Sales look a little different these days as most people are working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sales teams that are used to working in conjunction with one another are now having to transform themselves into remote sales teams, discover new ways to connect, as well as to stay motivated.
While working remotely in sales is normal, as many salespeople meet their clients at restaurants for lunch, remote sales have taken on a new tone. Not only are sales teams working remotely, many of them are actually simply working from home under state or county restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus.
It’s a new and confusing time, one that has everyone making concessions and changes. Salespeople are learning to utilise new technologies in order to connect with one another, build relationships with clients, and make their pitches.
Those managing these sales teams find that they have a new level of difficulty. Things that were once commonplace, such as holding motivating team meetings and dealing in-person with any issues that may arise are no longer simple. Managers are having to discover effective new ways to get their job done.
If you suddenly find yourself managing a remote sales team, you’re sure to uncover some difficulties that you didn’t have before. Yet, by following these simple guidelines, you can manage your team from anywhere and get those sales back on track. What's even better to know is that, if done right, working remotely can create a more productive workforce.
1. Keep your expectations clear for your remote sales team
Goals, vision, focus, expectations; all of these provide people with something to keep an eye on, something to work towards. Without clear expectations in their work, people tend to get overwhelmed, lose focus, and even get off-track altogether.
When your sales team is on their own, working remotely, it’s important to set clear expectations in order to get everyone working in tandem with one another, towards a common goal. In your expectations, you will want to provide sales benchmarks that give your team specific focuses to move towards.
These benchmarks can include sales goals, online processes for working with potential clients, and even time management goals. The important part is having a series of focuses that keep your team on-point and moving forward.
2. Create set processes
You want your team to work together effectively even though they are apart. In order to create that sort of cohesive remote team, you need to set specific processes for things such as work structure, specific work direction, lead generation procedures, processes for demos, negotiations, and closing deals.
Once you have processes cemented, you will want to use project management tools and other technologies to help your team keep track of the various processes, as well as to communicate with you and others, keeping themselves accountable.
3. Utilise resources for your team
There are so many tools and technologies available these days that working remotely doesn’t have to be difficult. One of the hardest parts is discovering the best tools and being able utilise them to the fullest.
Give your team several great resources that enable them to do their job effectively from anywhere. This might mean providing devices, cloud-based storage accounts and systems, access to virtual private networks, as well as specific apps and features.
You can even use apps or software that provides a place for all procedures, as well as regular team communication.
4. Keep connected and build team relationships
In order to have a successful sales team, there needs to be connection and building of professional relationships. When your team is working from home, it becomes a bit harder to make this happen. However, by using communication tools and video conferencing platforms, you can ensure that regular connection and motivation is occurring.
Have your team connect with each other and with you on messaging apps, or even a project management tool that provides means for connecting. Regular communication and discussion of processes, issues, and successes will help keep the team focused and will build camaraderie.
You can even use video conferencing platforms to hold regular motivational and procedural meetings. Put together a simple presentation and allow plenty of time for questions, conversation, and even some fun. Keep your team focused on a common goal and keep them connected by hosting meetings.
5. Keep your sales team focused and together
Covid-19 has presented the world with a number of challenges. Most people have risen and developed new ways of living and working in order to combat the pandemic. Salespeople are facing the challenge of being less physically connected with their potential clients, their team, and their management. Management faces the challenge of keeping their team going while essentially cheering them on from the couch.
However, there are things that managers can do to keep their team focused, motivated, and working hard towards goals. Follow these tips and your team will be ready to get to work and make those sales.
Through a virtual business phone system such as Omni Hotline, you can empower your remote sales team by helping them make smarter calls. With Omni Hotline your sales team will look more legitimate by contacting customers through a business landline number, be able to attend to them professionally by using our interactive virtual receptionist and record phone calls for review later. Your team will love working with Omni Hotline, as our solution helps in reducing their cold calls, reconnects, and uncertainty.
Sign up for Omni Hotline today and start getting your sales team up and running.
