Dynamic Encounter

Running joint sales presentations can be a risky proposition depending on the duo, possibly turning into a success or a flop. I was in a couple today with a colleague that were a success. We fed off of each other well, passed the baton back and forth, and kept the audience tuned in. For sure, we need a lot of improvement, and we stumbled over each other several times........but is was really our first go as a team and we didn't practice or strategize.

I don't go on sales calls too often, so I probably won't have a chance to fine tune skills with this particular teammate. But it reminded me that in a sales environment where you act with the same team members on a regular basis........you can really become effective if you focus on the team presentation. Recognize who knows what subjects better. Identify which type of audience relates to which team member better. Do not interrupt or stumble over each other. It takes practice, like a sports team. You must learn each other, and know what the other is thinking. If you do this, you will see success. I have had this in the past, and miss that team banter back and forth.

I see this approach fail often due to sales peoples greed taking over, wanting to take the get the credit, and become the man. A powerful team will always beat a powerful individual. Build off the strengths of the team in the correct manner, and you can likely avoid the weaknesses.