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The Celebration, or Why We Need Sales Teams

It was not your typical business dinner. The group was a bit more jubilant, bordering on being rowdy. They had just arrived and you could immediately sense that unlike similar events, the evening was getting off to a fast start. Usually the excitement builds at these kinds of dinners, but not tonight. The high-fives and fist pumps were flying around the room before people took off their coats.

Sam Jamison, the sales professional and team leader who had arranged for the team to celebrate their recent success, was glad he had requested a private room. He had a feeling that things could get noisy as the evening moved on. And why not? This was their evening. They earned it.

The group looked pretty much like any group of business people that you'd see in a restaurant on a weekday night. Whether it's an off-site, a national meeting, or just a group traveling together, dinner is usually part of the agenda. And like any team, there were those who were thrilled to be there, those who attended a bit reluctantly, and the majority who accepted these kinds of events for what they were and did what they could to make it a fun evening. But again, this particular group seemed different.

Like any of these dinners, it was another night away from home for those who attended. Sam knew that. So when he sent out the invitations, he was very careful to position this as a celebration. Because that is precisely what it was.

Dinner had just been ordered when ...

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