Does the thought of managing a remote sales team seem stressful? Some companies are prepared, whereas others are not. Don’t worry, we’ve outlined a few tips that’ll help you throughout the process.
Tip #1 Staying up-to-date with your team.
It’s important for both you and your team to have an understanding of how the day/week will look and the tasks that need to be completed. This can be done via a brief phone call at the start of each member’s shift or by conducting a group meeting for those who have a larger sales team.
Regardless of which meeting style you choose to take, be sure to make the meetings short and straight to the point. This will allow the team to remain focused and prevents them from getting side tracked, as studies have shown that longer meetings generally result in diminishing productivity.
Tip #2 Utilize any online tools available.
There are many tools available online that serve multiple purposes for your business’ needs. One online platform that we suggest is Toggl. This platform allows you to identify which team member is accountable for what tasks, and what has been completed (or pending to completed) by the end of the day.
It is important to use tools, as a guidance for your team to follow and accomplish. This means that you are not micromanaging your team, but instead coaching and providing assistance when needed.
Tip #3 Sales teams love incentives. Have contests.
If you know sales, and how sales people function, you know that we love winning. That is one of the main reasons why many people choose sales as a career.
If your organization has implemented some incentives or contests while they worked at the office, it is important to make sure you continue to do so while working remotely as well.
Tip #4 Finding alternate solutions to sustain your organization’s culture.
An unforeseen transition is sometimes the hardest task that a team may face. It is common for things to not go as smoothly as you planned, but it’s important to remain positive and ensure that your culture isn’t affected.
If your team usually has beers on Friday, have beers together online. If Tuesdays were movie nights, use Netflix’s added feature, and watch a movie together.
We understand that transitions can be tough, but if you follow the tips above, you’ll be a step ahead. Many companies have already laid off their entire sales team; if you haven’t, we applaud you!
Sales comes in various forms. It doesn’t always have to be direct, sometimes it can be soft. If you need help keeping your pipeline warm, read Sales in a time of crisis: Keep your pipeline alive during COVID-19.
If you have any more questions, please feel free to reach out or send us an email at info@fiveringsmarketing.com
