Boredom Might Be More Dangerous Than Rejection

Salespeople are taught to get comfortable with rejection.

Hear no. Move on. Make the next call.

But what if rejection isn’t the thing slowing you down?

What if you’re just bored?

Some salespeople can hear no all day and keep moving. Rejection doesn’t bother them nearly as much as doing the same thing over and over again.

The first follow-up is easy. The fifth is manageable. By the 20th, your brain is looking for literally anything more interesting to do.

Update the CRM. Send another follow-up. Make another call. Give the same presentation. Ask the same questions.

None of it is particularly difficult.

That might be exactly why it becomes difficult.

High-energy salespeople often come alive when there’s something new to chase, a problem to solve or a deal that feels challenging. Put that same person into a repetitive routine and the energy can disappear.

The dangerous part is that boredom doesn’t always look like boredom.

It can look like procrastination. It can look like inconsistency. It can look like starting something new before finishing what you already started. It can even look like being incredibly busy while avoiding the repetitive work that actually produces sales.

And because you know how to do the work, you start wondering why you aren’t doing it.

Maybe the answer isn’t more motivation.

Maybe you need to make the repetitive parts of sales easier to execute.

Shorten the process. Create a target. Race the clock. Batch the boring work. Automate what doesn’t need you. Build a routine that gets you through repetition before your attention finds somewhere else to go.

You don’t need to make every part of sales exciting.

You need to stop expecting yourself to be excited about every part of sales.

Rejection gets a lot of attention because it hurts.

Boredom is quieter.

And for some salespeople, boredom might be the bigger threat.

Stanley Barsch
Founder, Motion Wins