5 Work-Life Balance Tips for Sales Professionals and Channel Partners

The lives of sales professionals and channel partners are busy, stressful, and relentless. If you don't actively manage your work-life balance, you risk the chance of overdoing it and burning out just like many of your predecessors. 

The good news is that it's easy to maintain a favorable balance as long as you make it a priority. Here are a few tips to help you along the way: 

Make time to exercise 

Sales representatives often fall into the trap of thinking they don't have enough time to exercise. With all the traveling and commuting, they forget to get enough physical activity in. Making time to exercise regularly, however, is the single most important thing you can do. It keeps your body healthy, reduces stress, and forces you to focus on something other than your job.  

Mark your calendar 

Some people get overwhelmed just thinking about all the things they have to do in a day. As a result, they procrastinate and let their to-do list grow even longer. Calendars and planners are your friend. This HubSpot article recommends using them to make sure you get to do non-work related things: 

"Planning out your day can have huge effects, as it can make you feel more grounded at work. No matter what your style is, try to block off time in your calendar for every activity, like taking a walk, working out, or going out to lunch, right alongside your prospecting and calls. Put fun in your calendar if you can't remember to do it yourself."

Pick an app that you can access both on your phone and your computer (or use a book if you want a break from technology). Add meetings and appointments, but also parties, events, and games you're looking forward to. A little organization can go a long way. 

Use your flexibility 

Sales professionals have a lot of flexibility relative to other professions. This can either make you or break you. According to this Salesforce article, you should leverage your flexibility to make your personal and professional time work together: 

"But you can use the flexible nature of the job to find balance. Schedule customer calls around that big soccer game, get lunch with your friend who lives in the town you're covering for the day, or take the time to stop at the gym that's in between your sales territory and office. With some careful and creative planning, you can use flexibility to make personal and professional time work together."

Planning your week out in advance can save you a lot of travel time. Additionally, feel free to stay home once in a while if it fits your schedule. 

Plan breaks and vacations

No one is expecting you to work 52 weeks per year. It's important to take breaks and vacations to give yourself some rest. Keep in mind that time spent planning vacation correlates with greater happiness. If you're stressed out one week, then start planning a trip to a place you've never been before. Letting your imagination run wild for a bit will help you de-stress. 

Track your hours per week 

There are only so many 80-hour work weeks you can put in before you burn out. No one -- besides yourself -- is going to stop you from overworking. It's up to you to track how many hoursyou're working per week and slow down if you start getting tired. There's nothing wrong with ramping up during a busy season. Just make sure you reward yourself by taking it easy when things slow down.  

Achieving a manageable work-life balance as a sales professional is critical, but there's more to success as a sales professional. Learn more about it by downloading our Channel Partner Success Guide below: