and distress.
Imagine how you or another person will be able to try to fashion a daily calendar routine and set aside 10 minutes just to sit and breathe. You’ll be amazed at the results and your ability after your mini-break to handle pressure and manage your plans better.
Learn to say no
Sometimes, as salespeople, we feel like we can and should always be working. We turn down time with friends or family, put off doctor’s appointments, or don’t take a long weekend in favour of getting an early start on a Monday morning or taking that Friday afternoon demo or team briefing session.
In order to create a work-life balance, you need to make time for you and what makes you happy. Love to draw? Sign up for a class, even if it’s at 5pm on a Tuesday. Want to learn a new trade in E-commerce for a few hours? Just do it!
Being the best involves making time for what puts a smile on your face. Don’t sacrifice those things you enjoy for work. Odds are, you’re a miserable employee if you do. Don’t feel obligated to say yes to every project if it’s going to detract from your valuable free time.
Keep your schedule organised
If you’re anything like the top organised, you live and die by your calendar. Everything is noted down except maybe taking a shower. Luckily, we all have a private space, but I do know there are key elements that are unique to you alone which when executed on the calendar you do them religiously even if it’s a scheduled prayer time or exercise routine, and there is nothing wrong with that. Live your life like it’s a timetable to get the best out of all dead time.
Planning out your day can have huge effects, as it can make you feel more grounded at work. No matter what your style is, try to block off time in your calendar for every activity which has the most impact on you as an individual right alongside your prospecting and calls. Make sure you balance it with some fun in your calendar because nothing is worth doing if there is no benefit . . . Right!
Ask for help!
When in need ask indeed hopefully, your managers are as great as they purport to be. However, if you need something, you have to ask for it — plain and simple.
Without sugar coating it, some organisations are still caught in the backward way of employee engagement when it comes to how they treat their employees.
If you’d like to discuss restricting your hours to fit in a morning gym class or ask about getting that coffee machine fixed so you don’t have to bring your own coffee and kettle to work every morning, you need to open up a dialogue about work-life balance with the dear HR from your organisation.
We live in an age when we’re constantly connected and it can be really tempting to answer an email on the sofa at night. But that isn’t good for us.
In order to create the modern work-life balance that works for each of us, we need to think about what’s most important, what makes us happy, and how we can make it all work.
Most of the time could mean prioritising on key elements like family, social, health just to mention a few so that you do not lose focus in your work.
It’s never an easy task, but you are salespeople — if you need to better your work-life balance, figure out the best way for you to “close the deal”. The sales teams are always the machine of the business. February we will be focusing on the sales teams and getting the numbers right. Make sure you don’t miss an article if your numbers need to look good in 2019. Do share your thoughts.
The views given herein are solely for information purposes; they are guidelines and suggestions and are not guaranteed to work in any particular way.
[email protected] twitter@robert_gonye. Robert Gonye is a Business Growth Expert and Influencer. He writes in his personal capacity.
