Successful Risk-Taking

Free team building examples tool for successful risk-taking introduction:

Our goal should be to walk and live in that special "zone" where our anxieties are low because we know are have prepared to achieve the most.

Okay, let's get more specific now about how each of us can live in the "leadership zone" using our team building examples.

First, we must identify what high-leverage activities we need to be putting our time and energy towards in order to achieve the results we seek. These high-leverage activities must take up the bulk of our time so that we can experience the ultimate rewards.

We must instinctively shun unnecessary email, paperwork and any other "low-result activities" that can easily be addressed by others - leaving us free to maximize our time on the activities that truly matter the most.

The following activities are team building examples of "zone activities"; where the rubber meets the proverbial road: I.e., making prospect calls, developing new referral sources, marketing your product effectively, ensuring quality delivery of customer service, planning for expansion of your business, etc.

The preceding examples of high-leverage activities are what makes the difference in the level of growth and success that you experience - these kinds of well focused activities take a salesperson and/or an organization from simply being good, to truly being GREAT. Focus on these key areas and you immediately limit your risk of failing or prodding along in mediocrity.

Use our team building examples and ideas to assist your team achieve greater results.

Team Building Examples for Risk-Taking Success

No More Risky Business

Purpose of this activity: To quickly identify and overcome the obstacles and objections before they happen in an effort to minimize risk and increase sales results.

Explanation: A customer's objection is the one major risk to closing the sales. Imagine if you were armed with an arsenal of ideas that would quickly overcome the customer's objection - MORE SALES right?

Here is a great opportunity to educate your team members using a powerful Objection Clinic. Using this exercise you will assist your team in quickly identifying and overcoming the obstacles that are hindering their performance.

Objection Clinic: Instructions for Overcoming Customer Objections:

1. Lead the group to quickly list their top, most common, customer objections. Use a chalkboard or flip chart so everyone can see the entire list. Make the list as long as necessary to satisfy your team. Once the list in complete, work with the team to quickly categorize the objections as many items on the list are probably closely related.
2. Point out to your team that each customer objection represents the fact that the customer who has this objection does not understand the total benefit of your product or service. (A good sales person knows their job is to educate the customer to make the best decision. HINT: Highly ethical sales people truly believe in their own product.)
3. Break your team in to 2-3 equal work groups. Assign each group to come up with the perfect "Response", to each customer objection. Make the point that no one knows what the best response is more than the experts who sell the product. Your team members are the experts, and they DO know the perfect response.
4. Ask each group to share with the rest of the team their responses - discuss each response briefly to ensure it's the very best. Let your team be the final judge - after all, it's they who will be using this information to overcome objections.

After the workshop is over, provide each team member with a complete list of their perfect responses for overcoming customer objections.

Not only will you be surprised by the true knowledge of your sales team, they will look to you as a good leader. They will see you as an effective leader who brought them all together for the purpose of helping them solve the problems that are keeping them from being their best. You will assist them in minimizing their risk of failure.

Over the next week, make a point of supporting your team members by quizzing them on their responses. Throw out a customer objection from time to time and ask them "How would you respond to that?"

KEEP DOING IT UNTIL THEY GET IT RIGHT. Repetition is the key to knowledge retention. Let them know that you would rather they NOT get it right in front of you, rather than in front of a prospective customer and lose out on the sale.

Your team will thank you for it later. :)

Magic Time

Purpose of this activity: To help team members to identify the high-leverage activities that will lead to maximum results and therefore limit their risk of losing out on potential sales opportunities.

Explanation: Many folks will remember one of our most famous and beloved actors - Jack Lemmon. Jack Lemmon was special for many reasons, but one thing about him that most people aren't aware of is that he had a unique way in which he put himself into a "magic zone".

Like many actors, what you see on the screen can be surprisingly different than what you might experience if you met him/her on the street. Their talent lies in their ability to persuade an audience to believe they are - well, whatever or whomever they want you to believe they are.

Jack Lemmon, immediately before he walked on stage or came out of his trailer onto a movie set, would purposefully stop - close his eyes, take a deep breath, and say out loud (but softly under his breath) - "It's Magic Time"

Throughout his entire career he did this as a way of putting himself in a "magic zone".

During your next staff meeting, take the time to share the concept of "the magic zone". Consider leading your team through the following exercise so they too will experience the ultimate rewards of living in the zone.

• Identify on a flip chart 5-10 high-leverage activities, that if done continually will lead to maximum results.
• List out on a separate piece of flip chart paper all the potential benefits of living in the zone. I.e., more money, security and a feeling of being in control, greater fulfillment, increased joy, increased market share, improved customer and employee retention, lower training costs, earlier retirement!, etc. Make the list as long as possible.
• When the lists are complete, place the two lists side by side. Point to the "benefits" list and say to your team, "Folks, this is our motivation. We deserve all these things and more! And in order for us to experience these rewards we must.. Then point to the high-leverage activity list)..LIVE HERE. This is where the rubber meets the road and these are the activities that will make the difference."

Help your team limit their risk and realize maximum success by findind their own MAGIC - In The Zone. This is one of our most popular team building examples.

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Next Team Building At Work Chapters

» Tact and Diplomacy
Everyone must get along with one another when working in a team environment. Free team building examples, exercises and game activities provide ideas to ensure tact and diplomacy.

» Trust and Rapport
Team members must trust one another to do their part for the good of the team. Create a team building lesson plan to build rapport among team members. Promote strong interpersonal relationships.

» Accountability
Leverage every team building idea and exercise to promote highly motivated employees who respond well to accountability.