I know first-hand that staying productive as a small business owner and salesperson often requires that you step away from your desk and take a complete mental break. It doesn’t have be a long break but you need to do it like you mean it. While this approach—whether it be taking a break for lunch or lying down for a short nap—has always helped me sell better, I now have some data to share that supports it.
We recently analyzed over 1 million sales activities that were logged into our CRM system by salespeople who work for more than 10,000 small businesses around the world. From the data, we discovered some interesting trends about productivity in different countries and how it’s related to whether or not a salesperson takes a break for lunch.
In particular, we found some surprising insights on daily productivity levels of American salespeople who work at small businesses vs. the French as well as West Coast vs. East Coast productivity levels. Let me tell you what we learned.
Americans vs. the French
While well known to be some of the hardest workers in the world, it may be time for Americans to work smarter, not harder, by taking a page from their French counterparts. In countries like France where two-hour lunch breaks are not uncommon, our data shows that French salespeople not only had a peak in productivity in the morning, but they also had a second higher peak in productivity after lunch as well. See the graph below to see what I’m talking about.
In comparison, Americans, especially those on the East Coast, tend not to take time to eat lunch or they quickly eat at their desks. The data below shows that these salespeople peak at noon and then continuously decline after that with no sign of a lunch break. They may work through lunch because people on the West Coast are just starting their work day, but this habit has serious ramifications on their overall productivity.
It’s not just about taking lunch but it’s the balance between eating food and taking a break. According to an article in Forbes, Michael Woodward, PhD, an organizational psychologist and author explains that “Just like professional athletes, we all need the energy from calories for our minds to function at their best. And we all need a little time to recharge, too.”
On the other hand, salespeople on the West Coast, especially in California, tend to take lunch more often, which helps with productivity, but still isn't at the level of the French. They are productive in the morning, peaking at 10 a.m., and then experience a lunchtime low at noon in which productivity plateaus until 4 p.m., after which it drops precipitously. This might be because of the time difference between the East and West Coasts as West Coasters get up earlier to work with the East Coast and therefore peak earlier.
Complex Sales Cycle
This difference in lunch habits might also be more than cultural norms. It also has to do with the complexity of the sales cycle. In a previous study that we released on the world’s best closers, it found that the sales environment in the US was one of the most difficult ones as to make one sale requires many activities and the conversion rate is low. So only the hardest, most persistent sale people in the US close deals which might explain the lack of a lunch break.
Productivity Levels in Other Countries
We also analyzed the lunchtime habits and daily productivity levels of salespeople at small businesses in India, Poland South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Russia. We found that they fell into one of three categories: morning peakers, lunch enjoyers or lunch skippers. Check out the infographic below to see their daily productivity levels.
Since this study is based on data only, what is your personal experience when it comes to staying productive? Does taking a break to eat lunch affect the way you work? What tips do you have for other business owners on how to be more productive during the day?
