Collaboration improves how your team works together and how quickly they can resolve challenges. A high-performing sales team will be innovative, have efficient processes, and have excellent communication, leading to increased success for your business.
All businesses are structured around teams; they are, therefore, the most fundamental unit within a business. When teams work well, companies design, produce, and deliver high-quality services.
At Credico, we are a brokerage of direct sales and marketing campaigns that helps companies who want to grow their customer base by simplifying the work of coordinating sales efforts. The face-to-face interactions and creative technology applications used at Credico to build customer relationships and amplify impact require solid and cohesive teams behind them.
We believe the most successful leaders in any organization are those who can recruit, develop, and motivate teams to achieve their overarching business goals.
Lindred Greer, an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, states, “The quality of team dynamics determines everything in a company, and the ability to lead teams effectively is at the heart of managerial success.”
Greer has spent her career studying teams, which she defines as “groups of three to 10 people who work together interdependently toward a common task.” And from her research, she has developed a deep understanding of what makes teams effective. In an article on Stanford’s website, Greer shares three suggestions for building and managing effective teams.
Build Diverse Teams
One of the biggest mistakes made by organizations is the lack of planning behind forming teams, particularly startups. Companies that consider the composition of their teams are likely to build more successful and high-performing ones.
So, what makes a successful team? Diversity, of course.
“Members should have different ways of thinking, different backgrounds and styles of work, different expertise,” she says. “Bring optimists and pessimists together; pair risk-takers with risk-avoiders; balance genders. In other words, design a team around complementary but distinct attitudes and strengths.”
Encourage diversity, and simultaneously be mindful of the possibility of divergence in goals among team members. Ensure your teams are clear on business goals and have dedicated responsibilities to avoid disconnection.
Introduce “Hierarchical Agility”
Greer has shown that every team has a leader, but bringing power dynamics into team meetings can corrupt team interactions, stifle creativity and honesty, and ultimately diminish outcomes.
To address this issue, introduce “hierarchical agility – the ability of a team to flex its hierarchy throughout the day so that sometimes the group is flat and sometimes it follows the line.”
And what techniques can leaders use to achieve this?
Greer offers a few practical ideas, like allowing everyone at the meeting a chance to say something. Try using an object passed to each person for their time to share and contribute ideas.
Body language is also essential; leaders can signal they are handing over control of the meeting by simply leaning back from the table. And ultimately, make sure conversations are rooted in data.
Fix Problems Quickly
Fixing challenges as they arise within a team should be prioritized. Left ignored, minor issues become bigger ones and can disrupt team dynamics. Greer reports that even trivial struggles between team members can signify more underlying severe problems on the team.
For example, a team member who believes they missed out on a promotion or lack specific responsibilities might express frustration in other areas. Look out for signs, such as a team member who has stopped speaking up in meetings, and take action by proactively addressing this.
Paying attention to small details, like where team members choose to sit in meetings, can affect conversations or influence others.
Working in sales can be competitive. With targets to hit, you must have a collaborative and high-performing team working towards your business objectives. Get in touch with Credico to discuss scaling your customer acquisition with a high-performing sales team.