Why Stress May Be Your Secret Weapon in Sales
Rebecca Heiss is on a mission to get people to reconsider how they think about stress. Often it’s in a negative context, and something one must find ways to eliminate from their day-to-day life.
But that idea is limiting, not the least of which because stress isn’t going away. “We can’t get rid of it,” said Dr. Rebecca Heiss, stress physiologist, author and professional keynote speaker best known for her work teaching people and organizations how to transform stress, fear and anxiety into a competitive advantage. She has spent over 15 years researching how the human brain responds to stress and her scientific work has been designated “transformative” by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Through her research and work, Dr. Heiss has come to the conclusion that trying to eliminate stress means fighting your biology. “I often say stress is a feature, not a bug. When we can harness it; when we notice it and say, ‘Oh, I feel this’ — or as I like to say, invite the tiger in for tea — we can start asking, ‘What are you here to help me do?’ That surge of energy is there for a reason.”
When we adopt that mindset, it changes our physiology. The stress response becomes activating, helping people charge toward the stressor instead of running away from it.
In sales, stress can actually be incredibly productive. When reps experience pressure and lean into it, Dr. Heiss believes they can perform at their peak.
In the following interview with Vet-Advantage, Dr. Heiss shared several actionable insights for sales reps from her new book “Springboard: Transform Stress to Work for You.”
On the biggest misconception about stress and how it shows up in sales behavior
Dr. Heiss: The biggest misconception related to stress today is that stress is bad. In day-to-day sales, that often sounds like, “I’m stressed about this call. I’m going to get rejected.”
We tell ourselves stories that don’t serve us.
What’s fascinating about stress biology is how much the stories we tell affect our physiology. One classic example is the “milkshake study.” Participants drank the exact same milkshake, but one group was told it was high-calorie and indulgent, while the other was told it was low-calorie and diet-friendly. The group that believed it was high-calorie not only rated it as tasting better, but their hunger hormones changed as if they’d consumed a rich meal. The other group stayed hungrier later in the day.
The milkshake didn’t change — the story did. And the story changed physiology, behavior and outcomes.
So when a rep thinks, “This is going to go badly,” or “I’m going to be rejected,” they’re literally changing their physiology in a way that impacts behavior and results. The misconception isn’t just that stress is bad — it’s that our stories don’t matter. They absolutely do.
On listening to stress instead of fighting it
Dr. Heiss: Curiosity is key. When we recognize that stress is there to serve us — not something to fight — we can reframe it as a signal that something matters.
My research focuses on purpose and stress, and one of the strongest findings is that the most meaningful, purposeful lives are also the most stressful. Stress is the No. 1 correlate of meaning. Nobody gets stressed because their shoe came untied. Stress shows up when something matters.
If a veterinary sales rep could take one concept from “Springboard”, Dr. Heiss said it would be this: Stress is a signal that something is important.
“I often ask people to think about something they’re most proud of and then remember how stressed they were at the time,” she said. “Those two things are almost always linked. We tend to forget that meaning and stress go hand in hand.
“Sales reps should also recognize how much service they provide,” she continued. “We reviewed 90 stress-mitigation interventions,
and the only one that truly mitigates stress isn’t meditation, breathing or massage — it’s service to others. When you recognize that your work serves people, stress becomes fuel.”
What’s happening in the body before a big account meeting
Dr. Heiss: From a neuroscience standpoint, the body is preparing to perform. The heart pumps faster, blood moves faster and oxygen delivery increases.
If you believe stress is bad, blood vessels constrict and blood pressure rises. But if you tell yourself stress is helpful, those vessels dilate, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery. That means faster thinking, sharper focus and narrowed attention — exactly what you want in a high-stakes conversation.
The story you tell determines whether stress elevates or erodes performance.
Chronic vs. acute stress — and what leaders should worry about
Dr. Heiss: Acute stress is immediate and situational — what most people think of as stress. Chronic stress is longer-term, lower-level and ongoing.
Sales leaders should care about both. Acute stress demands attention, but chronic stress often gets ignored because it feels overwhelming. Avoidance is always more damaging than addressing stress directly.
Leaders can help by encouraging small, daily actions that chip away at chronic stress. A goal like “increase revenue by 500%” shuts people down. But saying, “Today I’ll improve by 0.1%” creates momentum. Action beats inaction every time.
Early signs stress is tipping from productive to problematic
Dr. Heiss: I don’t see stress itself as problematic. Stress is energy. Stressors can be positive or negative, but the stress response isn’t inherently good or bad.
Rather than looking for warning signs, I encourage people to invite stress in and get curious about it. Stress is always present — it’s a feature. The key is directing it toward what matters.
If you feel yourself spiraling, take a three-minute break and do what I call a “disaster diary.” Write down everything you’re catastrophizing about. Let it all pour out.
This moves those thoughts from the emotional center of the brain — the limbic system — into the frontal lobe, where you can process them and regain productivity instead of spinning in fear.
Reframing stress around rejection and tough conversations
Dr. Heiss: Rejection isn’t personal. It’s information. You’re trying to serve someone, and it may simply not be the right time or fit.
The danger is learned helplessness — the story that says, “This will never work.” That story creates the outcome.
I love the baby elephant analogy: tie a baby elephant to a tree, and it learns it can’t move. Later, you can tie a full-grown elephant — strong enough to uproot trees — to a small stake, and it won’t try. Conditions change. You have to keep testing.
You may be tied to a stick and not realize it.
On stress recovery and staying grounded
Dr. Heiss: I don’t think stress recovery is necessary if you reframe stress as helpful. Saying “I’m excited” is a powerful grounding tool. You may know you’re lying to yourself — and that’s fine. The body responds immediately, even if the brain hasn’t caught up yet.
Over time, continually updating the story (“This matters. This is meaningful. My body is preparing me to perform.”) builds resilience and confidence.
Connection also matters. Oxytocin is the No. 2 stress hormone, and it drives us toward others. Moving through discomfort together makes us more powerful.
How reps know they’re using stress as a springboard
Dr. Heiss: You’ll feel it. When stress erodes you, notice it without judgment. I study stress for a living, and I still struggle with it some days.
The power is in recognizing it, taking a breath and telling a different story — again and again. You’ll fail. You’ll come back. And you’ll keep practicing.
That, to me, is the ultimate hack.
Image Credit:
istockphoto.com/Ridofranz
