A few years ago, when I started my own sales training company, I ran and managed it all on my own. What I had with me were passion, determination, and motivation to start working on my mission. The enthusiasm I had (and still has) had driven me to think that I could manage all aspects of this venture single-handedly. Not to mention, I deemed it impractical that time to employ other people to work with me.
At first, I didn’t feel the strain of all the tasks I had to do since my mind was preoccupied with how to make the service I offer known to prospective clients. However, when I started to travel to some parts of the country to conduct sales training, the downside of working alone took its toll. All the little time in between work schedules, which was supposed to be allotted for rest, was spent on doing other tasks. This system caused me to easily get drained physically and mentally afterward. There were even times when I’d get sick because of it.
Fortunately, with the constant advice of mentors, family, and friends, I decided to partner with a few people to do some work that need not be done personally by me. Recently, I even implored my wife to help me full-time, and her involvement really made a big difference. This level of partnership between us really worked for the company. (Read: Should I Work With My Spouse?) In addition to that, I am also partnering with some of my friends who graduated from my training to help me teach some of my programs. Through this partnership, I can see that my mission, to transform the lives of sales professionals and how they view their profession, will be achieved sooner.
Having a team, even if most of them are not full-time, really helped my training company. Here are three main reasons behind it:
- I do not know everything. Yes, I may have the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to serve my valued clients, but I am not really savvy with technology. If I would force myself to do the tasks which require skills that are not my strength, I would waste time and resources. When I delegate such a task to a person who is a pro at it, the task is accurately and speedily completed.
- Two or more heads are better than one. If I work alone, my mind would be bombarded with so much information – reminders, tasks, schedules, etc. This situation could lead to a lot of missed details and rushed decisions. Having another person monitor and analyze particulars with me significantly minimizes untoward happenings.
- Ideas can come from anywhere and anyone. The fact that people have different inclinations makes me conclude that each person can have unique ideas. Having a team helps me come up with innovative solutions that help the company to adapt to changes especially the sudden ones.
Evidently, any venture really requires a team to thrive. If you decide to pursue it on your own and do all the hard work, you will more likely lose your energy and drive before you even reach the end of your journey. In addition, you will also risk the quality of your service. In this case, you do not only sabotage yourself but you also lose the trust of the people you serve.
Thus, if your goal is to make your venture last long and fulfill your mission, create a team. Grow that team. Enrich that team. Embrace that team.
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