Everyone has heard the expression “there is no letter I in the word team”. This saying is so common and popular because it is so true in every situation. Teams are only effective if everyone is working in the same direction toward the same goal.
This is just as true in the Network Marketing Industry as anywhere else, if not more so. As a small business owner building your sales team, there are some hard facts about team-building and teamwork that you absolutely need to understand and follow.
Here are 5 Keys to Building Powerful Teams:
Common Goals
Clearly-defined goals for a team ensures that everyone shares the same vision for what the team is doing and where it is headed. These goals provide a yardstick that every member of the team can measure themselves against and make sure that they are working for the best interests of the team as a whole, not just individually. Meeting team goals also provides a strong sense of shared achievement, which helps to boost morale, momentum and set the stage for taking on even bigger challenges in the future.
As a team-leader it is very important that you set clear goals for your team, checking on them regularly to make sure that they are on track to do their part.
Strong Leadership
A team without strong and decisive leadership will quickly find itself straying off course and losing track of its shared goals. Strong leaders make sure that every team member is doing their part and pulling their weight, as well as keeping team members on track to accomplish their goals. When a team loses focus and team members start straying from the path, the team’s cohesion quickly falls apart, and sales will suffer as a result.
The best leaders are the ones who are at the front of the pack create a culture of unity and an atmosphere for everyone to grow,. As a leader you need to always remind your members to stick to the team’s goals and you do this by leading by example with your actions, not just your words.
Creating a Team Culture
A strong team culture will mean that a team stays together and stays focused no matter what happens. Expect challenges while building your team and understand that it take time to be a strong culture of cohesiveness.
Communicate Effectively and Often
As a team leader you might occasionally feel like you talk too much, but the truth is that it is difficult to communicate “too much” when it comes to good team building. Constant and clear communication means that there are never any surprises or misunderstandings and this is something every team member will appreciate in the long run.
Focus on Learning and Development
While sales targets are important for keeping track of your team’s success, everything should be about their success as a whole, including their development as professionals. By making success about the team and not the product, you help to internalize the responsibility for outcomes and make your team personally invested in their own success. Remember, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care”.
Encourage Feedback
As a leader, always be open to feedback, which is a valuable source of information and perspective. It also lets team members feel like they are important and appreciated. Take the time to listen to what your team members have to say, and even if you do not always follow their input, they will feel like they are a meaningful part of the greater whole that is your sales team.
