Come on, we all know teamwork and an ability to work together as a unit are critical components in what makes a sales team successful. However, there is also a need for candor among team members. That means telling it like it is.
“Lack of candor blocks smart ideas, fast action, and good people contributing all the stuff they’ve got. It’s a killer”. – Jack Welch
Yes, a harmonious relationship among team members on any sales team is a plus. If nothing else, it eliminates the need for endless discussion about the path forward.
However, it’s also true that disagreements can help to surface solutions that might be missed in an environment that simply seeks consensus.
It’s important to ensure that the disagreement is focused on the work and does not devolve into personal issues.
Sometimes adding new members to a sales team can infuse it with innovative ideas and fresh energy. Complacency can be a killer and can lead to an attitude that says, “I know everything about my clients and what they need”.
I can assure you that is precisely the attitude that will see you overtaken by the competition.
In my experience, when sales team members stay together over a long period of time they tend to do excellent work. It’s not surprising, really. Just look at some of the great sports dynasties and you will see they prospered over time as an intact group.
Larger groups are often thought to be better for a sales team. They have more in the way of resources and they have a more varied combined skill set. Sometimes there is even an implied legitimacy accorded to a larger group.
Once again, my experience has often shown the opposite to be true. I have witnessed countless instances where a large sales team actually hinders collaborative work.
In a larger group, it’s easier for some to become anonymous and coast along on the efforts of others.
In terms of efficiency, a smaller team usually wins out over a larger team. To bolster this contention, Jeff Bezos at Amazon has famously decreed that if a team meeting requires more than two pizzas to feed the group, the team is too large.
One area I am always focused on is called “face time”. That’s the time spent actually with the customer, face to face.
Some salespeople these days tend to downplay the value of face time with clients.
They seem to think technology has made face time an old-fashioned concept. As a sales team leader, I absolutely appreciate the many benefits of information technology.
But in terms of both customer and internal team dynamics, I am a strong believer in supplementing technology with face time.
Sales teams that work remotely are in fact sometimes at a disadvantage over those that can meet face to face. It’s clear to me there are many benefits to being able to sit across the table from your sales team colleagues.
In the case of sales teams that work in various places around the globe, they should still try to meet up periodically during the year. These gatherings are a great way to maintain bonds of friendship and a shared sense of mission.
Sales team leaders are critically important. If you have ever worked on a sales team you will have an opinion of the leader. Sometimes the opinion is positive and other times, not so much.
In my experience, the best leaders have possessed what is often called a “servant mindset”. They feel a need to work for the betterment of the team as opposed to just directing the team.
In reality, the leader will make a difference. But the very best of them will be far more concerned with setting the tone for the team.
The sales team leader will want to foster conditions that help the team members achieve goals without the leader holding their hands.
And the leader will, of course, be active in coaching and mentoring members of the team.
Yes, leaders are undoubtedly important to the success of the sales team. But often in ways we may not always recognize.
In a previous role, I was lucky enough to have a sales team leader who worked extremely hard to match team member talents to specific clients.
Both the team members and the clients were winners and it was all down to the forward thinking of the team leader.
Some people I have encountered over the years are of the mind that teamwork alone will solve just about any issue.
All we have to do is round up a group of talented people, give them so guidance and all will be right with the world.
As with most things, the reality is a bit more involved. In fact, without careful preplanning, the chances of success will be greatly reduced.
As former U.S. Army Colonel David Hackworth famously said, “If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn’t plan the mission properly”.
It’s the same with sales. Proper pre-planning is the first step to ensuring the success of your sales team.
The talented team leader will start by ensuring the objective is clear to all team members. He/she will then ensure the team has the support it will need to succeed.
The leader may have to remove some internal roadblocks but that is simply part of their job function.
“Everyone thinks their own baby is beautiful”. Well, I could also say every sales team leader thinks his team is comprised of rock stars.
Unlike the parent, the sales team leader needs to be a bit more dispassionate when evaluating their team.
The leader also needs to strike the right balance between harmony and tension on the team. There will surely be times when it feels like you are “sliding down a razor blade”.
Like any team effort it can be a fine line but once it’s dialed in the results will be noticeable.
In closing please consider the following:
• How your team sells matters.
• Your sales process matters.
But nothing matters more than how the customer feels when engaging with your sales team members. At the end of the day, “people buy from people they like and trust”.
