"Is PTO What I Think It Is?" - 7/03/18 Edition
Stephen Says Column
Dear Stephen:
Every time I send someone an email in the summer, it seems like I get an auto reply saying they are out on PTO. Apparently this is an acronym for “personal time off.” I can’t believe I didn’t know what that meant.
I asked my friend, and they said it can actually mean almost anything, from vacation to taking a cat to the vet to spending time with your children. So why do I feel guilty taking two weeks of vacation from my job in sales? I get a little nervous that my customers cannot be handled by my sales assistant or colleagues, but that’s ridiculous, right? I haven’t taken time in a while, and I feel like I might be burning out. Sometimes I feel like I will lose my customers because I’m so busy. Either way, I’m scared of losing clients. What should I do?
Best,
In The Office
Dear In The Office,
I think your acronym is a bit off. PTO stands for “paid time off” not “personal time off,” but it all amounts to the same thing. There has been a recent trend to define vacation in these terms so people have a bit more flexibility in the way they use their time off. Some of my fancy friends say they’re going on “holiday” when they use their PTO, others call it vacation, and sometimes people will just call it “personal time” (maybe that’s where your confusion came from). The reality is, however, we all need downtime. And guess what? Nine times out of 10, when you get back from your PTO you will have not missed a thing.
The point is these are days you accrue and get paid for even when you don’t show up in the office — it’s that simple.
I understand your dilemma. People in sales hate taking time away from their customers or potential customers. They fear that not making that sales call or being away from their email when an important question comes in means someone else will take their business. Sales jobs are commission-based, so taking time off — even if it’s paid time off — can really cost you money. It can make someone wish they went into a job that they punch in in the morning, punch out at night and collect their check every two weeks.
The reality is, however, we all need downtime. And guess what? Nine times out of 10, when you get back from your PTO you will have not missed a thing. Your customers will still be there, and even the biggest emergency will end up being not that big of a deal. The vast majority of our fear is ego. I know, we all want to feel important. The truth is the other salespeople at your company will be able to pick up the slack. And if a customer runs away in those two weeks you were out of the office, they were going anyway, you just might not have known it yet. Go away and relax! I promise you will remember that vacation you took far more fondly than the 30th sales call of the week. You will come back refreshed and hungry and ready to recommit yourself to your customers.
So learn how to set up your auto reply, and live a little! It will pay in the long run.
Stephen
You can send your workplace questions to Stephen at: StephenSays@bellow.press
Questions selected to be answered, will appear in this column. Please use the Subject: Stephen Says for all emails. Stephen Viscusi is a bestselling author, television personality, and CEO of The Viscusi Group, global executive recruiters located in New York. Follow Stephen on Twitter @stephenviscusi, Like Stephen on Facebook, and follow him on LinkedIn.
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