Investing in Support Team

Today many businesses have bad Support teams,corporate Israel should be investing much
 more money and effort in developing good Support teams. Why? Because the rewards far
outweigh the investment costs.

Today many businesses have bad Support teams, corporate Israel should be investing much more money and effort in developing good Support teams. Why? Because the rewards far outweigh the investment costs. But everyone learned very quickly that building a team is not easy, it is expensive and very time consuming process.

 Management needs to know the payoff for the investment in team building. Based on ten years of experience in team building, we believe that the team concept benefits everyone involved — the customer, the business, the operations management, and the individual team members — and is well worth the investment.

What return should management expect from investing in Sales teams?

If customer care and customer service are viewed as an investment, companies can obtain an excellent return on their investment in building teams. For instance, companies with top-of-the- line "best in class" customer care can utilize people and teams to differentiate themselves from their competitors, companies can build stronger customer relationships and loyalty by simply caring for their customers in a more personal manner by that they can retain customers, build repeat sales/cross-sale/up-sale and dramatically increase customer satisfaction. These should be the objectives and the deliverables of any team building or customer care program.

What do you mean when I say teams?

By definition, one of the most important roles for management is to get work done by, with and through people. Many times we don’t discuss that level of definition or explanation; we simple say we work with teams. Here are my three versions of teams.

1. The corresponding Team: The team is driven by management, like a team of horses pulling a wagon. This type of team does not provide opportunities for individuals to contribute or learn, and not much is expected from the individuals. Team members are told to keep pulling, and if work doesn’t get done, a whip is cracked.

2. The Managed Team. The managed team is like a soccer team where we have many team members who have different position to play and need different skill sets. Members have different roles to play from the goal keeper, the right defender, to the striker. There are different skill levels required within the team, and there are certainly superstars. These superstars are individuals who many times have their own agenda and their means of success are not necessarily the team’s means. Management directs the daily work, makes all the major decisions, and worries most about making the numbers.

3. The Self-Directed Team. The self-directed team is ideal in the business environment. The team understands its customers and business, focuses on achieving business results by learning from each other, has tools to monitor how it is doing, improves quality, and improves personal and team productivity. The team does the work and it takes on more and more responsibility. The team builds a culture where everyone is committed to continuous improvement. Everyone management and the team  are concerned about making the numbers. This unique team is truly appreciated and rewarded for its efforts.

What makes these business teams so efficient and effective?

Efficient and effective teams always have a clear and understood shared vision or mission that everyone on the team can articulate and commit to. These teams have informed leaders and managers who are committed to the team process. The leaders must provide resources to build skills and trust within the team. The team must be committed to the business and its customers and be focused on continuous improvement. There must be measurement tools in place that drive desired behaviors and performance. There must also be a rewards and recognition program that addresses "what’s in it for me?" And lastly, these teams understand that their jobs won’t be easy, and it will take time to reap the rewards.

Some of the important team skills for customer service and customer care:

Team members and Managers need to:

• Build customer and team relationships through strong communications.

• Address group dynamics and build interpersonal skills.

• Know how to facilitate, promote active participation, and reach consensus within the group.

• Learn how to influence and support others.

• Look for opportunities to give and receive feedback that promotes business, personal and team improvements.

Managers need to be able to coach team members, provide guidance, and help colleagues learn and grow. Managers should also model and reinforce effective performance. And they should take every opportunity to build collaborative relationships, encourage desired behavior and motivate for success.