How to manage ADHD in sales???

Ive been in sales for 8 years and just got diagnosed with ADHD.


Which makes perfect sense.


Since working from home its BRUTAL trying to stay focused. idk if im any less focused than I was in the office, i just dont have an SDR to go over to and annoy for a few minutes


Any other WR folk deal with ADHD, what do you do to stay focused besides meds and any advice for a newly diagnosed ADHDer???

🙏 Mental Wellness
🏡 WFH
🏄 Personal Life
38
CoorsKing
WR Officer
18
Retired King of the Coors Knights
Music. My doctor told me music helps my brain minimize background distractions. I fucking crank music when I need to get tasks done 
poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
5
☕️
This. Dombresky Radio on Spotify is my ADHD fog cutter.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
Ill give it a try!
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
update: this is 🔥🔥🔥
TennisandSales
Politicker
2
Head Of Sales
wow ok so I have found this as well! I have nice noise canceling headphones and i find that works. Im all for suggestions, ive found my self listening to "chill mix" on Youtube or like "focus music" seems to help
CuriousFox
WR Officer
2
🦊
I go back and forth from playing SiriusXM low in the background to silence. You'll find your focus shifts daily.
ilovemondays
Executive
1
Senior Account Executive
In before you open a music app novel music you've never heard before destroys your afternoon
SaaSam
Politicker
0
Account Executive
100% I love reading but if I'm not listening to music while I do it I'll end up several pages in and realize I don't remember a single fucking thing I just read.
Jewcan_Sam81
Politicker
0
Account Executive
100%

I legit have Spotify on 11 hours a day, that lame-ass report Spotify sent out for 2020 said i listened for over 70,000 hours. Without it my ADHD would go apeshit
paddy
WR Officer
8
Director of Business Development
Use the ADHD to your advantage if you can. I'm sure there are successful outliers out there who have managed to turn this into a positive. Idk how, but my advice is to seek out people who've used their disadvantages as advantages. There's a book called Outliers that talks about it. Pretty interesting and fun read.
SaaSam
Politicker
1
Account Executive
It depends on the kind you have but very true. Personally I found tasks that require focusing on several things at once are much easier to find a flow state in. 

Once I found out I had ADHD I began finding it could be a huge advantage.
SADNES5
Politicker
1
down voters are marketing spies
This. I use my hyperfocus/fixation to get shit done. It might look weird, but only answer emails twice a day. 

This way I can't go down the rabbit hole on 5 minute tasks when I need to get a "boring" task done now. 
poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
5
☕️
I have a fidget toy of some kind. Could even be a pen that I can click. If I am working on a project I will full screen the window, close all tabs, and hide my bookmarks bar/toolbar on the browser. Then I turn off all notifications and set a Pomodoro timer for 45 minutes with a 15-minute break. It's tough, but it works.
TennisandSales
Politicker
2
Head Of Sales
yeah...i need a better fidget toy than biting my nails or peeling paint off my desk 🤣🤣 Any good ones you have found??
CuriousFox
WR Officer
5
🦊
Don't forget to take your meds and drink a ridiculous amount of water daily. Also keep small snacks around (nuts and berries for me) because you will forget to eat.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
what med do you take? I am meeting with my dr monday to talk about it. Adderall and Ritalin have been suggested so far. 


CuriousFox
WR Officer
3
🦊
Everyone is different of course. I do take Adderall XR 20mg and it seems to be the sweet spot for me.
Nikosuave
Executive
1
Business Development Manager
I use to take adderall but it stopped working recently so I switched to vyvanse. I like it the best out of the different ones I’ve had over the last 15 years but it’s depends on the person
followingup
Fire Starter
5
Account Executive
Alternating tasks in short intervals of time has helped me TONS!! The only thing with adhd that I’m unable to solve is that during long ass work meetings (not customer facing), I retain 0 information given to me because I find it nearly impossible to pay attention. If anyone knows how to combat this that’d be great. Otherwise, the alternating of responsibilities has been super helpful in keeping me focused!
TennisandSales
Politicker
2
Head Of Sales
this is probably one reason why i like sales so much, because you can switch tasks all the time and no one cares haha. 

in terms of meetings, one thing i have tried, is write EVERY questions down. 

So ill write down (or type) every person who is in the meeting, what question or point they make and what the response is. it kinda makes me focus cus i never know what ppl are going to say. 🤷‍♂️
DrunkenArt
Politicker
2
Sales Representative
Diet and exercise are big. Tire your mind out and feed it some quality nutrition. Also, ride the highs when you're super focused and when your mind starts to wonder, focus on physical tasks to get you back on track. 
sellingsellssold
Politicker
2
SDR
Take lots of breaks and set goals for example call 10 people then allow yourself a 10 minute break. 
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
had my first chat with a therapist and she mentioned this as well. set goal than give your self a reward. love it. 
someoneinsales
Tycoon
1
Director of Sales
Structure your day in 15-30 minute blocks changing activities after each block. I block of 30 minutes for prospecting, then 30 minutes for admin stuff, 30 mins of internal things we need to get done, 15 minute walk around etc. 

I found putting it in my calendar holds me more accountable and I can focus hard for that short amount of time then move on to something different to keep me going. 
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
love it. Ill be more intentional about this for sure! 

SaaSyBee
Politicker
1
Founder
Stay active! It helps me. I get so tired out that I have no choice but to stay focused.
Jimsalestheblue
Opinionated
1
Sales development representative
It’s honestly tough sometimes in the office I play elevator music to help me eliminate some distractions 
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
yeah i am glad i get to work from home. getting up 1000 times from my desk is not looked down upon. and i dont have to pretend to need to go to the bathroom to just take a walk hahah 
TheRealPezDog
Notable Contributor
1
Account Manager
Hella ADHD'er here, not currently medicated and haven't been since about 7 years ago.  Just about to go on Strattera but I'd rather have stimmy's again but they're tryna piss test me for it so I'm like, "Nah" and now I've found a new doctor.  Gonna give the Strattera a chance but ultimately I'll probably get back on the ralls here shortly.  

Outside of being medicated I would recommend scheduling even mundane tasks on your outlook calendar, get a desk calendar, set a ton of alarms and drink a ton of caffeine.  
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
wait, so taking simulants caused a positive drug test?? were they able to see that its an ADHD med?? 

im also interested in the "drink tons of caffeine".....cus I do and i have been trying to stop haha. do you say that because it does help focus a bit?
Prunetracey
Fire Starter
1
VP Growth
I like to think of ADHD as "I am extremely focused but only on shit I WANT to be focused on". If I can't stay focused it usually because I don't give a shit about that particular thing.

What helps me is a hand written check list. One thing at a time however small.
I love ticking off the little boxes I've drawn for myself.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
mmm yeah I for sure feel this. the problem is hen I become VERY self centered, and i really dont want that. (im married with kids) 

have you found a way to pull your self out of wanting to focus on something, when you know you need to be focused on something else? (example: wanting to focus on fun things i want to do after work, but knowing i need to focus on the wife and kids cus i love them too) 

Sorry this comment is a little more personal haha 
Prunetracey
Fire Starter
1
VP Growth
Yeah man, with my checklist.
It may sound weird but I literally checklist everything (or I get nothing done and I end up being exhausted through procrastination but not delivering outcomes in both work and personal life).

I have a checklist every day that I set in the morning. Even weekends (if I'd like to achieve shit).

This is just me though, so I say this respectfully of course (everyone's a bit different).
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
i use checklists a tiny bit, i should really expand this thought. great tip thanks
Upper_Class_SaaS
Politicker
1
Account Executive
Gotta learn how to wield it as a weapon and not think of it as something that inhibits you. 

Learn how to use the hyper-focus moments in spurts, then learn how to use the distracted times to multi-tasks while prospecting 
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
i like this. I am just starting to be able to notice when my focus is coming in or going out, and that its a normal thing for me. 

I guess I need to determine what tasks i can do while in a "unfocused" period. 
NoSuperhero
Politicker
1
BDR LEAD
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was like 7 or 8 and it depends from day to day, music helps a bunch, weed helps too, having something in the background that is familiar and looks helps me sometimes, like the episodes of seinfeld, the office or 2 1/2 man works too. Sales in a way is kinda perfect because every 15 mins there's something new to focus on.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
totally agree with sales being kinda perfect. Weed helps? I do not have a solid way of getting it but i just started taking Delta 8 which is REAL nice but havnt tried it durring the day to see how i focus. ill try it haha

yeah its weird i just got diagnosed and im 30 
CaneWolf
Politicker
1
Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract
PACE ON CALLS. I cannot emphasize enough how helpful this is to me. If it’s REALLY bad, take notes with pen and paper so you have to focus. Use one of the smart pens/notebooks that digitally uploads. Do the boring/hard shit first. And a big one, cut yourself some slack. I don’t remember if it was CuriousFox or Incognito (on the app and tagging not a thing) that said a few months back that almost everyone they know in sales has some sort of disorder (ADD/ADHD/OCD/Anxiety) but they nailed it.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
yeah i do that for sure when i make calls, but when im on a meeting we are a "camera on" kinda company.... i should push back on that a little more. 
Great tips!
NorthernSalesGuru
Politicker
1
Manager, Outbound Sales
I have ADHD as well. I tend to take my calls on walks outside sometimes to help me stay sane.
mollybloomstanaccount
Politicker
1
AE (Account Executive)
Make a daily list of a minimum three priority things that must get done or will have consequences and start from there
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
i like this. i get overwhelmed prety easily 
Sniper
Valued Contributor
1
Enterprise Account Executive
CBT, meditation, exercise, routine, and searching for the root cause
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
1
Account Executive
Bighandshaker
1
Associate Partner
Try to leverage the Pomodoro technique, many great apps and web add ins for google etc.  ADHD is very different for each person, so you will have to try many hacks before you figure out the right one for you.  Good luck!
Coop
Executive
1
Account Executive
Something I struggle with every day. Adderall helps quite a bit for me lol but I go for a run every morning - not super long but 30 minutes to get the fidgits out! And Lo-fi music!! Also someone mentioned snacks - DO IT. I straight up don't eat unless I have a cliff bar or something in front me at the desk. I Always forget about eating !
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
thanks for sharing Coop. I am lucky I cant forget to eat since I eat with my wife and kids every meal. I just started taking Strattera (although i found out its not covered under insurance so ill be switching) and I feel like its helped as well. 
DungeonsNDemos
Big Shot
1
Rolling 20's all day
@TennisandSalesI'm looking into this now, since I feel like it comes up in my life every few months but Google's list doesn't match me. How did you get diagnosed? I'm not diagnosed with anything, but sometimes just feel like I can't focus on anything.
Lol not sure if I'm just lazy or what.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
so i met with a phycologist that specialized in adult ADHD and that had the ability to perform a cognitive assessment for ADHD. (not just ask you a few questions)

you can go to you primary care physician to get a referral or just look on google to see who is in your network.

This is the best way to go. because Googling things and JUST talking to your primary care physician is not enough to get the REAL answer.

I use to think i was just lazy and unmotivated until i started seeing the connection to issues in my personal life and not just work.

Then i talked with the specialist and found out im actually a classic case.
DungeonsNDemos
Big Shot
0
Rolling 20's all day
I appreciate the answer!
hh456
Celebrated Contributor
0
sales
CBD
TennisandSales
Politicker
2
Head Of Sales
really? I just got a sample actually, Ill have to try that during the day. 


hh456
Celebrated Contributor
1
sales
It’s not a miracle drug. It works for some not for others. It’s been amazing for me.
Nikosuave
Executive
0
Business Development Manager
I use an app called Todoist which is more or less a task Managment app. In there I created a few categories of tasks like high focus, tasks I can do with music, etc. Then depending on how I’m feeling I go into that section and try to knock things out. The high focus tasks sometimes take me a few blocks of time to completely finish but it helps me get everything done before the end of the day.
50dials
Executive
0
Growth Manager
Consistent diet and exercise, find optimal med dosage + nootropics, Pomodoro technique, deep house, and when your hyperfocus is on, let it run!

Also seeing an ADHD coach and a psychotherapist specializing in ADHD may be helpful as well.
MCP
Valued Contributor
-1
Sales Director
Time for a new job. Stockbroker if you want to stay in sales. https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/best-jobs
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
haha or police officer. Funny enough i started my career off in investment sales. 
16

Beards in Sales

Question
23
Are Beards Professional?
71% Yes
7% No
22% Depends - Comment Below
126 people voted
16
Members only

ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, neurodiversity in sales?

Question
31
Neurodiversity in sales?
58% Yes! I’m one of them!
24% Nahhh not me
18% Wtf is neurodiversity?
153 people voted