In the sales industry, “fake it till you make it” isn’t just a saying; it’s often a job requirement. Behind those seemingly genuine smiles and enthusiastic pitches, salespeople are performing complex emotional gymnastics that researchers call emotional labor. According to new international research, this emotional performance is seriously impacting employee mental health and job satisfaction.
A recent study published in Industrial Marketing Management explores how salespeople’s moral character influences how they manage their emotions at work and how this ultimately affects their well-being. Poor employee well-being costs U.S. companies an estimated $500 billion and results in 550 million lost workdays annually, so this is a big deal for both businesses and individuals.
Reports show that about 63% of salespeople struggle with mental health issues, and sales jobs are known for their intense pressure. This has only gotten worse since the pandemic, with salespeople facing new challenges and changing customer expectations.
“We are all under a lot of pressure, a lot of deadlines at work, right?” says study co-author Khashayar Afshar Bakeshloo (Kash) from the University of Mississippi, in a statement. “We wanted to look at the different factors that threaten employee’s mental health and lead to emotional exhaustion. One such factor that is very interesting to us was emotional labor.”
The Hidden Cost of Putting on a Happy Face
Emotional labor is the work of managing one’s emotions to meet job requirements. It comes in two main forms: surface acting and deep acting.
Surface acting is basically putting on a mask and showing emotions you don’t actually feel, like forcing a smile during a tough customer meeting. Deep acting goes further, where you actually try to generate the required emotions internally, like really trying to feel excited about a product you’re selling.
The researchers wanted to know how a salesperson’s moral character affects which approach they use, and how these approaches impact both customer behavior and the salesperson’s well-being.
They surveyed 313 B2B salespeople across various industries in the United States, representing different company sizes and offering various products and services. Most people in the study (72.5%) were men, which is typical in B2B sales.
When Values and Job Requirements Collide
Salespeople who deeply value moral traits as part of who they are (what researchers call “moral identity internalization”) are more likely to try genuinely feeling the emotions their job requires, rather than just faking them.
On the other hand, salespeople who focus more on publicly showing their morality (called “moral identity symbolization”) tend to use both approaches depending on the situation—sometimes genuinely trying to feel the emotions, other times just putting on a show.
Customers can often tell when a salesperson is being fake, and they frequently respond by treating the salesperson poorly or disrespectfully. This negative customer behavior then makes salespeople less satisfied with their jobs, creating a harmful cycle.
“Managing emotions to meet job demands can lead to exhaustion, dissatisfaction, and negative customer reactions,” says study co-author Omar Itani from Lebanese American University. “Job satisfaction is essential for overall well-being, emphasizing the need for supportive workplace cultures.”
In sales roles, where rejection is common, the pressure to perform can lead to significant emotional strain. More than 70% of people working in sales reported struggling with mental health in the 2024 State of Mental Health in Sales report.
“Salespeople are expensive employees,” explains Afshar. “They bring in money for the organization. So, if they miss an opportunity, it means that there’s no money coming in. When a salesperson burns out, it’s not just a loss of the person, but it’s also everything they bring to the company.”
Creating Healthier Work Environments
So, what can employees and employers do? Aligning personal values with job expectations can help salespeople manage emotional labor more effectively. Those in roles that require frequent emotional acting should consider workplaces that support authenticity, mental health resources, and ethical leadership to reduce burnout. Sales managers can work to foster environments like these.
“Communication is the key here,” adds Afshar. “When employees can communicate their problems, they aren’t dealing with problems alone. When they feel safe talking to their managers, their colleagues, it tends to remove some of that burden.”
Source: https://studyfinds.org/fake-it-till-you-make-it-work-mental-health/
