e've discussed how important a team is to sales success. We've offered guidelines to putting the right team together for the right job. Now it's time to talk about keeping that team in play.

The following guidelines may not be the definitive golden rules of teamwork, but they surely will support a winning strategy:

• Do every task with enthusiasm. Why? Because enthusiasm is contagious.
• Help each member be right, not wrong.
• Look for ways to make new ideas work rather than reasons why they won't.
• If in doubt, check it out. Try not to make negative assumptions about each other.
• Support teammates in their victories. Take pride in the collective group's achievements. It's "We," "Us" and "Ours" - not 'They," "Them" and "Theirs."
• Speak in positive terms about each other and maintain a positive mental attitude no matter the circumstance.
• Whatever you want, give it away - respect, recognition, compassion and power.
• Act with initiative and courage. Courage is not the absence of fear. It's recognizing there's something more important and much more effective than fear.
• Don't lose faith in the team. Never give up on each other.