FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
Straight answers about Sales Is Tough, how we work, and what you can expect.
Sales is tough. Targets, rejection, uncertainty and relentless expectations are part of the job. But when pressure becomes sustained, it can start to affect confidence, wellbeing, behaviour and ultimately performance.
Whether you're responsible for a sales organisation or concerned about your own wellbeing, here's what you need to know.
FOR SALES LEADERS
& ORGANISATIONS.
What exactly does Sales Is Tough do?
Sales Is Tough helps organisations understand and address the human and commercial consequences of sustained sales pressure.
We look beyond traditional performance metrics to explore how pressure may be affecting your salespeople's energy, confidence, engagement and day-to-day behaviours.
Using structured assessments, practical stress-management techniques, individual support and management insights, we help organisations identify emerging problems, take appropriate action and create healthier conditions for sustainable sales performance.
How is Sales Is Tough different from an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)?
An EAP typically provides employees with access to support when they need it. Sales Is Tough takes a more proactive, sales-specific approach.
We understand the pressures associated with targets, forecasting, rejection, difficult customers, commission structures and the constant expectation to deliver results.
Our approach combines an understanding of those commercial realities with practical stress-management support and insights that can help sales leaders address the conditions affecting their teams.
We're not a replacement for an EAP, occupational health service or clinical mental health provider. We complement those services by focusing specifically on the pressures and behaviours associated with working in sales.
How does reducing stress help improve sales performance?
Sustained pressure can change how people sell, often before the consequences become obvious in their results.
A salesperson who previously prospected confidently might begin avoiding difficult calls. Someone who was once engaged and proactive might become withdrawn, less resilient or reluctant to pursue opportunities.
These behavioural changes can affect pipeline development, customer relationships, productivity and revenue attainment.
By identifying potential warning signs earlier and addressing the factors contributing to them, organisations have an opportunity to support their people and protect the behaviours that underpin commercial performance.
We don't promise that reducing stress automatically increases revenue. We focus on creating the conditions in which people can perform sustainably and measuring relevant changes over time.
What does a corporate programme involve?
Every organisation is different, so we tailor our approach to the size of the team, the pressures it faces and the level of support required.
A typical engagement may include an initial discussion with leadership, confidential employee assessments, identification of potential pressure points, practical stress-management support and ongoing monitoring.
We can also provide appropriately anonymised team-level insights and recommendations to help managers understand where changes may be needed.
The objective is not simply to identify stress. It's to understand what may be contributing to it, provide meaningful support and help the organisation take practical action.
Can you support smaller sales teams?
Absolutely.
A team of six people experiencing significant pressure may need more support than a team of 30 who are generally coping well.
We don't assume that larger teams automatically require more intensive interventions. We consider the nature of the challenges, the support required and the organisation's circumstances.
For smaller teams, we adapt our reporting approach to protect individual confidentiality. Where there are too few participants to produce safely anonymised findings, we focus on general organisational recommendations rather than disclosing individual-derived statistics.
How much does a corporate programme cost?
We don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to workplace stress, and our pricing reflects that.
Every programme is individually scoped, taking into account team size, the challenges being experienced, the level of intervention required and the ongoing support involved.
Following an initial conversation, we'll recommend an appropriate approach and provide a clear proposal outlining the services and associated costs.
There is no obligation to proceed.
Does Sales Is Tough help employers meet their legal responsibilities for workplace stress?
UK employers have a legal responsibility to assess and manage risks to employees' health arising from work-related stress.
The Health and Safety Executive identifies six key areas associated with workplace stress: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change.
Sales Is Tough can help organisations recognise emerging concerns, understand sales-specific pressures and identify practical opportunities for improvement.
Our assessments and interventions can support an organisation's broader workplace stress-management arrangements. However, the Sales Burnout Scorecard is not, by itself, a formal workplace stress risk assessment, and responsibility for meeting legal obligations remains with the employer.
CONFIDENTIALITY
& PRIVACY.
Is the Sales Burnout Scorecard anonymous?
The Scorecard is confidential, rather than anonymous.
We collect certain personal information, including your name and email address, so that we can provide your personalised results.
Your responses are intended to help you understand how sustained sales pressure may be affecting you. They are not designed to assess your suitability for employment or judge your professional competence.
We take the protection of this information seriously, particularly because responses may reveal sensitive information about your wellbeing.
Can my employer see my individual results?
Individual scores, questionnaire answers and private support conversations are not included in routine employer reporting.
Our approach is designed to give organisations insight into wider patterns of pressure without exposing individual employees.
There may be exceptional circumstances in which limited information needs to be disclosed, for example where required by law or where disclosure is necessary and lawful to respond to a serious safety concern. The circumstances and safeguards are explained in our Privacy Notice.
Our objective is to create an environment in which people feel able to answer openly, without worrying that their personal responses will be used to judge their performance.
How do you protect confidentiality when reporting on small teams?
Even when names are removed, information about a very small group can sometimes make individuals identifiable.
We therefore assess whether team-level findings can be shared safely before including them in employer reports.
Where there are insufficient responses, or a risk that individuals could be identified from the information, we withhold or combine findings as appropriate.
If meaningful anonymised reporting isn't possible, we can still provide general guidance and recommendations without revealing individual assessment results.
What happens to my personal information?
We use personal information to administer assessments, provide results and deliver the support requested.
Information relating to stress and wellbeing is treated as sensitive, with additional safeguards appropriate to the nature of the data.
Our Privacy Notice explains what information we collect, the purposes for which it is used, the service providers involved, how long it is retained and the rights available to you under UK data protection law.
You can also contact us if you have questions about how your information is handled.
THE SALES BURNOUT
SCORECARD.
What is the Sales Burnout Scorecard?
The Sales Burnout Scorecard is a free, confidential self-assessment designed specifically for people working in sales.
It explores four areas where sustained pressure may begin to affect wellbeing and performance:
- Depletion: Mental and emotional exhaustion.
- Detachment: Becoming disconnected from work, colleagues or customers.
- Confidence & Effectiveness: Changes in confidence and belief in your ability to succeed.
- Sales Behaviour Impact: Whether pressure may be influencing the activities and behaviours involved in selling.
The first three dimensions contribute to your overall Sales Burnout Score. Sales Behaviour Impact is reported separately.
The aim is to help you recognise potential warning signs and understand where taking action might be beneficial.
What will I receive after completing the Scorecard?
You'll receive a personalised report explaining your results and what they may mean.
Your report includes an overall Sales Burnout Score, an explanation of each assessment dimension, practical techniques for managing pressure and a four-week action plan to help you put those techniques into practice.
It's designed to be useful, not simply informative.
Rather than telling you that you're stressed and leaving it there, we want to help you understand what you can do next.
Does a high score mean I have burnout?
No.
The Sales Burnout Scorecard is a self-report tool, not a medical or psychological diagnostic assessment.
A higher score suggests that you're reporting more frequent experiences associated with sustained pressure and potential burnout risk.
It doesn't establish a medical condition, determine your ability to perform your job or replace an assessment by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
If you're concerned about your mental health, we encourage you to speak with your GP or another suitable healthcare professional.
Can I take the Scorecard again?
Yes. We encourage people to revisit their results after approximately four weeks.
Stress levels and behaviours can change, particularly when you begin applying new techniques or when your working circumstances improve.
Completing the assessment again can help you reflect on those changes and consider whether further action or support may be useful.
Your results are a starting point, not a permanent label.
Is Sales Is Tough a counselling or therapy service?
No. Sales Is Tough provides stress-management education, practical techniques and support focused on the challenges associated with working in sales.
We don't diagnose mental health conditions or provide psychological therapy.
Where someone needs specialist clinical support, we encourage them to seek assistance from an appropriately qualified professional.
If you need urgent help: Sales Is Tough is not an emergency or crisis service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. You can also contact Samaritans free on 116 123 for emotional support.