Marketing Times - December 2007/January 2008 - (Page 19)

Four Key Strategies to Get Everyone to Play Nice in the Sandbox Gregg Greggory Look no further than the U.S. basketball team during the world championships in 2006. With a super successful coaching staff and a team full of National Basketball Association (NBA) stars, 12 to be exact, they finished third in the world games, losing to Greece … a team with not one NBA player. Sports reporters from around the country wrote headlines like, “Show me a team of misfits playing like ‘a team’ and they can beat superstars any day.” Failing All Star teams aren’t just a sports theme; they have been a challenge facing businesses for years. Companies want to a super-star leadership team and end up tumbling. Look at Enron … superstars from the top down, and what happened there? Generally speaking, someone is selected to an All Star team because of the talents displayed in the “work” environment. This can be a sports field, a sales industry or a standard office environment. In theory, All Star teams should be ultra successful. So why do many fail? 1. The organization has not built a culture of trust and respect All Star teams are usually built from stellar performers, with enormous egos, which may translate into a lack of trust. Superstars like the limelight; while they may not distrust someone, they may not easily trust others, or be trusted themselves. Without trust and respect, the team lacks a solid foundation. So, as an All Star team leader, how is this countered? Building trust is easy – not necessarily simple, but relatively easy. Some people are more trusting than others, and some hold back because of previous experiences. Regardless, the most effective ways to build trust are: - Say what you mean and mean what you say - Always speak and act with integrity - Be consistent between word and deed - Stay out of the gossip and rumor mills Once trust and respect are developed, teams members are able to focus on the overall mission without worrying about a backstabbing teammate. If trust is breached, it becomes more difficult, but not impossible to rebuild the next time. 2. Failing to create the chemistry necessary to succeed In the movie “Miracle” Kurt Russell acting as U.S. Olympic Team coach Herb Brooks says, “I am not looking for the best players, I am looking for the right players.” This is critical to understand when it comes to an All Star team’s success. Whether in sports or business, an All Star team must have the right players in the right positions. If not, a team may pursue a common goal, but when the players are not complementing each other’s skills and mindsets, disaster will strike the core of the team. How is the chemistry of your team? The more you know about team members professionally and personally allows the team to gel much more quickly and effectively. Remember the best players aren’t always the right ones. Team chemistry allows for trust and respect while all members continue to focus on accomplishing their individual and team productivity goals. 3. Lack of mutual accountability It is one thing for the management to hold everyone accountable – they should – and it is even better when members hold each other accountable. Some of the best teams are those whose leaders are only a resource in the event of a problem. Team members take care of the basic problems as they arise by holding each other 110 percent accountable. As an example, the Hillstone Restaurant Group – which owns several restaurants including Houston’s, Gulf Stream and Bandera – follows this strategy to a tee. Each server has immediate responsibility for his/her tables, as well as assisting other servers in getting the food out, tables bussed and checks paid. In most restaurants of this nature, the servers pool their tips at the end of the shift, however, here they hold each other accountable and do not share in a tip pool. This concept raises the level of service throughout. Other organizations have accomplished this result by having customers and other departments complete a satisfaction survey that involves not just one person, but the entire team … and everything from bonuses, performance evaluations and increased pay depends on the team’s survey result. Everyone is held accountable, resulting in a win-win. Performance doesn’t come from a 3-ring binder. Make multi-dimensional learning a part of your sales performance program, and you'll help sales professionals reach their full potential! 9 marketingtimes Graphic design by PR Inc. © RxSales All rights reserved. CLICK HERE to talk with us about effective learning programs and consultant opportunities. Sales Performance Medicine for High Growth Companies Email: consultants@rxsales.com Phone: 214-233-9370 Web: www.rxsales.com http://www.rxsales.com http://www.rxsales.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marketing Times - December 2007/January 2008

SMEI Certified Professional Salesperson Certified Sales Executives Certified Marketing Executives Marketing Times - December 2007/January 2008 Contents Chairman's Report An Interview with David Neeleman Founder & Chairman of Jetblue Airlines President's Message Integrated Marketing in the Digital Economy Professional Certification Class of 2007 Marketing Tips SMEI and Puerto Rico Affiliate Partner for Certification Success Selling Skills Why all Star Teams Fail

Marketing Times - December 2007/January 2008

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