Mobile technology can help your Lone Wolves (self-assured but difficult-to-control sales reps) become team players without compromising their sense of independence. That’s because mobile is, in its very nature, both social and fiercely independent. Think about how texting and Facebook changed the way you interact with people:

Facebook users have an average of 190 friends. People with smartphones check Facebook 14 times a day, on average. That creates potentially thousands of opportunities to learn something about a lot of people. How much more do you know about the daily lives of your acquaintances than you did before the advent of Facebook-on-your-phone?

That means we’re more social beings, right? Well, not necessarily. A recent study showed that “Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling the basic human need for social connection. Rather than enhancing well-being, however, these findings suggest that Facebook may undermine it.”

The dichotomy is interesting, and I think about it when I think of the Lone Wolf. When I was a marketing director, I wanted my Lone Wolves to be more concerned about brand integrity, to think about it like I did. But sometimes they bristled at my interference with their comfortable processes. Team building is tricky.

I’m inspired by a post on the Harvard Business Review’s blog that discusses how General Motors’ new CEO Mary Barra has instilled a team culture at the automotive giant. I want our Showcase team to feel like they are part of something bigger than their individual responsibilities, and this includes our sales team.

So, we practice what we preach and use Showcase to sell Showcase (and our parent company uses it to sell its professional services). I feel confident that our sales reps have the most up-to-date material corresponding to our products, pricing, and brand image. That means our marketing team doesn’t have to nag our Lone Wolves to use the right collateral, because we have total control over it via Showcase’s content management. The great part is our Lone Wolves don’t feel that we’re interfering with what they’re trying to do.

Best of both worlds…you know, without the depression.