Ferries, tunnels and motorways

The thought of having sales targets and only being as good as the next thing you do fills me with horror. Been there, done, it, sod that.

Yeah I know, it doesn't suit everyone, and I more than get that. But it is a way of life that keeps you on your toes, every day you have to try to be the best you can be, which is no bad thing in my opinion.

I've sold things and trained others to do so all my working life, and I make no excuse for my somewhat plagiarised mantra that I repeat to myself every day, of "success occurs when preparation meets opportunity" 

If you know that what you've got is what the customer needs, and will benefit from buying, ( even if they don't know it yet ) and you can prove it to them rationally because you know your market and have researched their business, you're halfway there. 

Its not so scary really, and indeed can be quite rewarding if, in some small way, you help someone improve their business through your efforts.

Crap days do happen though, and you just have to take that along with the good ones. 

Often the case, so many people I have witnessed over the years have been promoted beyond their level of competence. A good X is not necessarily going to be a good manager of a team of Xs. You know that thing people are encouraged to put on their CV about being a "team player" ? The very best sales people are quite the opposite of that. They are self starting lone wolfs usually, impatient of what they see as interference from others. Odd critters mainly. ( yes I'm one ! )

I think Humph put his finger on it really. The type of person who is good at being a salesman is not likely to be the type of person who is good at managing salesman.

Not impossible of course, but unlikely.

As for 'team players', I don't think I've ever really known what that means. It's just one of those things people like to say and like to hear which everybody thinks is good. All very "Emperor's new clothes", I think. If it has a meaning or a real manifestation, then I suspect it's exactly the behaviour one does not want in a company.

You want the person to be driven to be successful. If that is the case then he will do whatever is best to make projects he is involved in work.

Ideally you want tension between teams. Not hatred, but tension. Each one trying to be better than another team. Then within each team you also want tension; each member trying to be the best.

That drives performance up. It takes managing of course, you don't usually want open conflict.

Far better that than a team of people comfortable with where they are and all looking after each other and making sure everybody progresses together. That is called "lowest common denominator". Everybody performing at the capability of the least capable.

Consider the most successful football teams; full of people who are effective in teams but are absolutely not 2team players".

Which is why I say that I am not sure really what "team player" means, but that if it means anything it is probably something that nobody really wants.

I like people comfortable enough with each other that they can row and then get over it.