When much of the workforce shifted to working from home in 2020, this caused a dramatic change in how businesses managed their sales teams. Today, many businesses still operate remote sales teams and have seen a lot of success.
However, without direct, face-to-face interactions with your sales team, you might feel disconnected from them. You might also see signs of lagging performance.
Remote work can provide numerous benefits to both employees and employers. Unfortunately, without the right support and communication, performance may take a hit.
In this guide, we will share six ways that you can help your remote sales team succeed.
Key Takeaways
- Remote sales teams generally benefit from flexible schedules, fewer distractions, and more free time.
- Businesses should leverage technology and automation to improve productivity among remote sales teams.
- Genuine communication and team-building activities can help remote sales staff feel more connected.
What Is a Remote Sales Team?
A remote sales team is any team of salespeople who spend most of their working time away from the office. This might mean they work primarily from their home or various locations on the road. You might have salespeople spread across the country or even the world.
Working remotely has some distinct benefits, including:
- Flexibility in work hours
- Flexibility in work location
- More free time without a commute
- Fewer workplace distractions
- Fewer work-related expenses
Unfortunately, there are also some drawbacks to working remotely. While 31% of workers in the 2022 State of Remote Work survey reported no struggles with remote work, 25% reported issues with being unable to “unplug” from their job, and 24% reported feeling lonely.
Source: Buffer
It is likely that some of your remote sales team struggle with many of these same issues. Asking them about their needs and addressing them is the first step in creating a more satisfied, productive sales team.
6 Strategies for Successful Remote Sales Teams
With nearly half of all sales representatives saying they will be selling virtually from now on, remote sales teams are here to stay. This is why it is so important to set a foundation for success now as you continue to build your remote team.
Try these six strategies to improve the performance of your remote sales teams.
Leverage Technology and Automation
Many sales reps spend a significant amount of time doing administrative work instead of sales. Give your team the technology and automated tools they need to eliminate a lot of these menial tasks. If you don’t have one already, you should invest in a customer relationship management (CRM) system.
A quality CRM system gives your sales team all the customer information they need in one place. It can also automate emails, reminders, and other routine tasks.
Source: Hubspot
Another important time-saving task is automated leads. These leads are automatically sorted and sent to your sales team based on their current load and other factors.
You could even invest in automated phone systems that dial customers and leave voicemails automatically if they do not answer.
Clearly Define Expectations
There is no denying that communication between remote sales teams and the home office frequently suffers. To avoid this common pitfall, you should frequently communicate your expectations with your salespeople.
Let them know what standards you expect, their anticipated workload, and any goals you want them to work towards. Give your team routine reports on their performance, specifying areas where they are excelling and where they need more work.
Create a Communication Rhythm
In an office environment, employees and supervisors likely communicate daily, even if it’s just a quick greeting in the hallway. In a remote work setting, that daily interaction quickly falls by the wayside. Make sure you communicate regularly with every member of your remote sales team.
Your routine communication can include:
- Weekly sales meetings
- Email updates
- One-on-one coaching
- Touch-base phone calls
Regular communication shows your sales team that they are still a valuable part of your organization. It also keeps you updated on any problems they might have. If you have workers in different time zones, scheduling meetings might be more difficult, but finding a time that works for everyone will be worth it in the end.
Genuine communication promotes trust within your team. It also helps generate an environment where your sales staff feel safe sharing their concerns with you.
This video shares an excellent example of how communication and trust lead to better employees.
Promote Team Spirit
To help combat the feeling of loneliness that sometimes comes with working remotely, you should host regular team-building activities. While asking everyone to come to the office would be great, that may only work once or twice a year.
Here are some popular team-building activities you can do with remote teams regularly:
- Weekly get-to-know-you questions
- Employee spotlights in a weekly newsletter
- Live workshops
- Sales leaderboards
- Brainstorming sessions
- Non-work-related fun discussions
- Asynchronous communication (chat platforms like Slack)
These types of activities help build a strong team spirit, keep employees engaged, and encourage a healthy dose of competitiveness.
Break Up the Routine
A solid routine can help build a strong sales team. However, breaking up the routine occasionally is also necessary. Consider calling each of your remote team members for some casual conversation. Avoid being too stiff and formal. Try to make a genuine connection with real communication.
You should also consider recommending your salespeople take breaks when they need to. They could take a quick walk, go out for lunch, read a book, or do some light exercise.
Give Your Team Flexibility
A one-size-fits-all solution is not going to work for a remote sales team. Depending on your business needs, give your salespeople some flexibility to find what works best for their productivity. A fixed 8-5 schedule Monday through Friday may be a hindrance for some of your employees, while others may thrive on a set schedule.
By letting your team choose what work hours are best for them, you could see big boosts in creativity and productivity.
Support Your Sales Teams with the Right Strategy
Giving your remote sales teams the resources they need can dramatically improve their success. Sometimes, the right resources mean the right partnerships.
Here at MXTR, our automated marketing strategies can lead to more leads. From there, our lead routing system automatically sends those leads where they are supposed to be.
Ready to improve the success of your remote sales teams? Contact us today to explore our technology.
Featured Image: istockphoto
