As a sales guy how valued do you feel?… do you believe the organisation values your input?… If you don’t feel valued does the organisation get the most out of you? So who’s more important… the organisation or the individual people?

The organisation of course… far more important than the people… people come and go, but the organisation remains. Let me give you an example… Coca Cola is a global brand, it has been for many years, but the guy who started it no longer runs it… so the organisation must be stronger than the individual… it stands to reason… and what can any one individual do to make a difference anyway? The organisation is made up of numerous individuals all working for the common goal which gives rise to the old saying… “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts”

However, I don’t agree with this argument… we are all individuals and we need to be motivated to do our best… each of us have different qualities and it is only by focusing on us as individuals that these qualities can come out and it is these individual qualities that make the difference, not the collective team qualities.

If you are running an organisation you can dictate from the top or nurture from the bottom. It is what Frank Dick did to help the British Athletic team win the European Cup in 1989 and then come second only to the USA a few weeks later in the world cup. Both times Britain beat their old nemesis East Germany (as it was then) which was unheard of at the time. Frank did it because he understood that each member of the team must be treated as an individual, must be allowed and encouraged to make his or own statement, but within the context of the team. You need to read Frank’s book… “Winning – Motivation for Business, Sports & Life”… to understand and put in context that last statement. The book is a very good read and is an excellent blue print for getting more out of the sales team.

The European Cup and indeed the World Cup are won by individuals accumulating points for their team. 8 points for a win, 1 for eighth place. Athletes like Linford Christie, the 100m sprinter, was expected to get 8 points… he always did and so had to do it again, but the likes of Shane Peacock, a hammer thrower, was normally good for 1 point. Shane was tasked with getting one extra point. There was no way he would win, but he could improve by one point, this was how he could get his personal win and contribute to the team. Shane ended up getting 3 extra points… in fact the whole team raised their game, won their personal bests and won the competition. This was only achieved by focusing on the individual.

The great thing about this approach is that it galvanises the team. Individuals make personal contributions that help the team win. When Britain beat East Germany to second place in the World Cup they won by 2 ½ points. When Frank asked the team who was responsible for those vital points everyone put their hands up! The point being made was that to get the best out of the individual they must believe they are valued and can contribute. Every member of the team matters… every extra point matters… each member of the team must know that their contribution matters…it’s how championships are won.

I see no difference between what Frank had to achieve and what sales team all around the world are expected to achieve. It is team work, but it has to begin with treating everyone as individuals. It is what we believe in and what we help sales team achieve… we have it in our Manifesto, listed in no particular order as item 9, where we have turned around that old saying and rephrased it as… “The sum of the parts is greater than the whole”

Individuals do make a difference. They are the difference between a team winning and losing. Focus on the individuals to achieve their best, let them see their value to the team and you will find the organisation achieves.

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