By Rory Sadler, CEO of trumpet

Sales can be an incredibly rewarding profession, but it’s no secret that it’s also one of the most demanding. With 90% of sales professionals reporting stress as a major factor in their work life, it’s clear that managing stress isn’t just an individual challenge—it’s a leadership responsibility.

As sales leaders, we juggle immense pressure to hit ambitious targets while building a culture where our teams can thrive. How do we create an environment where stress is managed effectively for both ourselves and our teams?

Here are some strategies, insights, and tips to help tackle stress in sales while building stronger, more resilient teams.

1. The stress of the sales profession: Why it matters

Stress in sales is somewhat inevitable, but burnout doesn’t have to be. The fast-paced, target-driven nature of the job, it's part of why we love it, but combined with the ever-present expectation to be “always on,” makes stress a constant challenge.

For leaders, it’s important to recognise how stress impacts performance—not just for individuals but for the entire team. A stressed-out salesperson isn’t just likely to miss their quota; they’re also less engaged, less creative, and more prone to looking elsewhere.

If we can address stress effectively, we unlock not only higher performance but also a healthier, more motivated team.

2. Coaching: The missing link in sales leadership

One of the biggest gaps in sales leadership is the lack of coaching for reps—and this disconnect is contributing to stress.

According to the State of Sales Coaching 2025 Report, reps who rate their coaching as “Excellent” are 50% more likely to hit or exceed their quota. Yet, there’s a troubling mismatch: while 90% of sales leaders believe they’re coaching regularly, nearly 40% of reps report that they rarely or never receive coaching.

Sales coaching isn’t just about hitting numbers—it’s about reducing stress through clarity, guidance, and support. Coaching helps reps prioritise effectively, master their craft, and feel confident in their roles.

For leaders, this means:

• Scheduling regular coaching sessions: Make coaching a non-negotiable part of your leadership routine.
• Following up with training: Promotions from SDR to AE or AE to Sales Manager are fantastic, but they must be followed by proper leadership development. Without equipping your team with the skills to succeed in their new roles, you’re setting them up for stress rather than success.
• Personalising your approach: Tailor your coaching to individual needs. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work in today’s dynamic sales environments.

3. Work-life balance: Setting boundaries for your team

One-third of sales professionals report losing the boundary between work and personal life. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to model and encourage healthy work-life habits.

Try this simple technique to help your team reclaim their evenings and weekends:

The slack-off strategy:

• Step 1: Turn off Slack (and other work notifications) after working hours.
• Step 2: Enjoy the freedom of being actually off.

While this might sound basic, it’s amazing how many teams still struggle to disconnect. Leaders who encourage this habit—and practice it themselves—set the tone for a healthier culture.

That also means for you - if you're working late schedule your emails to hit their inboxes in the work day morning rather than 9pm at night. Your team need a good nights sleep not an anxiety driven evening.

4. Time management: Tools and techniques to stay focused

Stress often arises from feeling overwhelmed. To combat this, encourage your team to work smarter with effective time management techniques like the Pomodoro Technique:

• 25 minutes of focused work on one task
• 5-minute break to recharge
• Repeat the cycle

For sales professionals, breaking the day into manageable blocks like these can help tackle tasks with greater focus and less overwhelm. For example:

• Morning: 2 Pomodoros on client calls, 1 Pomodoro on lead research
• Afternoon: 2 Pomodoros on follow-up emails, 1 Pomodoro on CRM updates

This approach not only reduces stress but also boosts productivity and efficiency.

5. Use technology to reduce stress

Admin-heavy tasks can weigh heavily on sales teams, adding unnecessary stress to already busy schedules. Automation tools and Digital Sales Rooms (DSRs) can be game-changers for reducing this burden.

Automations and triggers
By automating repetitive tasks like email follow-ups or CRM updates, reps free up time to focus on high-value activities like building relationships. While setting up automation may take some upfront effort, the long-term benefits are immense.

Digital Sales Rooms
DSRs like trumpet Pods eliminate guesswork and streamline communication with prospects. Here’s how they help:

• Insider knowledge: See what prospects are engaging with in real-time.
• Tailored follow-ups: Personalise your responses based on prospect activity.
• Time-saving customisation: Replace outdated PDFs with a professional, branded Pod that’s shareable via a single URL.

DSRs empower your team with the tools they need to close deals faster, with less stress.

6. Sleep and self-care

Late nights and early mornings might feel like the norm in sales, but they’re not sustainable. Sleep deprivation leads to decreased focus, creativity, and overall performance.

Encourage your team to prioritise sleep by:

• Turning off screens an hour before bed
• Establishing a consistent bedtime routine
• Making self-care non-negotiable

As a leader, don’t just talk about self-care—practice it yourself. Your team will follow your example.

Final thoughts: Making stress a team effort

Sales stress isn’t going anywhere, but by implementing these strategies, you can help make the sales environment more manageable and even enjoyable.

Whether it’s through better coaching, smarter tools, or simply encouraging your team to take a breath, leadership plays a vital role in reducing stress and building resilience.

Let’s not just hit our targets—let’s create a sales culture where people thrive.

If you want to talk about stress-reducing tools like Digital Sales Rooms or how trumpet can help streamline your sales process, get in touch. Let’s make sales less stressful and more successful, together.

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