How to use positive psychology to make your salespeople happy

It’s a topic we don’t often talk about: Salesperson happiness. It doesn’t seem very business-like to focus on a fuzzy thing like that, but we know it substantially impacts our organizations. From productivity to turnover, happiness makes our employees more resourceful. Plus, it’s just plain great to know we’re making a difference in our team’s lives.

So let’s talk about it, and how we can do a better job of fostering it.

First, let’s look at why many salespeople are not happy

Of course, it’s impossible to list every reason a salesperson might be unhappy. From problems at home to just having a bad day, there are millions of possible causes. However, there are some causes of unhappiness that the sales profession is particularly prone to.

One: Lack of pride in profession

Few kids say, “I want to be a salesperson when I grow up!” It’s a profession that has been soundly villainized for generations. From the play “Death of a Salesman” to the term “Used Car Salesman,” it’s the almost universal misperception that the sales profession is manipulative and self-serving. And nobody likes to be thought of as a sleazy greaseball.

Two: High pressure environment

The sales profession is known for its pressure to meet quotas, and the stress of missing them. Plus, it’s filled with constant rejection. Especially in high-volume prospecting roles. Combined, these factors contribute to the industry’s high turnover rates.

Three: Lack of appreciation

It’s commonly understood that salespeople are motivated by money. But the truth is, no one is purely motivated by money. We all like to think that we’re contributing to our teams, and having a meaningful impact. Yet few sales departments consistently let their salespeople know that they’re appreciated.

Here’s what doesn’t make salespeople happier

Up to a point, money can help with the happiness equation. But ultimately, more money does not necessarily mean more happiness. Ironically, another thing that does not make salespeople happier is trying to make them happier. That is, focusing on the “happiness” aspect of happiness doesn’t ultimately actually make anyone happier. Weird but true.

So what does work?

The psychology principles that actually work for salespeople

First, we can address the sales-specific causes of unhappiness by changing perceptions of the profession, fostering a less stressful environment, and showing appreciation. Beyond that, there are some well-researched psychological principles that consistently work for individuals in every profession. These are discussed in Martin Seligman’s best-selling book, Flourish, which aims to raise happiness and wellbeing for everyone.

Martin Seligman - a pioneer in the positive psychology field - uses the acronym PERMA to describe the core principles that must be in place for happiness to occur. PERMA stands for Positive emotion, Engagement, positive Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Let’s take a look at how we can apply each of these to make our salespeople happier.

Positive Emotion (P)

Positive emotions in the PERMA model can be almost anything. Peace, inspiration, hope, curiosity, even love. Sales managers can foster positive emotion by providing a pleasant environment and removing obstacles that cause negative emotion. Setting realistic quotas and providing ongoing encouragement can ensure that salespeople feel hope and appreciation.

Engagement (E)

Engagement is what is also sometimes referred to as “flow”-- it’s that sense of being so immersed in a situation, task, or project, that we are fully focused on it and in the moment with it. Engagement can be fostered in a sales department by listening to your salespeople to find out what helps them reach this state, and removing obstacles that interfere with it. Replace old, clunky CRM software with systems that support the salesperson’s work and help them maintain flow rather than pulling them out of it to engage in irrelevant or busywork tasks. 

Relationships (R)

Listening to and engaging with your salespeople will automatically contribute to relationships. It can also be useful to organize events and activities to keep your people engaged with one another. Build systems that encourage collaboration and teamwork. Relationships with clients can contribute to wellbeing also, when you give them the skills and tools to engage those relationships deeply and productively.

Meaning (M)

Meaning happens when we feel engaged in something bigger than ourselves. Help your salespeople to see the big picture of what your organization does, and how it authentically helps people. Avoid focusing exclusively on how they can make more money for themselves and the company, and look to how their work contributes to a social good or creates meaning in some other way.

Accomplishment/Achievement (A)

This is an area where the sales profession lends itself to happiness, and it’s one of the reasons so many salespeople get started in it. If you do well in sales, it’s easy to start racking up the accomplishments and achievements.

Yet, we also do our salespeople a disservice when we assume that the job itself will produce enough sense of achievement to keep them going. Especially in a time when quota attainment is down, we must give attention to how we’re recognizing and rewarding small achievements along the way to the big accomplishments.

If you can harness these principles in your department, you will likely see improvements in morale, productivity, and longevity. What are you doing to foster your team’s well being? Please share your comments below.