Sales Burnout Warning Signs Checklist

12 early tells — before the rep is already gone

By the time a rep hands in notice, the warning signs have usually been visible for 6–8 weeks. This checklist exists to catch the pattern while there's still time for a real conversation, not an exit interview. Run it monthly per rep, not just when someone's numbers have already dropped — burnout precedes the number drop, it doesn't follow it.

How to use the scoring

Score each of the 12 tells 0 (not present), 1 (mild/occasional), or 2 (clear/frequent) based on the last 3–4 weeks specifically — not "in general," and not based on a single bad week.

• 0–5 total: Normal variation, no action needed beyond a standard check-in.
• 6–11 total: Early pattern — flag for a 1:1 within the week, using the Demotivated Rep Coaching Guide to diagnose skill/will/circumstance.
• 12+ total, or any single "hard flag" item below scored 2: Treat as urgent — schedule the conversation this week, not next.

Category A: Withdrawal signals

• 1. Missed or shortened 1:1s — cancels, reschedules repeatedly, or shows up but keeps it purely transactional (numbers only, no real conversation). (Hard flag if scored 2 — this is usually the earliest and most reliable tell.)
• 2. Reduced peer interaction — stops joining optional team calls, deal reviews, or informal channels they used to be active in.
• 3. Camera-off / presence-absent pattern — increasingly opts out of visible participation in meetings they used to engage in.

Category B: Output & CRM signals

• 4. CRM hygiene collapse — stale opportunity stages, missing next steps, notes stop being updated even though calls are still happening.
• 5. Activity volume drop without a stated reason — fewer calls/outreach logged, and when asked, no specific explanation (vs. a rep who says "I'm heads-down on the Acme renewal").
• 6. Pipeline stops growing — existing deals may still move, but nothing new is being created; the rep has stopped investing in the future, only managing what's already there.

Category C: Tone & communication signals

• 7. Tone shift in written communication — messages get shorter, flatter, more purely functional; sarcasm or cynicism appears where it didn't before. (Hard flag if scored 2.)
• 8. Deflecting or minimizing when asked how they're doing — "fine," "same as always," delivered flat, with no elaboration, from someone who used to actually answer the question.
• 9. Increased complaints about things that didn't used to bother them — leads quality, comp structure, tooling — not necessarily wrong, but a notable change in baseline.

Category D: Physical & attendance signals

• 10. Attendance pattern changes — more sick days, more late logins/logoffs, or the opposite (working unusually late as a sign of overcompensating rather than thriving).
• 11. Visible fatigue or appearance change on video calls — not a diagnosis, just a data point worth noting alongside the others.
• 12. Loss of a previously stated ambition — stops mentioning the promotion, the president's club trip, the goal they used to bring up — without replacing it with a new one.

The manager check-in opener (once you've flagged a score of 6+)

"I want to check in — not about the numbers, about you. I've noticed [name 1–2 specific, neutral observations from the list, e.g., 'our 1:1s have gotten shorter and the pipeline's been flat the last few weeks'] and I wanted to ask directly rather than guess: how are you doing, really?"

Then move into the Demotivated Rep Coaching Guide's three diagnostic questions (skill / will / circumstance) — burnout is a symptom, this checklist tells you it's present; the Coaching Guide tells you what's actually causing it.

What not to do with this checklist

• Don't score someone based on a single bad week — burnout is a trend across 3–4 weeks, not a bad Tuesday.
• Don't use the score as a performance rating or share the raw score with the rep — it's a manager's early-warning tool, not feedback language.
• Don't wait for 12+ before having any conversation — a score of 6 with a hard-flag item (missed 1:1s or tone shift) deserves a conversation now, not a wait-and-see.