So, which would you rather have – a sales team that you need to kick start everyday or a team of high-energy folks that you need to keep focused and moving in the right direction? If you picked the first option, you probably need to work on hiring a new set of salespeople and don’t need to read further … sorry. If you picked the second option, keep reading.
It’s been my experience that when you have high-egos and high-tempo sales professionals in a team, conflict is inevitable. The question then becomes, how do you harness the conflict for the good and not let the conflict tear down your team? If you approach conflict as a bad thing, your mountain to climb has just gotten bigger. On the other hand, if you view conflict as a tool to make you and your team better, you have psychologically cut the mountain down to a hill.
The first step is your leadership behaviors. Do you value diversity? Do you look for better ways to solve problems? Are you willing to try new things? Do you encourage your team to do the same? As the leader, you set the tone and expectations through your own actions/behaviors. Lead by example.
Next, try to understand where the conflict originates. Is it from different values, behaviors and/or goals of your team members? Think about what you hear and see, talk to the sales folks individually and together to assess the dynamics, and then begin to figure out how to turn the problems into opportunities.
Use time to your advantage. Is this conflict something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later? Or, will the passing of time resolve the conflict? Your approach to time is a judgment call. Experience and wisdom are your guideposts. Typically, however, letting a problem fester is not a good idea.
What you do next to resolve the conflict is the subject of wide opinion. Just Google “workplace conflict resolution” and you will get anywhere from a five step process to a 13-plus step process. Pick one that suits your situation best and get started.
The big picture is the integrity of your leadership behaviors/style, controlling the energy of your team for the good, and developing a moving forward set of tactics and strategies to make your team better to achieve more sales.
Dave Harman is an associate with Sandler Training. He has over 30 years’ experience in sales and sales management with Fortune 500 companies as well as small, family-owned organizations. He has held positions from sales to senior management with companies such as Conoco/Vista, Amresco and Ohio Awning, and owns his own business. He earned his MBA with a concentration in Marketing from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. You can reach him at [email protected] or (888) 448-2030.
