Selling has become a team sport. Once that wasn't true - it was lonely reps out there on their own, scrabbling for a piece of the pie. Today, any rep who does not communicate well with the rest of the team loses out on a big advantage. In fact, the well oiled sales team that works together and supports its own will always come out ahead of the lone rangers in the field. But how does a sales manager turn a rep who just won't play with the team into a solid citizen? Well, there are ways.

Creating Team Players

From the top down, the company needs to establish a selling concept and philosophy that formally promotes team selling," say Alan McAnally, president of Commonwealth Sales Consulting in Andover, MA. "If the message that the company places a high value on teamwork isn't sent continually or doesn't permeate through all levels of the organization, there is no solution. You need to reinforce the fact that teamwork is not only good, it's expected, and that's the way the company operates. If you don't, you end up with a bunch of guerrilla salespeople."

Team Structure

According to McAnally, management must clearly define a company's sales standards, guidelines and procedures so that every level of the organization understands them. Management must define expectations, then articulate and incorporate those into its sales culture. All members of the sales team have to have understand exactly what is expected of them at each step in the process and hold them accountable not only for their production, but for their actions as team members.

"A sales bible shows clear thinking and encompasses the methodology and guidelines used by everyone in the company to further a successful team sales effort," says McAnally. "It is a way to make sure that everyone understands the standards and all the employees are on the same page, regardless of their level."

McAnally adds, "Management must monitor salespeople and hold them accountable. The reality of today's business is that because managers are running around putting out fires, often the top producers are left alone - cursed periodically, but nevertheless left alone. If you send a message to an independent, egocentric salesperson that you really don't value teamwork, you won't get it."

"It is important in any company to share best practices, and because they succeed at what they do, high producers have best practices," says McAnally. "If the company has a formal way of communicating best practices, including top producers (particularly the top ego ones) as trainers gives them a chance to basically show off, boast and be recognized for what they do best."

"I'm convinced that the best way to get top producers with big ego to embrace the importance of being part of a team and support a team mentality is to have them understand how important their experience, knowledge and skills sets are to the company," says McAnally. "They have to feel that the company truly needs and values their contributions."

"Ask top producers to share their success stories and help in training. Put them in focus groups working on problems not directly related to their own efforts. They'll come to understand the needs and values of other team members."

"If teamwork is a valued part of the company's sales culture, then salespeople should be evaluated on this part of their activities," McAnally explains. "Salespeople who sell twice their quotas but are long eagles and don't work well, or are disruptive in a team environment, should have this reflected in their formal reviews. This is important because the criteria for advancement into management is necessarily the same as being a heavy hitter in sales, and that needs to be communicated."

"Top producers need to see a benefit to themselves for being a good team player - in the form of recognition, status or the satisfaction of knowing that the company's success is closely tied to their efforts," says McAnally. "Top sales people are sharp; if they can see a benefit to themselves - even if it is a "soft" benefit - you have a good chance of getting them on board."