Synopsis:
Sales is a high-pressure, high-performance career. And it often comes at a cost to your mental well-being. According to the 2024 State of Mental Health in Sales Report, 70% of sales professionals say they struggle with mental health. And it’s not just personal; mental health issues cost the global economy around $1 trillion every year, as reported by Spill.
The constant drive to hit targets and meet deadlines can leave many sales professionals struggling to keep their mental health intact. But what if there was a way to thrive in sales without burning out?
To mark Mental Health Awareness Month, we sat down with Dr. Teckie Karoki, Executive Coach, Positive Intelligence (PQ) expert, and Founder of InSage Coaching, to dive into the critical topic of mental fitness for sales professionals.
In this eye-opening conversation, Teckie shares why mental health is important for high performers. She unpacks the science of mental fitness and how it helps salespeople shift from stress and self-doubt to clarity, calm, and confidence. If you’ve ever felt like you’re stuck in survival mode, this is for you.
Who is Teckie, and what inspired you to start InSage Coaching?
I am a leader, a lifelong learner, and a passionate champion of unlocking human potential, especially when it’s been buried under stress, self-doubt, or endless to-do lists. Through my work as an Executive Coach and Positive Intelligence practitioner, I help mid-to-senior-level leaders build the mental muscles they need to thrive, not just survive, in leadership and life.
At the heart of it all is my love for learning and people (preferably together!). That’s why I founded InSage Coaching. It provides a space where we pause, reflect, challenge saboteurs, and get intentional about leading with resilience, purpose, and calmness.
Whether I’m facilitating leadership development programs, coaching through transitions/decisions, or helping someone finally quiet their inner critic, my goal is simple: to help individuals move from mental fatigue to mental fitness, self-sabotage to self-mastery, and from stuck to Sage.
And yes, I believe serious breakthroughs can happen with a little laughter, a deep breath, and a well-timed “aha!” moment.
Sales is often described as high-performance and high-pressure. Why is mental health support critical in this profession?
Because sales is a pressure cooker dressed up as a performance metric.
Behind every enthusiastic pitch and dashboard update is a person who’s likely exhausted, overthinking, emotionally stretched, or questioning their entire career on a Tuesday afternoon – and yes, I was that person. I relate because I have been there.
In this high-performance, high-pressure world, most sales professionals don’t realise they are bearing a hidden burden: an overworked brain locked in survival mode. We spend our days overanalysing every move, pushing ourselves from one goal to the next, avoiding tough conversations, micromanaging everything within reach, and pretending emotions are a luxury we can’t afford. And all of that creates a cocktail of stress, anxiety, frustration, and burnout.
This is where mental health, by way of mental fitness comes in; not just as a wellness trend, but as a professional necessity.
Mental fitness trains the mind to shift from reactivity to response. From panic to presence. From rigid thinking to calm, focused action. It strengthens the brain’s capacity for clarity, empathy, and creativity – so we can face challenges without spiralling, bounce back faster from setbacks, and stay grounded even when pressure mounts.
When we build mental fitness, we don’t just improve how we perform, we also improve how we relate with ourselves, colleagues and our clients. We become more connected, more resilient, and more human in how we sell and how we lead.
Let’s be honest, hitting your targets is great. But hitting them while protecting your wellbeing, your confidence, and your joy – that is where the real success lies.
What are some of the biggest mindset shifts you’ve helped sales professionals make regarding stress and performance?
The most powerful shift I’ve seen, and the one that consistently changes everything, is the realisation that we all have internal saboteurs, and they are often the hidden drivers behind our stress, self-doubt, as well as performance, wellbeing, and relationship struggles.
This simple but profound awareness is a lightbulb moment for many. It’s like pulling back the curtain and realising, “Wait… I am not broken. I am just being hijacked.” That inner critic, the overthinking, the pressure to prove, the avoidance of tough conversations, it is not “just how I am,” it is coming from specific, predictable patterns that we can intercept and shift.
Once sales professionals begin to recognise the real cost of these saboteurs, low confidence, reactive behaviour, strained relationships, anxiety, and diminished performance, they start to ask the most important question: “So what do I do about this?”
That is where the real shift happens; when they start building mental fitness – training their minds to operate from their Sage brain instead.
By building mental fitness, they learn to access empathy (especially for themselves), regain perspective, tap into creativity, reconnect with purpose and take calm, focused action, even under pressure. People go from spinning in stress to selling with clarity and confidence, simply by learning to lead from the inside out.
It has been a joy to witness. Because once you meet your Sage, you can’t un-meet them! Furthermore, life, leadership, and sales are never quite the same again.
What are five mental health tips you’d give to sales professionals trying to stay sharp and motivated?
Sales can be tough on the mind – the targets, the pressure, the constant push to perform. That is why protecting your mental health isn’t just nice to have, it’s non-negotiable. But here is the good news: mental health can be strengthened through mental fitness. It’s about training your mind to respond with clarity, calm, and confidence, especially when the heat is on.
Here are 5 simple but powerful ways to stay sharp, grounded, and motivated in your sales journey:
1. Spot the internal saboteurs before they hijack you.
We all have internal patterns that trigger stress and sabotage our success. The trick is learning to recognise them in real time; during prospecting, follow-ups, or even in that “should I even make this call?” hesitation.
2. Stop confusing noise with effectiveness.
Busyness doesn’t equal progress, nor is it a status symbol. Loudness doesn’t make you a better leader. And stress is not a badge of honour. These are tricks your saboteurs play to keep you in survival mode. Instead, pause. Breathe. Reflect. Listen more deeply. Mental fitness encourages you to slow down just enough to sell with intention, lead with clarity, and stay connected to what matters.
3. Train the mind that is driving the results.
Behind every confident pitch and closed deal is a mindset that has been nurtured, not neglected. Take time to build your mental fitness; it is what helps you stay steady under pressure, bounce back from setbacks, and lead your sales conversations with clarity and presence.
4. Flow and focus are not unicorns.
You can sell from a place of ease, clarity, and focus, not just hustle and grind. But like any real success, it takes commitment, self-awareness, and the courage to slow down to speed up.
5. Be kind to the person doing the work.
Yes, that is you. Allow yourself to pause, to breathe, to reflect, to celebrate the small wins. A little empathy for yourself goes a long way in staying resilient, recharged, and ready to learn and lead.
What’s one powerful lesson you’ve learned as a saleswoman, coach, and mother that continues to shape how you show up every day?
I have learned that God created us in His image so that we can show up in all our roles with a sound mind and fully equipped with the unique potential, skills, talent, and abilities that He placed in each one of us.
We have it in us to live the full life that our God intended for us to live. Therefore, with a lot of prayer, gratitude, guidance from the Word of God, and a proactive focus on building our mental fitness and mental health, we will see ourselves transformed by the renewing of our minds every day. That is guaranteed!
This Mental Health Awareness Month, I encourage you to check in with yourself – how are you doing? Try putting one of these tips into practice; even the smallest shift can make a meaningful difference in how you show up and lead in your career.