What's Your Sales Energy Strategy?

Question: Was the movie Oppenheimer about one man’s internal conflict in building the first atomic bomb during World War II? Or was it one movie director’s attempt to shatter audience eardrums in every theater in the US? Maybe a little of both. 

The movie reminded us of the extraordinary power of nuclear energy. But,  let’s segue into another form of energy that might hit closer to home - your sales energy.

Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist and, today, I’d like to share with you my “theory” on sales energy and how to best harness it to get more done in less time.

Here’s my hypothesis:

(1.) We have a limited amount of energy each day.

(2.) Our energy level is not linear. It varies throughout the day.

(3.) Diet, exercise and sleep greatly impact our energy level.

(4.) Thinking burns up the most energy and has to be rationed.

Let’s drill down on these.

Limited energy - I don’t believe there’s an ever expanding amount of energy for us to tap into. I do believe you will see a noticeable improvement in your energy level by eating better, losing weight if you’re overweight, and getting more sleep if you’re sleep deprived. But once we’ve done those things, I don’t think our energy capacity expands a whole lot. You’ve got a limited amount to work with each day. 

Energy variance - Rarely is there a steady decline in our energy throughout the day. There are highs and lows, peaks and valleys, bursts and drops. And they seem to come at about the same time of day. I believe in biorhythms or Circadian rhythm. For example, I’m a morning person. My energy level is pretty high about 30 minutes after I get up and stays pretty high throughout the morning. There’s a dip just before noon, a mini-burst of energy after lunch, and a drop about an hour after that. Sometimes I get an energy boost mid afternoon and a dip before dinner. Although my energy level varies throughout the day, it follows a regular pattern. Does your energy level follow a pattern?

Refilling the tank - We all know the importance of sleep, diet and exercise to our overall health. And they impact our productivity. We need all three to refill our energy tank each day. And for a quick boost during the day. Short breaks between tasks make the work on subsequent tasks better.

It’s also amazing how much fuel our brain needs. I read that although the brain is only 2% of our body mass, it requires 20% of the nutrients. And, certain foods really nourish our brains (e.g. avocados, blueberries, broccoli, olive oil, eggs, green leafy vegetables, salmon/sardines, walnuts, & dark chocolate). We gotta refill the tank.

Thinking - Listening is exhausting. Any kind of deep thinking tires us out. It burns a lot of energy. We need that energy for any kind of client interaction (discovery calls, presentations, demos, negotiations), call preparation and competitive strategy. The question is, do we really need high energy for those things we deem of lesser importance (those things that don’t greatly impact our goals)? Things like internal reports, email, or product updates? Do you agree?

So, if all of this is true, if my theory is correct, we need a strategy to manage our sales energy. Here’s mine:   

(1.) Map out your work day based on energy high points and energy low points - We already prioritize our work activities to achieve daily objectives. Take it a step further and prioritize your activities so your most important tasks are done during your peak energy times of the day and your least important tasks (in terms of you achieving your goals) are done during your energy valleys. Hydrate, eat healthy snacks, take breaks between tasks, and take power naps if you need them. They all help maximize the energy you’re given. Just don’t treat your day like you’re on a treadmill, working at a constant speed for 8 hours or so. Plan your day around those energy highs and lows.

(2.) Use systems to limit energy expulsion - Decisions take energy. When you create systems and processes, you’ve already made some good decisions on what to do and how to do it. Leverage them more and create more of them! Consider creating systems for your personal life as well as your business life. Take your wardrobe: Newly washed clothes go to the bottom of the drawer or end of the rack. Or meals: I eat like a dog - basically the same things every day for breakfast & lunch. Boring? Sure. But I’m not a foodie; it’s just fuel to me. Call them systems or habits, but they require virtually no thinking on my part. I do this so I can spend my limited energy on things I deem more important.    

And, there you have it. My theory on sales energy and some tips on how to manage it. I hope it helps you or was at least a semi-interesting read.

Lastly, if you haven’t seen Oppenheimer, go see it. A little long, but well-made. Just be sure to bring ear plugs.

Have a great week!

Bob

P.S. I’m playing around with the idea of providing “what-to-do-next” solutions to difficult sales situations like I do in my coaching and private classes. These would be creative strategies I’ve learned and taught to clients for over 3 decades that you won’t find in a Google search, YouTube video or ChatGPT. Let me know if that’s something you’d like to hear more about. Just reply: WTDN to [email protected].