The world of sales, with its constant striving to reach quotas, always on call to management, and countless other demands, is a high-stress job.

A certain amount of stress is good, it can keep you on your toes. But you need to learn how to combat stress and use it to your advantage.

Enter mindfulness meditation.

Meditation to a lot of people may seem like fluff or some new age nonsense. Or maybe you have tried it but it hasn't worked out for you. I’m here to tell you that meditation can work for everyone, and can do wonders for your sales career.

Let me break down the four ways meditation can help you, with some tips to start practicing today.

Before I get into it, let me break down exactly what meditation is so it doesn’t appear so daunting.

Meditation is the act of giving your attention to only one thing at a time. This is often done by focusing on the breath, a mantra, or bodily sensations to quiet the mind and cultivate awareness. Practicing meditation can provide you with a myriad of benefits that include reducing stress, improving concentration, and enhancing your emotional well-being.

It can take different forms, such as mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, or guided visualization, and can be practiced anywhere - from a quiet room to a busy commute in your car. For the purpose of getting you started on your meditation practice, we will focus on mindfulness meditation. With regular practice, mindfulness meditation helps train the mind to be more present and at peace, even in the midst of daily challenges.

As the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh said, "The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion." Staying calm and present in your work will give you more control over your actions and lead to better results.

Meditation allows one to calm the mind, giving you space to focus on things that truly matter. This changes your perspective for the better, letting you see situations more clearly while also improving your concentration.

Total concentration is the key to completing the daily challenges you encounter as a sales rep.

From planning your day to negotiating a contract, you can't afford distractions if you want to operate at peak performance. Everything you do impacts the rest of your responsibilities. If one thing is out of balance, your entire day will be off. 

Learning to focus your attention benefits your customers too. Meditation helps active listening, one of the most important skills in sales. If you find yourself forgetting meeting details, or losing track of what your prospect is really looking for, meditation will help. 

You’ll understand your customer more deeply by focusing on what they really mean when they speak. Harnessing your complete focus and attention in social situations can really change how you approach customer interactions.

Listen to this Outside Sales Talk podcast episode with CEO and Founder Roger Martin who shows you how to leverage active listening in your sales calls!

Sales is a high-pressure profession - constant targets, customer negotiations, and the unpredictability of deals can lead to significant stress. Meditation offers you a powerful way to manage this pressure by fostering mindfulness in the face of challenges.

By helping you stay focused and present at any moment of the day, a regular meditation practice will ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed by external stressors. The ability to remain calm under pressure can lead to more authentic and engaging interactions with prospects.

Additionally, meditation reduces the physiological effects of stress by lowering cortisol levels and promoting relaxation. Sales reps who incorporate meditation into their daily routine often report improved sleep, better concentration, and enhanced problem-solving skills.

The benefits are clear to see. Reducing your stress levels can and will lead to more meaningful relationships with your customers.

One sales tool that can also help you reduce your stress levels is Badger Maps.

Why?

Because being a salesperson required a lot of planning, with potentially dozens of customers to meet on any given day. Badger Maps route planner allows you to automatically plan, route, and maximize your time in the field, cutting down driving time by 20%. It helps sales teams save time on their daily planning, maintain better relationships with customers, and be more productive.

You can take your long customer list and turn it into a drivable, optimized route. By optimizing your routes, something you can’t do with Google Maps, you will save money on gas and meet with more customers than you normally would.

Sales teams have reported that they sell 22% more and drive 20% less when using Badger Maps, in fact, the average team of 10 reps sells $936k more the year they start using the app.

On average, sales teams using Badger Maps save 8 hours a week, drive 20% less, and sell 22% more.

Discover the value of Badger Maps by trying it out yourself. Start a free trial or schedule a demo now!

Understanding and leveraging your emotional intelligence (EQ) can be a game-changer for salespeople, influencing how they connect with sales prospects, handle objections, and navigate high-pressure situations. Meditation enhances EQ by increasing self-awareness, allowing you to recognize your emotions and manage them effectively when dealing with customers.

Why is this important?

Because by developing this awareness through the act of mindfulness meditation, you can stay composed during tough negotiations, avoid reactive responses, and approach each interaction with a clear and focused mindset.

The latest research shows that companies that prioritize emotional intelligence are 22 times more likely to achieve higher levels of performance.

You can make your meetings more genuine by keeping in mind your EQ, something that can often be the difference between closing or losing a deal.

Mindfulness meditation can sharpen your ability to make confident, well-reasoned decisions - whether it's choosing the right pitch, handling sales objections, or knowing which leads you should be prioritizing.

You know better than anyone how many tasks you have to juggle on a regular basis. A heavy workload can oftentimes cloud your decision making. Regularly practicing meditation can strengthen levels of concentration, helping you assess situations with a clear mind rather than reacting impulsively. When the mind is calm, you can process information more effectively, ultimately leading to smarter, more strategic choices.

It’s easy to get lost in your head when you’re running around from lead to lead trying to close a deal. Instead of pushing too hard on a hesitant lead or giving up too quickly on a tough negotiation, a salesperson who meditates is more likely to pause, take time to assess the situation rationally, and respond with confidence and composure.

As the Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, “When the mind is silent, clarity takes its rightful place."

There are a lot of different ways to get started on your journey.

In terms of literature, there are some accessible writers that would be good to become acquainted with. Jon Kabat Zinn is an American professor who created the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program and has written many important books on the topic. My personal favorite? Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life.

The Vietnamese monk I mentioned earlier, Thich Nhat Hanh, is another whose work has had a profound effect on millions of people. Exiled from his home country due to his opposition to the war in the 60’s, he was nominated by Martin Luther King Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. He published countless books during his lifetime, and one that may be of interest to salespeople is The Art of Communicating.

If reading isn’t your thing, there are other ways to explore the world of mindfulness meditation. Research classes in your area. You’d be surprised to find the amount of resources you can find around you. You can also get started quickly with the meditation app Headspace, a tool that can get you exploring the inner reaches of your mind right now. They also have a Netflix series.

I hope this guide will help you on your journey to a more peaceful and relaxed state. A state that can help you flourish professionally.

Namaste.