IS YOUR SALES TEAM FIGHTING FIT?

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IS YOUR SALES TEAM FIGHTING FIT?
IS YOUR
SALES TEAM
FIGHTING FIT?

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 4
Key findings ......................................................................................................... 6
Factors causing pain .......................................................................................... 7
.
Multiple places of work ................................................................................ 9
Infrastructure ................................................................................................ 11
Carrying heavy loads/bags ........................................................................ 12
Driving ........................................................................................................... 13
Gadget usage ............................................................................................... 15
Nutrition ........................................................................................................ 16
Salesforce Ergonomics At A Glance .................................................................. 17
What can individuals do to address ergonomic risks at work? .................... 18
What role can organizations play in addressing ergonomic risk factors? ... 20
Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 21

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INTRODUCTION
Today, in times of severe competition, sales professionals are the most important
to any organization, literally the ‘Backbone’ of any organization. They are the
face of an organization that is in direct contact with the customers.
While these sales professionals are the literal ‘backbone’ of organizations,
their ergonomic needs are often missed out, as administrations focus more on
employees who spend most of their time at the desk.
Unfortunate, but it’s a fact that office administrators have largely focused on
job roles and ergonomic needs of employees who work from offices or spend
considerable time at their desks. Job roles such as Sales Professionals who are
always In and Out of offices also need focus. It is usually observed that salespeople
experience high levels of physical as well as emotional stress as a result of the
nature of their job role. They usually sit through long meetings and are connected
to gadgets 24x7. Target pressure and demands of clients, among other things,
can have a major impact on their health. Excessive travel & irregular eating
habits increases their exposure to different ergonomic challenges & occupational
health risks.
Godrej Interio Action-Interaction matrix for different categories of employees
reveals that in comparison to Junior Management, Middle Management and CXOs,
the feet-on-street were involved in higher action and higher interaction. While we
understand the pain issues of desk – job employees, we set out to understand the
health challenges faced by people on field.
To understand the prevalence of ergonomic risk factors in detail, the Workspace
and Ergonomics Research Cell of Godrej Interio conducted a study amongst 500+
institutional sales professionals across various industry sectors across India. The
survey was followed up with several interviews. These interviews explored issues
raised by the questionnaire and helped confirm their findings. Interviewees were
asked about details of their job, driving ergonomics, and health issues they face.

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CEO’s
CXOs, Directors, MD
Decision Makers
Senior Management
Moderate on Screen
Junior Management
ADMIN
Date Entry Operators
High on Screen
Sales
Marketing
On field technicians
Low to modetate
exposure on Screen
Middle Management
Creative Professionals
Design
IT Professionals
High on Screen
LOW ACTION
INTERACTION
HIGH
HIGH
LOW
All this with the objective of identifying ergonomic and occupational health
challenges amongst sales professionals and offer suggestions to reduce work
related injuries as well as assist organizations to cater to the wellbeing of their
on-field staff. It also suggests ways of integrating ergonomic solutions into
existing office environment as well as offers a guide for organizations to introduce
occupational health programs for the field staff.

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KEY FINDINGS:
PAIN DISTRIBUTION
Work-related aches and pains are commonplace, but what is not widely known
are the numbers that tell the story of exactly how prevalent the problem is. This
study covered significant ground in understanding and analyzing specific pain
areas faced by the sales team and frequency of occurrence, as a precursor to
develop remedial measures.
The study revealed that 63% sales people reported complaints of musculoskeletal
pain. Significantly, spinal pain was reported as the most frequent area of pain,
followed by knee pain.
shoulder
discomfort
elbow and wrist
discomfort
neck, shoulder and
upper back pain
56%
lower back pain
58%
8%
25%
knee discomfort
45%

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The study also revealed the severity of pain. It was found that the symptoms of
back pain are on the rise and the users are experiencing it almost every day. As
many as 15% users experienced neck pain almost every day, while another 14%
experienced it more than once a week. Another frequent problem is back pain,
with 23% experiencing some form of back pain every day, and 15% experiencing
back pain more than once a week. Other frequent pain areas include knee pain
– by 5% users almost every day. 3% experienced shoulder pain almost every
day. Elbow and wrist pain was another significant problem, though only 3%
experienced it more than once a week.
The study additionally observed that the users in the age group of 36–40 years
experienced maximum pain complains. It also revealed that the users in the
millennial age group of 26–30 years experienced acute pain.
To put an end to these issues, it’s important to further analyze factors causing
pain, thereby help suggest corrective measures.
FACTORS CAUSING PAIN
There are so many functions that modern professionals juggle, that it is
imperative to comprehensively identify root causes of pain so that behavior and
infrastructure can be suitably modified. Multiple factors and risks need to be
taken under consideration while assessing the ergonomic problems associated
in sales professionals.

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ERGONOMIC ISSUES:
From carrying sales material to heavy laptop bags, a sales employee has
numerous responsibilities. They either sit in a spot at a stretch for 3–4 hours or
travel to the client’s location. They often find themselves adapting to different
workplace environment and using multiple gadgets, both at office and on field.
These different situations expose them to several ergonomic issues and have
adverse effects on their overall well-being. Below are the six factors that were
found to be the main causes of health issues faced by the sales professionals:
CARRYING HEAVY LOADS/BAGS
MULTIPLE PLACES OF WORK INFRASTRUCTURE
GADGET USAGE
DRIVING
NUTRITION

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Once out of office, a salesperson works from multiple locations – either the client’s
location, a coworking space, visitor lounge, cafe or from home – with little or no
control over ergonomics.
While working away from office, a sales person has no control on fixed workplace
parameters like infrastructure, work desk, chair, illumination, thermal comfort and
acoustics.
MULTIPLE PLACES
OF WORK
Client’s place Home
Cafe Co-Working space
1-2 hr 3-4 hr More than 5 hours
EMPLOYEES WORKING AWAY FROM OFFICE
25%
41% 40%
19%
15%
5% 7%
3%
2% 2% 2%
1%
Their location changes quite frequently and they end up using whatever
infrastructure is available at the café or client’s site or any place of work. Even
while working from home, only a few of them were found to have proper work
desk arrangements. Most of them either sat on a bed or used the dining table
to work.

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The analysis ofemployeesworking away from office displayed avaried percentage
of complaints.
• Employees sitting and working in cafes had the most complaints about neck
pain. The probable cause of this pain could be prolonged gadget usage like
smartphones and laptops on an improper table height.
• Back pain complaints were higher in almost 62% users who were working from
the client’s site. This can be attributed to sitting and working in visitor lounge
sofas or using visitor chairs which aren’t designed for comfort or sustained
usage.
The above mentioned factors tend to force sales people to sit in highly constrained
postures for long hours. A constrained posture can inflict strain on the body,
leading to fatigue, muscle strain, spinal and even skeletal injuries.
Surprisingly, work from home showed lesser statistics of pain symptoms as
compared to sitting elsewhere and working. A probable explanation is that while
working from home, users had no proper work desk arrangement but were found
to adopt more natural body postures accompanied by frequent breaks.
ANALYSIS OF PAIN AND PLACE OF WORK
Client’s place Home
Cafe Co-Working space
45%
62%
20% 20%
35%
19%
70%
56%
40%
26%
30% 30%
Neck pain Lower back pain Knee pain

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Office infrastructure has a huge impact on an employee’s day at work, especially
in light of the fact that the job role of a sales personnel requires them to spend
a lot of their time responding to emails and setting the agenda for the day. A
comfortable chair and workstation play a vital role in their productivity.
On an average, we found that sales people spend 3–4 hours at office and tend
to sit in their chair at a stretch for a minimum of 2–2.5 hours without any breaks
and in a static posture. More than 23% of sales people didn’t have a designated
place in office. They either used hot desks, sat on couches or bean bags to work,
exposing themselves to undue physical discomfort.
Not all the fault always lies with the office infrastructure. While 70% of sales
professionals were provided with ergonomic chairs, they were unaware of the
basic feature adjustments which could support their posture and add comfort.
This resulted in adoption of inappropriate postures.
Factors that increase the risk to musculoskeletal disorders include Improper
chair, Lack of awareness about the features to be adjusted in the chair, incorrect
posture adopted while working and Workstation ergonomics.
INFRASTRUCTURE

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CARRYING HEAVY
LOADS/BAGS
Apart from carrying basic necessities, sales people tend to carry heavy laptop
bags having sales support material like catalogues, product samples, etc. All
of these materials build up to static load on the upper body, particularly the
shoulder, upper back and cervical muscles.
The type of bag employees carry and how they carry them is yet another
important factor which influences the pressure on the spinal cord and joints.
While the heavy backpacks exert a huge amount of pressure on the back, sling
bags are prone to cut the blood circulation off one’s arms.
Carrying a heavy sling bag can n have adverse effect on a sales person’s posture.
According to our study, 85% of sales professionals carried backpacks to work
and a majority of the bags weighed an average of 4-5 kgs. Carrying such heavy
backpacks over an extended time can cause neck, shoulder and back discomfort.

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Bike Car
The users in our study group drove both, two-wheelers and four-wheelers for local
commute. This was apart from using local transport on certain occasions. It was
observed that employees used two wheelers to travel for shorter duration of time
and cars for longer drives.
Car Users:
• Drove for more than 5 hours daily
• Reported symptoms of chronic back pain
Bike Users:
• Rode for more than 3-4 hours daily
• Reported symptoms of acute back pain
Almost 45% of users also complained about knee pains which could be attributed
to driving for long hours daily.
MODE OF TRANSPORT
26%
24% 24%
15% 16%
14%
1-2 hr 3-4 hr More than 5 hours
DRIVING
Salespeople spend most of their day driving to office or clients’ sites. This is a
crucial part of their work profile but comes with a lot of health implications.
According to a Swedish study based on 22,000 working-age adults, people who
traveled for over half an hour, one-way, were exposed to a 25% higher risk of
being categorized as leading a sedentary lifestyle.

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Even though two-wheeler was found to be an easy mode of commute and beating
the traffic, riding it for long hours caused acute back pain.
Risk factors for two-wheeler riders:
• Whole body vibration – After 2 hours of riding, vibration can result in increased
risk of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• Poor posture – Riding for extended periods of time in a poor posture can lead
to neck and back pain, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis.
• Contact stress – Riding for 2 hours can result in constant stress caused by
hands on the handlebars.
Even while driving a car, users need to pay attention to their fixed postures as it
is linked to musculoskeletal pain.
Risk factors for four-wheeler riders:
• Static postures – It can result in body stress injuries like tennis elbow, neck
strain, foot cramps, lower back pain, shoulder pain and knee pain.
• Whole body vibration – Sitting for a long time can transmit this vibration to
back and buttocks. Not only does it increase the risk of injuries but also result
in degenerative spinal changes and disorders of the digestive system.
• Body stiffness - It is a common system which occurs as a result of driving for
long hours.

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Today, smart gadgets have earned a permanent spot in each of our routines.
Cateringtothedependency,theusageofsmartgadgetshasincreaseddramatically
in the past ten years. As the usage of mobile phones swell, we continue to witness
new patterns of medical conditions that are directly or indirectly associated with
them. Predominant are issues like psychosocial concerns and musculoskeletal
problems of the neck, back and upper limbs.
Inarguably, smart gadgets grant us work flexibility and an option of accessing
work on the move. Unfortunately, their technical capabilities affect the associated
ergonomics.
The sales employees were most often found to be using smartphones and laptops.
38% of the sales professionals were found to be using the laptop for 3-4 hours a
day. Smart phone usage was found to be even higher. Further, the analysis of
smartphone usage and its duration concluded that employees who used smaller
screen devices for long hours, experienced neck and upper back discomfort,
followed by visual stress.
Additionally, while using laptops at their desks, it was observed that sales
professionals do not use accessories like external keyboard or a stand, as a
result of which they tend to adopt uncomfortable postures. Constantly bending
forward, slouching and unsupported arms were the most observed postures and
leading to sharp pain.
GADGET
USAGE

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NUTRITION
Nutrition has a direct impact on health in general. Good nutrition can do wonders,
and conversely, poor nutrition can be dangerous in many ways. Not only does
it result into bad health but also has an impact on a person’s ability to work.
Employees with poor nutrition health tend to lack motivation and have lower
productivity. An increase in sick days and long-term illnesses are also directly
linked to poor eating habits.
Being on field has a huge nutritional impact on a sales person. The most common
causes of poor nutritional health in such a scenario are skipped meals, long gaps
between meals, less water consumption, frequent consumption of junk food and
street food, as well as excessive beverage intake.
The numbers reveal that more than 70% of sales people consume in excess of 4
cups of tea or coffee a day. Consuming large amounts of tea, coffee or carbonated
drinks affect a salesperson’s health in the long term. According to our survey,
58% of them do not hydrate themselves well and drink water only when at the
customer site.

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SALESFORCE ERGONOMICS
AT A GLANCE
Spinal and
knee pain
were the most frequent
complaint areas
70%
of users were unaware
of posture basics
Lack of
exercise
was linked to increased
pain complaints
36-40-
year-olds
experienced maximum
pain complaints
63%
of salespeople
reported complaints of
musculoskeletal pain

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TIPS TO ADDRESS ERGONOMIC RISKS AT
INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANISATIONAL LEVEL
Considering the risk factors, we have put together a few tips which can help
address ergonomic risks at Individual and Organizational levels:
1) Take care of your posture while working
Maintain a neutral work posture, make sure your body is properly aligned and
distribute your body weight evenly while sitting or working.
Do not sit unevenly, cross your legs, lean to one side, hunch your shoulders forward
or tilt your head.
Instead, sit up straight and align your ears, shoulders, and hips in one vertical line.
Any prolonged sitting position, even a good one, can be stressful. Take breaks
from sitting in a spot and stretch periodically.
Ergonomic posture guidelines need to be followed while working away from
office. Take breaks every 30–40 minutes, including some mini stretch breaks and
create appropriate work arrangements to avoid awkward postures.
2) Work smartly on your smart gadgets
Avoid strain injury while using smartphones, by holding smartphones high enough
to ensure your neck remains straight (neutral). Rest the arm as it will help in
holding the phone up. If you can’t, then take frequent breaks.
Use a smartphone grip in case the work involves walking while using the phone,
and also take eye-rest breaks every 20 minutes. To take better care of the eyes,
look at an object that is 20 feet away for about 20 seconds.
Rotate the screen to increase character size and use the zoom in feature to read
or view details. Keep the screen clean, avoid working on a bright screen and
avoid uncomfortable neck positions when using a cell phone.
It is important to stretch fingers and wrists frequently to prevent discomfort and
strains. It is also essential to accessorize the laptop with a laptop stand, external
key board and mouse.
3) Carry smart, carry light
Sales people use backpacks to carry laptops, binders and sales catalogs for
extended periods of time. It is therefore critical for them to invest in an ergonomic
one. The ideal ergonomic backpack needs to be light and easy to carry. It is
advisable to carry backpacks that do not weigh more than 10–12% of the body
weight.
Tips for the safe use of backpacks:
• Wear both straps – The use of just one strap shifts the entire weight to one side
causing muscle spasms and lower back pain. Preferably, wear two shoulder

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straps as that distributes the weight of the backpack evenly and promotes a
well-aligned body posture. Always tighten the straps to keep the load closer
to the body.
• Pack your bag strategically – Put the heavier items on the bottom and against
the back to keep the weight off your shoulders and to maintain a neutral
posture. The backpack should rest evenly in the middle of the back.
• Take the load off -- Take the backpack off while standing for a long period of
time, to avoid pressure on your spine.
4) Take care while driving
While driving a car or riding a bike, pay attention to multiple factors including
posture and the frequency of breaks. Stay physically active throughout the day to
counter any discomfort that driving or riding for long hours can cause.
Car drivers should recline the seat to an angle of approximately 100 degrees.
Always adjust the seat height to position your hips in line with or slightly higher
than your knees (Use a cushion for a better experience).
It is important to adjust the steering wheel to avoid excessive reaching (an ideal
distance should be a minimum of 10″ to the driver’s breastbone), place hands at
10 o’clock and 2 o’clock (or 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock) position.
It is important to take periodic rest breaks and get out of the car. The lumbar
support should be adjusted every few hours.
Bike riders should wear vibration reduction gloves to reduce arm and hand pain.
Periodic rest breaks to stretch and walk around are important. This will decrease
the risk of back, neck, arm and knee pain .
5) Do not eat junk food for every meal
Carrying home-cooked food can go a long way in ensuring good health. Always
keep a fruit or some quick snacks handy, carry a water bottle and keep the body
hydrated.
Keep a check on the consumption of tea/coffee, and also stick to an eating
routine and restrain from skipping meals. It is also important to monitor the
body’s nutritional level, especially for vitamin D and vitamin B12.
6) Take care of your physical fitness
Physical fitness needs discipline and effort. Being physically fit can reduce the risk
of musculoskeletal disorders.
To keep physical health in check, follow a simple yet effective exercise routine
and step out for walks. Stretch the muscles to improve body flexibility and reduce
the risk of injury.
Exercise improves blood circulation and reduces the effects of static stress on the
body. It also helps combat physical and mental stress.

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WHAT ROLE CAN ORGANISATIONS
PLAY IN ADDRESSING ERGONOMIC RISK
FACTORS OF THE SALES WORK FORCE?
Employees are the first customers of every organization, and happy employees,
particularly sales people, show enthusiasm when they interact with customers.
Happiness drives productivity because healthy employees put their heart into
their work. Thus, it becomes essential for organizations to ask themselves- “What
more can we do to ensure the happiness and well-being of our employees.”
After analyzing the insights thrown up by this study, Godrej Interio’s Workplace
and Research Cell has come up with an approach for organizations to take care
of their sales professionals using ACP (Assessment – Correction and Prevention).
Assessment
It is important for organizations to see eye to eye with on-field employees,
understand and evaluate their health quotient regarding ergonomics, and
ensure their occupational well-being. An efficient way to accomplish this is to
introduce an online ergonomic assessment as a part of ergonomics programs for
on-field employees. While this will help organizations gain clear insights into the
prevalence of the problem, it will also help them design policies, programs and
correctives holistically, improving the productivity of the on-field occupational
group.
To further strengthen the process, Godrej Interio’s Workplace and Research cell
offers knowledge support to organizations in the form of Ergonomics Audits with
the sole objective of analyzing risks and suggest ways to formulate ergonomic
guidelines for the sales group.
Correction
An acknowledged problem calls for a solution. Training the employees about
wrong ergonomic postures and teaching them right ergonomic habits that fit into
their routine is essential. Additionally, imparting trainings on physical and mental
fitness through basic relaxation techniques is also advisable.
Prevention
Prevention comes from awareness. The ideal situation may be to educate sales
employees on potential Ergonomic issues. Introducing relevant communication
into their daily routines can then help organizations reach the first frontier.
There are several ways organizations can encourage their on-field employees to
practice healthy habits. Some of which include weekly communication on health
tips targeting the occupational health group, health reminders for body check-up,
posture check and healthy breaks, remote calling support to assist with questions
in the event of any discomfort or an early sign of a repetitive motion injury.

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CONCLUSION
Sales professionals are the most significant part of any organization’s work force.
When it comes to driving business growth and acquiring or servicing customers,
they are the key personnel who up an organization’s success graph. However,
as is established through our findings, in the process of shouldering multiple
responsibilities, sales people are exposed to significant health hazards.
Giving into the pressures of their job, these professionals often end up comprising
on a healthy lifestyle. The best way to enable this critical workforce to perform to
potential is to mitigate their health risks. Organizations can follow a structured
human-centric approach to assess, correct and successfully address ergonomic
risks faced by their salesforce and prevent their key people from being exposed
to health hazards.
ABOUT GODREJ INTERIO
Godrej Interio (GI) is India’s leading furniture brand in both the home and
institutional segments. GI aims to transform spaces to create brighter homes and
offices with aesthetic, functional, and technology-driven products that retain a
special focus on health and ergonomics. GI’s product portfolio covers:
• B2B – Ofﬁce Modular Furniture, Turnkey Projects, Healthcare Furniture, Lab
Furniture, AV and Vending Solutions
• B2C – Home Furniture & Storage, Mattress, and Kitchens
GI is widely known for its comprehensive sustainability certiﬁcations for furniture
products. Currently present in over 650 cities with 250 exclusive showrooms and
800 dealers, GI is one of the largest divisions of Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd.,
part of the Godrej Group, one of India’s largest engineering and customer product
groups.
More information is at https:/
/www.godrejinterio.com/Godrejinterio/index.aspx

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DISCLAIMER
This paper represents the opinions of the authors and is the product of professional
research. This report has been prepared for the exclusive use and benefit of the
addressee(s) and solely for the purpose for which it is provided. Unless we provide
express prior written consent, no part of this report should be reproduced or
distributed. While every attempt is made to ensure that the information contained
in this document is true to its best. However, Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd.,
its employees, representatives, affiliates or any of its divisions, etc. shall not be
responsible for any reliance made on this paper or for any errors / omissions in
information obtained from the source while preparing this paper.
LITERATURE REVIEW
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IS YOUR SALES TEAM FIGHTING FIT?

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