Recent research by Gartner has brought to light a shocking reality: 90% of B2B reps are affected by burnout. The sales profession, known for its inherent stress, is facing intensified pressure due to unpredictable market conditions and competitive situations.

Burnout certainly isn’t confined to sales. About 60% of employees across various roles report negative effects of work-related stress. This includes a lack of energy (~25%), emotional exhaustion (~30%), staggering physical fatigue (~45%), reduced work efforts (~20%), etc. In response to this widespread discontent, movements like “The Great Resignation” have emerged.

Yet, as burnout escalates to alarming levels, a definitive solution remains elusive. Is there really no remedy to sales burnout? Why are wellness programs not working? Can we choose intervention over prevention?

Understanding Sales Burnout and its Pervasiveness

Let’s first establish a framework. Burnout, though it manifests differently for each individual, fundamentally represents a/ emotional, b/ mental, or c/ physical exhaustion induced by prolonged or recurrent workplace stress.

Harvard University identifies some key factors across industries:

  1. Lack of control
  2. Excessive workload
  3. Poor alignment with values
  4. Insufficient rewards
  5. No community
  6. Unfair environment / rules

Salespeople are particularly susceptible to burnout due to:

  1. Unrealistic goals: commissions depend on hitting quotas, a challenge for most sales managers. This sets the stage for burnout when quotas are unrealistic.
  2. Pay for performance: rep earnings fluctuate with performance, making it difficult for reps to pace themselves. Limited visibility into sales commissions also hurts.
  3. ABC (“Always Be Closing”): Sales teams often prioritize customer needs over the well-being of reps, resulting in 24/7 commitments.
  4. Nowhere to hide: Sales’ immediate impact on an organization’s success intensifies pressure, as successes and failures are more visible than in other roles.

Sales leaders may wonder, “How do I identify or prevent burnout?” Unfortunately, prevention alone is insufficient in eradicating existing burnout. A significant portion of your team is likely already grappling with burnout, considering that 90% of B2B salespeople report burnout!

This underscores the importance of prioritizing intervention over prevention. Many organizations claim to combat burnout – with many offering wellness and burnout programs. However, the disconnect lies in the focus on prevention alone. Intervention is imperative due to consequences of burnout – lost of productivity, employee disengagement, absenteeism, lower organizational commitment, turnover, hiring costs and challenges, etc.

Solving Sales Burnout Using Technology

Without redesigning what the sales profession is about, organizations can take steps to alleviate burnout through technology – using automation. Below, we discuss key burnout causes and examine how automation can effectively mitigate them.

Addressing a Perceived Lack of Control

Job autonomy significantly influences job satisfaction, motivation, and performance. When reps feel they have no control / visibility, job satisfaction decreases, and turnover risk rises significantly.

How? Employ automation to develop and distribute comprehensive dashboards and reports. Automated reporting empowers reps with essential context for independent decision-making. This grants sales leaders the confidence to release or loosen control, knowing they can easily identify and react to performance issues. Implementing a commission automation platform with real-time visibility can instill a sense of control and reduce stress. This also fosters trust and eliminates “shadow accounting” where reps manually calculate their commissions.

Unraveling Excessive Workloads

A recent study reveals that 3/4th of salespeople spend most of their work time on non-selling activities. And the average rep dedicates about half of their hours to non-revenue generating tasks! In a profession demanding more work than there are hours in a day, burnout becomes inevitable. Automation can alleviate workloads and enhance productivity during working hours, diminishing after hours work.

How? Identify where reps spend the most time and leverage automation to reduce non-revenue generating activities. This allows reps to focus on meaningful work during the day, reducing administrative burdens. For example, if reps spend substantial time manually calculating their commissions, invest in a commission solution. If reps spend manually booking demos, install a self-service meeting booking tool on your website. This frees up time for additional rep prospecting and outreach.

Aligning Work Contributions with the Organization’s Mission

Aligning personal values with the organization’s mission is crucial for employee engagement. Automation can effectively communicate organizational values and tie individual and team contributions to these values.

How? Choose tools that allow tying individual and team contributions to organizational values, fostering engagement. Implement a feedback platform that associates each piece of feedback with company values. This helps in recognizing and reinforcing values during both positive and constructive feedback sessions.

Balancing Effort and Reward

Burnout often stems from a disproportionate effort-reward ratio. Reps investing substantial time in non-revenue generating tasks see delayed returns, making job satisfaction (and sales commissions) elusive.

How? Automate manual tasks to grant teams more time for meaningful selling activities. Additionally, use automation to enhance visibility into rewards, whether tangible (ex: bonus) or not (ex: praise). Automate company-wide notifications when deals are closed, highlighting the rep’s name and deal details. Reps can see the tangible impact of their efforts, fostering a more rewarding experience.

Building Community in a Remote Work Environment

Remote work’s rise challenges the creation of team unity. Establishing a sense of community is crucial, not through superficial team-building activities but by fostering shared purpose.

How? Leverage automation to break down silos within the organization. Enable teams to connect their work to that of their peers and other departments. Implement a company-wide email notification for win/loss reports after each closed deal facilitates knowledge sharing, enhancing the sense of purpose. Reps feel valued (whether winning or losing) and this encourages connections within the organization.

Ensuring Fairness in Decisions

Perceived unfairness in decisions, goals, or commissions contributes to burnout. Reps can be affected by numerous potential fairness challenges – from lead routing to commission structures.

Use technology to automate tasks requiring human discretion, such as lead routing, territory management, or automated commission calculation. This ensures fairness and allows reps to trust an impartial system. Utilize a tool that leverages sales data and automation to set fair quotas addresses past challenges. With reasonable quotas, reps experience less discouragement, leading to increased engagement and productivity.

In Conclusion

B2B sales is currently facing a profound crisis. Representatives and managers are experiencing intense burnout, leaving them exhausted. It may feel overwhelming, but there are strategies and approaches that can make a meaningful difference. Instead of solely relying on corporate wellness programs, organizations should carefully analyze sales-related issues that contribute to overwhelming workloads. By taking gradual steps, we can alleviate stress on the team, benefiting both the well-being of the individuals and the financial results of the organization. Your team’s health and success matter.