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Leading a sales team when they don’t want to follow – Part 2

By Iyore Ogbuigwe
09 December 2016   |   3:57 am
It is said that followers rise to the expectations of their leaders. Have great expectations of them; never look down on any of them.
Teamwork

Teamwork

Continued From Last Week

Raise your expectations of your people –
It is said that followers rise to the expectations of their leaders. Have great expectations of them; never look down on any of them. Remember, you are the lid to their potential. If you remove the lid they will soar, if you cap their potential with a lid they will atrophy. Followers always know when their leaders believe in them and expect great things from them. Expect them to win, to give their best and when they see you have such great expectations, they won’t want to disappoint you.

Invest in their personal development – The desire for growth is an innate human need. The moment people realize that working with you means they will grow, they will want to stay with you. Place them on a growth plan or schedule. Give them books to read, have trainings for them to increase their effectiveness, let them attend seminars, have personal coaching sessions with them. You have no right to demand from people what you did not invest in them.

Cast your vision – Be clear on what the vision of the team is. Know exactly what you want to achieve. Clarity is power, so write the vision, display it for all to see, discuss it, debate it, sing it, and plan with it. Be as creative as you can to cast the vision in as many ways as possible. One thing is imperative with regards to vision; Harvard Business Review asked a CEO of a start up how he was able to lead a team of about 50 people, with no salary for a 3 year period after which the business didn’t even work out. One key point he noted was, people will be willing to move with you if you can make them see how what you’re trying to achieve can make the world a better place.

Encourage teamwork – Individuals win medals but teams win trophies. Encourage a team spirit so the strong can lift the weak and a synergy can be formed to produce better results. When two minds come together a third mind is produced. Doing this means emphasis will be placed on rewarding a team effort and not just individual efforts. A team will never thrive if the members of the team compete against each other instead of cooperating with one another. Therefore watch your reward system. Iyore Ogbuigwe is a Sales Consultant & Coach

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