Performance in the world of high growth, SaaS sales is akin to the world of professional sports. That constant ebb and flow of success and failure - of winning or losing that quarter-defining deal.
Salespeople today have become notorious for mouthing off mindfulness, meditation, and butchering the definition of Angela Duckworth's Grit, all in the name of high-performance and well-being.
But I get it. We're all looking for a way to maintain that edge. A way to drink from that proverbial fountain of youth to keep us grinding for that next deal, that next commission check, that next high.
Hence, the reason for this article.
Our goal for this article is to introduce sales leaders to some of the super-secret Soviet recovery science used in proffesional sports teams today.
Why?
Because like we mentioned before, talking about bald monks meditating and Wim-Hoff ice-cold showers while you snack on the grass-fed, grain-free, paleolithic bovine liver is cool and all, but it's missing context.
It's missing a framework that gives you insight on how to apply recovery strategies in real-time that work best for you.
The autonomic nervous system is referred to as autonomous because it is responsible for vital processes such as breathing, digestion, metabolism, excretion, body temperature, blood pressure, and heart activity, which function without voluntary control.
It's controlled by higher-level centers in the brain and the hormonal system, through hormones including; adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol.
We can only influence the autonomic nervous system indirectly, e.g. through breathing, biofeedback, or relaxation techniques.
Feelings such as fear or anger are accompanied by changes in the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system consists of 2 parts:
When we talk about recovery, what we are talking about is influencing the branches of the autonomic nervous system to trigger a recovery response.
But here is the kicker; recovery and high-performance concepts are based on maintaining a balance between these two systems.
If one is too dominant, this will lead to factors that influence burnout and work-related mental health issues. (in a specific way)
I want to discuss a framework for understanding the system which is stressed, how that can impact performance, and what you can do to influence recovery and high performance.
How to know when the sympathetic branch is fatigued:
Sympathetic fatigue is associated with high amounts of extreme stress, and short-term lack of recovery.
In addition to performance decrements, sympathetic fatigue may be characterized by unusual restlessness or excitability, disturbed sleep, weight loss, accelerated resting heart rate and delayed recovery.
This is what most of us refer to when we say we are stressed out.
For a sales rep who is experiencing sympathetic fatigue, you want to employ recovery techniques that help shift the autonomic nervous system towards the parasympathetic branch. (remember we want to balance the two)
How to know when the parasympathetic branch is fatigued:
Parasympathetic fatigue is associated with long term, high volume of extreme stress. This concept is what we would refer to as chronic burnout.
Symptoms of parasympathetic fatigue include depression and decreased heart rate, in addition to fatigue and decreased performance.
Opposite to sympathetic fatigue, those suffering from parasympathetic fatigue often sleep too much and suffer from a mental health standpoint.
For sales reps experiencing this type of fatigue, you would want to focus on recovery techniques, which help shift the nervous system towards the sympathetic branch.
TL;DR:
Your job is to assess where you are at, how you are feeling, and what is best for you to bounce back and recover.
Sales activities to do while experiencing sympathetic fatigue
As a whole, you want to think about higher volume, low-intensity stimuli.
Sales activities to do while experiencing sympathetic fatigue
As a whole, you want to think about lower volume, high-intensity stimuli. In short, go close!
Understanding the right stimuli, at the right time, to the right person is the key to high-level recovery and performance. Use this guide as a tool to help you understand what is best for your health and your wallet.
Reference:
Budgett, R. (1998). Fatigue and underperformance in athletes: the overtraining syndrome. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 32(2), 107–110.
Budgett, R. (1990). Overtraining syndrome. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 24(4), 231–236.
James, D. V. B., Munson, S. C., Maldonado-Martin, S., & Croix, M. B. A. D. S. (2012). Heart rate variability: Effect of exercise intensity on postexercise response. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 83(4), 533-9.
Kreher, J. B., & Schwartz, J. B. (2012). Overtraining Syndrome: A Practical Guide. Sports Health, 4(2), 128–138.