Assembling A Mosaic: Just A Bunch Of Diverse Pieces…Until It Is Put Together

Mosaic – a surface decoration made by inlaying small pieces of diverse elements to form pictures or patterns; also the process of making it

Let’s look at hiring, building, and managing a sales team in today’s business world, and compare it to assembling a mosaic.

First of all, as a sales person, manager and trainer for more than 20 years I know we have a tendency to look at this as a “one size fits all” profession, however, I have found over time that this could be no further from the truth. So if we are in a sense assembling a mosaic and In our minds eye see the finished product as this great team that is putting forth the effort, making the cold calls, delivering on the presentation, closing deals, gaining market share and retaining customers…then what pieces are we missing?

I would encourage us to be open-minded when making this decision as not to overlook the diverse sales talents that are available in the market today. I have learned (through mistakes, unfortunately) that there are talented and successful sales professionals out there that aren’t like me, and if I give them the opportunity, a reputable product to sell and an earning potential that is motivating, they in many ways can accomplish far more than expected.

So it’s through diversity…TEAM DIVERSITY that this mosaic comes together. A point of difference: a variety of talents along with a leader who understands [that to accomplish what is dreamed is only possible through team]. It is said “there are no I’s in team”…not true, there are many! A winning team (a finished mosaic) is a group of I’s, each with their own set of complementary gifts and skills which when brought together make things happen. So as leaders who are trying to put this thing together we must look for the pieces that will become more than just a collection of people, but will bring strong sense of mutual commitment creating the synergy needed to generate something greater than the sum of the performance of each individual member. If applied, the finished product will have shifted the typical sales team balance from that of cacophony where each voice wants to be heard, often to the detriment of others, to that of a symphonic orchestra where each instrument plays its part under the director’s leadership.
“Now Let’s Build This Thing”