For many sales teams, long hours are spent within four walls. Eyes train to screens for an average of 8+ hours a day. Tasks and distractions ping at professionals minute by minute, draining energy left and right.
A fix to these common office woes exists nearby — not in a new fancy technology solution but rather in nature. Recent research shows how time spent in the great outdoors can not only be therapeutic to your individual team members’ mental wellbeing — it can also boost their performance and productivity.
While neuroscience continues to change leaps and bounds (with some debate as to why this all works), current research supports that nature can help reduce people’s stress levels and fatigue, while elevating their ability to focus, problem-solve, think critically and creatively, and more.
Do not just hope your team uses business afterhours or a holiday to refresh and recharge outside. Your leadership can tap into the brain-boosting powers of nature on a more-regular basis, while people are on the clock. And what better time to start than now, as the world wakes up from its winter dormancy and spring takes root.
3 WAYS TO TAP INTO NATURE’S PRODUCTIVITY-BOOSTING POWERS
1) Plan a team-building outdoor retreat. Often, team outings or retreats turn into costly events at luxury locations that provide stimulating activities — rather than restorative. Consider finding a local trail or nature preserve to bring your team together. Hire a forest bathing guide or a trail guide to lead your team on a meaningful journey together. A bonus step to make the most of this outing: Leave behind your phones to truly realize the most benefits.
> SUPPORTING RESEARCH
University of Utah psychology professor and researcher David Strayer has focused on cognitive restoration the last 10+ years of his career. In a study he led in 2012, a group of hikers spent three days in a remote nature setting without any technology. More than half of the participants showed increased creative and problem-solving performance at the end of the retreat. Watch Dr. Strayer speak of the study at TEDx.
2) Hold regular sales training practice, coaching and reinforcement sessions outdoors. To truly influence behavior-changes and impart a new skill to your team, repeated practice and reinforcement are key. By practicing in a nature-immersive environment, you can help improve your salespeople’s mental state and help them to focus better and to be as receptive as possible to the key sales enablement tools and techniques you are trying to impart. Much like with point No. 1, leaving the screens behind (or turned off) during this session leads to better results.
> SUPPORTING RESEARCH
Nature research pioneer Roger S. Ulrich discovered decades ago that the brain emits alpha waves while in nature, which helps reduce anxiety and stress responses, and increases levels of focus, intuition and sense-making.
3) Build or update outdoor work stations. Encourage your teams to get outside more when the weather allows by providing outdoor working stations, both for individual work or group meetings. People can avoid attention fatigue and burnout by taking small breaks during or between tasks to let their mind wander with natural stimuli distractions.
> SUPPORTING RESEARCH
Dr. Stephen and Rachel Kaplan developed the Attention Restoration Theory, finding that the human brain can focus on a task or item for only so long before becoming fatigued. What can help? The Kaplans also found that “involuntary attention” or “soft fascination” offered by natural scenes and settings help our brains unwind and refresh to then be ready to focus at increased levels.
PRIME YOUR SALES PERFORMANCE FOR UNSTOPPABLE DEAL-MAKING
A burned-out salesforce can lead to low performance and missed deals. Beyond that, at Mereo our revenue performance experts have pinpointed five other common issues derailing your sales deals.
Download this free resource — and consider printing it out to take it on a powerful coaching session outside — to lead your team toward unstoppable deal-making.