Learned helplessness: the silent killer of commercial performance

Hervé Humbert CEO de Curiosity

Hervé Humbert

14 May 2025

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Hervé Humbert CEO de Curiosity

Hervé Humbert

14 May 2025

Title

Title

Title

Are you familiar with learned helplessness ?

In a sale job, the pressure is constant. And yet, an invisible threat gradually erodes the motivation of salespeople: learned helplessness. This psychological phenomenon occurs when an individual, after several repeated failures, convinces himself that he no longer has any control over the situation. The result? He stops trying. Even worse, even when an opportunity for success presents itself, he does not seize it. Here is a video that presents learned helplessness in a simple way.

Why is this crucial in sales? Because this job is a constant mental ordeal. Some concrete examples::

  • Prospecting leads to more refusals than acceptances.

  • Even when the process is carried out perfectly, the salesperson has no complete control over the prospect's final decision.

  • A salesperson can go from ‘hero’ to ‘zero’ in a matter of minutes, from a closed sale to a scathing refusal.

  • etc.

This pressure ends up affecting morale, and that is when a feeling of learned helplessness sets in. All the more so as many companies do not take the necessary measures to stem it. Why??

  • Management that sees sales as a secondary function.

  • A "product culture" that neglects the human aspect of the commercial profession.

  • Management inherited from an outdated ‘command and control’ model, where the well-being of teams is secondary

  • Etc.

How can you avoid learned helplessness and protect your commercial results ?

Faced with this risk, inaction is not an option. Here are five concrete levers that you can activate immediately:

  1. Structured sales coaching: The manager's role is not to micro-manage, but to coach. More than 50% of their time should be devoted to helping their teams grow. Coaching should not be centred only on technical and pricing aspects (which we constantly observe) but on the efforts to be made to, for example, develop the person, give encouragement, to better adhere to the process, to challenge the individual, etc.

  2. Training managers in the motivation of salespeople: We must stop thinking that money is the only source of motivation for salespeople. Some are driven by victory, others want to avoid failure. You have to understand these levers and activate them intelligently.

  3. Recruit with discernment: Not everyone can be a salesperson. You need to identify those who have the DNA of sales: resilience, the ability to handle rejection and the desire to succeed in sales. You can find ideas on how to set up a robust recruitment process here.

  4. Start a daily journal: A simple tool sure, but a daily journal  is a powerful way to cultivate a positive mindset, analyse your successes and failures, and make continuous progress.

  5. Advocate a balanced lifestyle: Commercial success also depends on healthy lifestyle. Good sleep, a healthy diet and a physical routine have a direct impact on professional performance.

Don't let learned helplessness sabotage your sales

Learned helplessness is a silent poison, but it is not inevitable. As a business leader, you have the power - even the duty!? - to protect your teams from this phenomenon. Structure your coaching, adapt your management, recruit the right profiles and instil a culture of resilience.


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Hervé Humbert CEO de Curiosity

Hervé Humbert

Founder

Sales excellence, where do you stand ?

Sales excellence, where do you stand ?

Sales excellence, where do you stand ?