It doesn't matter if you lead a business, a nonprofit organization, or a sports team; you need to know how to get the most out of your players. Join Coach Joe Sasso, a sales and training expert, as he takes away the mystery of figuring out why teams succeed or fail. Learn how to overcome obstacles and change "me" to "we". Coach Joe also shares ways to be a mentor to promising people; get the most value out of hardened veterans; make yourself available to team members; and inspire people without even speaking. Teamwork demands both diversity and inclusion of all members. Focus on the vision, and be sure to communicate and take decisive action. By doing so, you'll help your team achieve results. Whether you are a new salesperson or manager or a seasoned sales professional or manager, you can be inspired to be better than ever before. During these challenging times, it's more important than ever to focus on Sales Team Leadership so you can make sales happen right the first time-right now!

SALES TEAM LEADERSHIP: PURE AND SIMPLE

By COACH JOE SASSO

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Coach Joe Sasso
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4697-8964-4

Contents

Acknowledgments........................................................................xiiiForeword...............................................................................xvChapter 1 "Success Breeds Success" Is Not a Given!.....................................3Chapter 2 Fear Is Knowing That I Don't Know!...........................................9Chapter 3 Becoming Better Is a Choice..................................................21Chapter 4 Preview Commitment: Necessary for All Successful Reviews.....................27Chapter 5 Team Collaboration Unifies and Strengthens Every Member......................33Chapter 6 Mutual Growth Generates Unlimited Opportunities..............................37Chapter 7 Ownership Is Accountability Now!.............................................43Chapter 8 Emerging Team Member Leadership..............................................53Chapter 9 Effectiveness: Achieving Mutual Growth.......................................57Chapter 10 Speeding Synchronously......................................................63Chapter 11 Benefits of the New "WE"....................................................71Chapter 12 Afterword...................................................................77Chapter 13 We Are All Leaders..........................................................83Bonus Material.........................................................................85

Chapter One

"Success Breeds Success" Is Not a Given!

The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore. Dale Carnegie

Every professional focuses on the continuous goal of being better and more successful in business. At the outset, what the ultimate success will be is never completely known. Circumstances present new opportunities and challenges that propel people upward to their ultimate success.

THE PROMOTION

Kyle proved himself as a successful salesman and was promoted to sales manager. He quickly understood his role as manager and became an effective working coach with his sales team. With smart, continuous efforts and accountability for his actions, he became a well-known and respected executive in several business networks. From time to time, interested companies courted him, but he remained happy and continued to be successful right where he was. One day he received an offer he couldn't ignore; and after much deliberation with his company leaders, Kyle accepted the new company's offer. He departed under the best of circumstances, knowing he would be missed.

DANGER IN OPPORTUNITY: SPIRALING DISCOVERIES OF THE RISKS FOR THE REWARD

Kyle's new assignment was to lead an already successful sales team that was facing a growing number of competitors who were challenging their continuing success. The previous sales manager had ridden on the successes of the sales team and left without notice for another company. Kyle knew that one of the greatest challenges for a sales manager can be the success of a previous manager because the new manager is always expected to continue the upward spiral to more and greater business successes. It is better to take on the challenge of a business when the business is down because, in truth, there is nowhere to go but up. Kyle knew this and accepted the challenge anyway.

Kyle had worked his way up through the ranks before knowing that a professional always competes with himself first. He was a consummate student of lifelong learning. Most important, serving others or the team was without a doubt his best character trait. Kyle knew that being a part of something greater than himself always led to improvements in himself and improvements in others. However, serving and giving so much also has its pitfalls. You can be easily taken advantage of and lose in an extremely competitive environment if things don't work out. Yet, Kyle also knew the rewards would have more energizing effects. The possibility of building and developing himself with other successful businesspeople far outweighed the fear of any loss. At this point in Kyle's professional career, the new job had its risks, but they were far outweighed when he considered the rewards. Ultimately, the opportunities and challenges of the new job were about growth and moving upward with a new team.

Previously Kyle had sold business to business, that is, directly to customers who used the products he sold. In his new assignment he would be selling through distributors who sold to their customers.

At the first meeting, Kyle was introduced to the sales team with the usual pomp and circumstance that you would expect for a proven and successful sales manager. As a result, Kyle was sought out personally throughout the day and welcomed with personal best wishes by every team member. It was unbelievable, he thought, that everyone was on target to reach his or her own individual sales goals. Everyone was happy, but he sensed that everyone had a guarded indifference about the team performance, because everyone only cared about his or her own efforts. There was a minimum of concern about their competition or the way the sales were being won.

Maintaining sales performance wasn't the easy answer. This was not just misplaced good fortune; he was not simply being asked to do more of the same. There was an arrogance, an attitude of "We're number one," about their company victories over external competition—while at the same time, there was greater concern about the internal competition: "I'm number one!" Their concern was misplaced arrogance on themselves as opposed to the team. Kyle knew it. But did they know and understand it? Kyle knew this was not a sales team! But could it become a sales team? Kyle knew he needed to understand a lot more about what the sales people were currently doing and not doing. He needed to know how his leadership could make a difference; otherwise, he wasn't needed—and for that matter, maybe the sales team wasn't needed either. Could they all be replaced by a direct order entry system with the distributors?

UNLEARNING "ME" AND LEARNING "WE"

One key to a successful team mentality is moving from "me" to "we." Having team members who genuinely care about one another's overall success is an important element in building a team that works together. Here is a summary of those points:

Diminishing "Me" Thriving "We" WIIFM: What's in it for me? WIIFW: What's in it for we (the team)? Silence: No questions asked Communications: Open, clarifying, collaborative Purpose: I only do what I need to do Purpose: Vision and unity Goals: I make mine Goals: Our team in collaboration Personal Direction: Just doing my Team Leadership Within: How can I thing contribute? Just pay me for the work I do Involvement: Effective and accountable Survival: It's just about me! Mutual Trust: Mutually beneficial contributions

Figure 1. Me versus We Elements

Survival lessons have been deeply ingrained in the learning styles of many businesses today. Businesses continue to try and overcome the crippling self-centered "silo" mentality of command and control...