Paul Tobey asked:
It amazes me how popular team building seminars have become. Most major companies and organizations have turned to team building professionals at one time or another to get greater results from their employees. But, team building is not just for large companies, it works just as well for the small business entrepreneur. I’d like to focus on a couple of key points that will help you decide, as a big or small business, if team building seminars are right for you.
One of the first questions I always ask in my own team building seminar is; what’s the number one thing you need to do in business to be successful. And, you wouldn’t believe the mixed responses I get like; having a good product, having a good marketing strategy or having good management. While these things are important they’re certainly not number one! The most important thing you need to do as a company, whether you like it or not is; SELL. In fact, if you’re not selling is a hobby, not a business.
Learning to sell is by far the most important skill you could ever acquire. That’s why I teach it in my team building seminars. Everyone on the team needs to know how to sell, not just the sales people. Why? Because that way, everyone understands, not only how important it is to the success of any business but how learning to sell can increase everyone’s awareness of what it takes to be successful.
So, if selling is the most important skill what’s the second most important? Team! The team is what gives life and energy to your ideas and what propels your company forward. Imagine how hard it would be to push a car up a hill if you didn’t have a team. A team makes everything easier if, and only if, people know how to work together. Which, brings me to the third most important thing; Teach!
As part of a team, your responsibility is to teach everyone around you what you know that can help them do their job better. How do you know when and when not to teach? When you’ve done something and had success doing it, then it’s time to pass on that information. So often when people learn something that’s worked for them they keep it to themselves because somehow they think it gives them an advantage within the company. That’s what you don’t want. You don’t want a bunch of individuals all competing with each other. That’s not a team, that’s a contest!
Finally, the glue that holds Sell, Team and Teach together is; Accountability. When you become accountable for the success of others then you realize that your responsibility is to share the information you’ve learned that can help them. Then, and only then, can you be truly successful as a team. Becoming accountable for each other is truly the magic potion of successful businesses.
So, how can this work for a small business person that doesn’t have a team? Exactly the same way! If you’re in small business you still need a team in order to sell a lot of products and services. If you can’t afford to hire a big team then all you need to do is offer to teach what you know that will help others. In the process, a team will form around you and the energy that you put into teaching will bring you greater success than you ever thought possible.