We all know that feeling of nervousness people get when starting in a new position, changing roles within the same company or even just changing locations. Stress is overwhelmingly increasing in today’s world, both in business and personal life.
With everything going on, it is necessary to be able to manage your stress levels as a salesperson, or an employee in general, because that will carry over to your behavior and indirectly affect all aspects of your business life, including your paycheck.
WHAT CREATES STRESS AT WORK?
Stress can be virtually created by just about any process you may come across as a salesperson. But the overall work environment is not the root of evil in this case. The problem is not you hating your boss or hating your job but rather being worried about meeting expectations.
When you step foot in your office, you are expected to behave a certain way, talk a certain way and definitely do certain things. If you’re suffering a heartbreak, you can’t use your job as a therapy session. You have to put all of that aside and focus at the tasks you have to carry out.
But even expectations are not the root cause of stress because if we dig a bit deeper, we’ll stumble on the real underlying reason of stress: Responsibility!
THE SILENT DEAL OF RESPONSIBILITY
Although as a new part of the sales team you won’t touch your hand on the bible and take an oath in front of your boss or manager, you know that working involves responsibility.
As a salesperson, you accept the responsibility of working in favor of the company that hired you, trying to do your best to maximize its profits by carrying out the tasks that your superiors have given you. Although you might not even be consciously aware of it, you are responsible for your own success and the company’s success.
So when you find yourself working in a new office, in a new team or a new job, that responsibility can burden you because you don’t actually know how responsibility reflects in your tasks, and that creates stress.
BUILD COMPETENCY TO FIGHT AGAINST STRESS
A company that respects itself won’t send out its newest member to have a meeting with its most important buyer or prospect. Building competency, the ability to navigate your new job with confidence and performing your tasks as efficiently as possible, is a natural process that occurs over time.
Initial assignments typically include the implementation of selling strategies that will allow you to build that competency. Nobody wants to throw you into a pool full of sharks without you knowing how to swim. Your manager won’t do that, not because they love you personally, but because they care about the well-being of the business itself.
CONCLUSION
Feeling nervous and being stressed out over the small stuff is perfectly normal when you find yourself working in a new environment. To kick that stress away, make sure to build up your competency through your new role. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as you gradually gain more exposure to the processes of your new position and try to evolve through your new responsibilities instead of stressing out, since nobody would trust you in the first place if you weren’t able to do your job.