Ever watch a US Open doubles match? What is going on in those conversations between points? Are the players deciding where to position the next serve on the court? Are they using the time to motivate each other? Some teams take communication a step further and use hand gestures behind their backs to signal to their partner – just like volleyball players or pitchers and catchers.
Regardless of what is being said, as Sarah Lyall points out in her New York Times article, one thing is certain – “it happens after almost every point in professional doubles tennis matches, as predictably as the ritualistic high-fiving and fist-bumping the players cannot seem to live without. The point is won or lost. The partners convene. And they have a little chat … Professional doubles players treat points as baseball or football players might, mapping out tactics.”
And that got us thinking about team selling. While sales teams may not work in a stadium with thousands watching, they are often playing for some relatively high stakes. So the importance of the sales team members communicating how to work effectively is important. Without the communication, the sales call can deteriorate quickly – no points, no advancing the sale.
And even though sales team members can’t caucus after each question or comment, they must avoid the classic team-selling trap – the team sales call being just two people who happen to be in the same room at the same time.
What are some tips for avoiding this trap?
Eight principles we have observed successful sales teams using:
Establish a compelling and clear vision of the sales team’s purpose that is shared by everyone on the team.
Everyone believing there is benefit to the company, their group and to them personally for working as a team.
Team members investing in the preparation and planning time and effort to get it right.
All of the roles to succeed are represented on the team, and each team member is clear about their role on the team and the expectations.
A call manager orchestrates the sales call.
Rules of the road are created, so it’s not just the loudest voice that carries the day.
Adjust, adapt, and keep track, making effective strategic adjustments as the sales team’s collective knowledge grows.
Build trust among the team members.
In many markets, the team sale is becoming increasingly important. In some, the salespeople must marshal and manage alliance partners in order to sale and service the account – the latter is a big deal and tough to get right. The mistake is assuming that as long as a salesperson is good at selling that managing and leading a team to sale is no big leap. [CS1]The best sales leaders will help those around them look good.