How do you avoid burnout as sales professional when you feel like you have to start over again each quarter and year?

The biggest reality of sales is that you are as good as your current quarter. 

No matter how well you may have done in the previous quarter, the meter comes back to zero at the beginning of the new quarter/new year.

 I have been in sales for more than 2 decades and have seen numerous quarter ends/month ends. The trick to avoid burnout is to ensure that you disconnect from work every now and then. I try to take 5 days off every quarter to re-energize myself and get back on the grind. 

I also keep on taking up a new hobby which also is a great way to destress yourself without having to go on a week long holiday. At present, I am learning how to play the guitar :) 

As a Sales professional we are often under a lot of pressure to close deals and meet our targets. If you're not careful you can quickly burnout especially when quotas reset each month or quarter. Over the years I’ve had to become more intentional in creating boundaries and finding new ways to recharge.

Here are some ways that I’ve found success to prevent burnout and recharge:

1. Prioritize self-care: Prioritize self-care activities such as exercise, meditation, and getting enough sleep. Pay yourself first physically and mentally to stay energized and focused.

2. Take breaks: Take regular breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge. This could include going for a walk, having lunch with a friend, or breathwork between meetings. I also plan a trip each quarter to make sure I'm spending quality time with the family.

3. Set Boundaries: Improving my time management skills and creating clear boundaries between working hours and personal/family time. This can help you prioritize tasks and manage your workload more effectively.

I avoid burnout in 3 ways:

1. Make your job easier by always having pipeline ready to go. Burnout is most common when a rep feels they need to start over, and then think that maybe they should just start over somewhere else. Always have good prospects to call, pipeline to win, or customers to contact and sell to.

2. Try new sales tactics, but don't stray too far from what has made you successful. Testing and trying new things is fun and spices things up, but do not overhaul your entire approach. Ask that one question you never do and see what happens.

3. Take time off. Salespeople can have major FOMO. I'm going to miss an inbound opportunity if I take off, I know it! If you follow #1 above, vacations, even small ones, will be your best friend. My first 10 years of working, 3 and 4 day weekends were my best ways to recharge!