While everyone else is worried about TCPA compliance, there are three more big sources of sales call management stress. This is what you can do about it.
What would you guess is the most stressful job? Firefighter? Police officer? Military pilot? What about the second most stressful job? It might not surprise you to find out it’s a job as a sales account manager.
You know sales call management can get hectic, but is it really the second most stressful line of work? It can be, according to a poll from Payscale. And in case you think that might be an isolated segment of the population, Paychex released a survey listing the most stressful industries. Workers in the “Marketing and Advertising” industry feel stressed more than workers in any other industry. (Don’t worry – there is some good news coming up. We’re not going to get into too much doom and gloom.)
Why so stressed? That same Paychex study lists lack of control, lack of resources, and long hours as three of the top five reasons for job stress. Generally speaking, we know that salespeople are under pressure to meet quotas, convert new clients and customers, and maintain high approval ratings. That’s a lot to deliver, and there are a lot of moving parts you’re responsible for.
While those may be general sentiments, we can’t say precisely why any specific sales call management job is stressful. However, it’s fair to say that this isn’t the easiest career out there. Stress may come from a combination of the previously mentioned factors, a negative work environment, too much work, or something entirely different.
We could get into all the ways stress is terrible for you, but you’ve heard all that. You know that stress can lead to irritability, headaches, high blood pressure, and even more severe medical problems. We could mention the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet. That’s all undoubtedly useful information. But what about actionable steps you can take to reduce the stress inherent in your job? As it turns out, there is one.
Call Logic gives you the freedom to focus on developing your skills and closing more deals. Set up a free demo today to learn more about all the great features.
Sales call management is stressful, but it doesn’t need to be
Let’s look back at those sources of stress: lack of control, lack of resources, and long hours. If we break them down and think about ways to counteract them, they don’t seem so scary.
1. Lack of control
What may appear as a lack of control could be as simple as a lack of organization. When we are disorganized, we continuously feel unsettled. We’re never entirely sure if we made that phone call, scheduled that shift, or sent that email to close a deal.
But even when there are circumstances that are truly out of our control, being organized helps us deal with those. So in relation to working in sales call management, how can you get organized? More to the point, how can you get your team organized?
Using an auto-dialer platform to consolidate your information is an excellent start. When all of your call stats are available in one place, it’s much easier to track your team. Run organized sales campaigns, assess the data in real-time, and find out exactly how your team is doing without micromanaging or sifting through incomprehensible spreadsheets.
It’s not just for your team, either. The information for all your contacts is also right there in one place. You can listen back to previous calls, see where they are in the sales cycle, and review detailed reports.
2. Lack of resources
We all know that people are one of our best resources in any industry. That’s especially true in an industry so heavily dependent on customer interaction. And we also know that it’s not always an option to bring more employees in. Whether that’s due to a shortage of space or limited flexibility with payroll, it doesn’t matter. What matters is making the most of our resources without burning our team out.
What does that look like in sales calls? Organization is one part of that. When you set expectations and follow through yourself, your team is more likely to appreciate your lead. That’s a start, but there’s a lot more to utilizing your resources than just getting organized.
You want your team to work efficiently, and a simple way to do that is through using… you guessed it… an auto-dialing platform. And though auto-dialing software will help you make more calls, it’s also important to understand that it can help you and your team improve those calls, too.
With all your contacts listed in one place, along with call notes, it’s easy to follow up on sales calls. You don’t need to sift through folders or search your database for the right person. When all the information is together, calls go much more smoothly, which naturally benefits your sales process.
3. Long hours
By now, you know we are proponents of auto-dialing software. It is, after all, what we do. But you’re probably wondering how that has anything to do with your long hours. That’s easy to explain. When you have quotas to meet, efficiency is your best tool in reaching them.
This is, in some ways, a simple issue of making more calls translating into making more sales. But it’s also about the quality of those calls. With all your data and reports easily accessible, you can test and improve your call scripts, your timing, more easily leave voicemails, and quickly send follow-up emails.
Will that reduce your hours? We can’t guarantee that, but a more efficient and effective team is bound to help take some of the time and stress out of your work in sales call management. And doesn’t stress reduction sound nice?
With features like whisper coaching and automatic emails, Call Logic is your one-stop solution for all of your auto-dialing software needs. Check out a free demo today!