Of course, you’ve heard of him.
Sir Richard Branson has built a hugely successful range of businesses under the Virgin banner. There’s Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Megastores … the list is virtually endless.
Forbes listed Branson’s estimated net worth at over $5 billion in January 2016.
And he’s built Virgin into a worldwide success by focusing on one thing: customer service.
Branson values customer service so highly that he refused to put the Virgin name on a business he acquired in 2006 because they had dreadful service. He was appalled that the business didn’t seem to care about their customers and refused to name it Virgin Media until the customer service met his standards.
None of this is news to you, I’m sure. You’re smart, and you know that great customer service can win you patients for life.
So what has this got to do with creating a winning team?
Well, the key to Branson’s great customer service is NOT to put the customer first. Sounds crazy, but he turns things around.
Branson says to put your staff first, your customers second and your shareholders third. By putting your staff first, you build a winning team.
Not only that, you create a happy team. A culture where people enjoy coming to work and doing their best.
You create a group of people who are proud of the business they work for and will always give their best – for the business and the customers.
How does Branson create a winning team? He does it by taking specific steps – steps you can use to create your own winning team.
Hire the Right People
Easily said, but quite hard to do. Branson simplifies this by valuing one thing above all others.
He says that the most important factor when hiring someone is personality. While he aims to hire for his weaknesses, he particularly values people who are good with people, who never criticise others, and who are friendly.
You can teach people how to do many of the aspects of their role, but you can’t teach them to have the right personality. And when you hire people who are good with people, they’re likely to get on with both their teammates and your customers. (Click to Tweet)
Employ “Walk-About Management”
One of Branson’s greatest success strategies is the “walk-about managing technique”. When he’s on a flight, he gets up as soon as the seatbelt sign goes off and uses the opportunity to walk around and ask staff and passengers for feedback.
“The people out on the frontlines know when things are not going right. If you listen to them, you can soon improve all those negative things.” ~ Sir Richard Branson
If you’ve ever watched Undercover Boss, you’ll have seen this in action. Every episode the show demonstrates that feedback from people in the trenches can have a massive, positive impact on a company.
Listen, Then Act
Speaking of listening, Branson believes that one of the most important attributes for good leadership is listening. His top three leadership principles are: listen, learn and laugh.
Branson believes that listening allows us to learn from each other, and from the marketplace. Of course, he also believes it’s critical to act on what you hear.
If your team aren’t happy, how can they make your customers happy? So be sure to act on the issues and concerns of your team.
Delegate Early and Often
Richard Branson has made no secret of the fact that he’s dyslexic. This forced him to learn to delegate early on, and he believes delegation is key to fostering a great team.
“ …almost no one — ever achieved anything worthwhile without help. To be successful in business, you need to connect and collaborate and delegate.” ~ Sir Richard Branson
Branson believes in hiring great people, giving them the tools they need to do a great job, and leaving them to do it.
Have Fun
We know that Richard Branson has a healthy sense of fun, and he encourages it in his team. He wants people to enjoy their work.
He knows that when his team is happy, his customers are happy. This short video sums up his overall approach.
Create a Winning Team Like Sir Richard Branson
Every business owner dreams of having an elite team of top performers. A team that can create fantastic customer experiences for your patients, each and every time they visit.
You deserve a team who supports your vision and helps you reach your goals. A team who can be impressive at every opportunity.
That’s why I’m presenting ‘Be Impressive on Purpose: the Aligned Team’, a two-day intensive workshop that brings together essential ingredients to train and support your staff and key players to be top performers.
If your whole team isn’t on board your path to success may be long and futile. (Click to Tweet)
Having an aligned team is one of the most important assets you’ll need to build if you really want to get to the top.
Find out more and book your places now at http://drjessegreen.com/teamtraining
