Run Your Sales Team Like It’s Heading to the Olympics

Good news, sports fans: now that it’s Olympics season, it’s perfectly fine for you to pull out all of those old metaphors you love to use in your quarterly presentations. It turns out that all those metaphors stem from reality: watching team sports can teach you how to run a winning sales team.

Olympic Tip #1: Embrace A Diverse Team

Some companies have made the mistake of hiring only millennials, while others have erroneously refused to interview any. News outlets have covered numerous stories of embarrassingly misguided diversity initiatives. The most successful companies haven’t experienced these setbacks, and neither has Team USA.

Take the Track and Field team, for example. Meb Keflezighi is the oldest track and field competitor, bringing with him insight into the judging process and other repeat competitors. Sydney McLaughlin is a new face, bringing fresh strategies against new challengers. Both are on the same team, increasing the odds of bringing home a win.

You are probably faced with similar generational diversity as your team grows and enters new markets. It is imperative that your veteran team members are given the guidance needed to become mentors and leaders.

To pull this off, you simply need to ask for help. Most team members are happy to lend a hand once they see that their insights are valued. At the same time, you need to set expectations among your younger reps that the veterans are key to their success and should be treated as such.

Olympic Tip #2: Communicate and collaborate

What would happen if Mariya Koroleva and Anita Alvarez, the two swimmers participating in the synchronized swimming competition, didn’t practice together? What if they saw themselves as separate, rather than parts of a unit? They’d look sloppy. They wouldn’t get the gold, and probably wouldn’t even qualify to the second round.

Although all reps want to succeed individually, it’s essential for them to remember their role on the team, their part in a unit. Communication and collaboration can prevent sloppy mistakes which can wind up damaging both the individuals and the team as a whole.

A collaborative team doesn’t appear out of nothing; it must be built and nurtured. Be consistent and deliberate in cultivating an environment where every team member feels comfortable calling on teammates for help and guidance.

Olympic Tip #3: Use Power From Every Level

Early on in the games, the women’s basketball team became a fan favorite by beating Senegal 121 to 56, then beating Serbia 110 to 84. The team works as a cohesive unit, each player doing her part to ensure a victory. But not each player can score all the time. Diana Taurasi hit five three-pointers in the Serbia game, but Sue Bird didn’t sink a single basket. However, Sue’s defense and ball movement kept the opposing teams at bay.

Your star reps are fantastic at what they do, but they can’t hold the team alone. Nurture and support your other reps as you would the secondary shooters and the defensive specialist on a basketball team.

Middle tier reps are your best chance at moving the needle. It is always easier to coach them up to greatness than having to start all over with a new hire. Spend the extra time showing them that they have what it takes to succeed, providing the training to fill in the gaps, and supporting them from the top to help them achieve.

Olympic Tip #4: Top Teams Need Top Coaches

Your team may be good, but they’re on their own without a great coach. Team USA is known not just for its stellar athletes, but for the individuals training, mentoring, and supporting those athletes. Many of the coaches have worked with their teams and athletes, acting as trusted advisors and close friends while simultaneously positioning themselves as experts and authority figures.

Sales coaches who train their own reps to act as trusted advisors, should aspire to meet these standards. Close relationships yield trust and transparency, which in turn leads to open communication and better coaching.

Market visits and time spent one on one with team members are more impactful than you’ll ever know. Try to be in the moment with each rep, no matter how many outside distractions are coming your way; those emails will still be there when get back to your hotel.

Olympics Tip #5: For One, For All

Michael Phelps is once again doing outrageously well, collecting medal after medal and leaving teammates and foreign competitors in the proverbial dust. Yet as much as his teammates wish they were walking home with the gold, they offer Phelps their support and understand that his victory is in reality a victory for the whole team.

Internal competition pushes the roots of every successful organization, but that competition cannot overshadow the competition against outside entities. At the end of the day, a cohesive team identity that recognizes an organizational win is more important than which individual brought home the gold.

Make sure you set clear, team-wide goals for your entire organization to rally around and set up a reward system for achievements of all levels. This will keep reps aligned towards a common mission while also allowing for individual recognition.

If you’re looking to bring your sales team’s performance to an Olympic level, Lilypad can help. Schedule a demo today or give us a call at (813) 434–0638.