The idea of having employees work at various locations around the world was once the domain of large multinational companies.
As a result of increasing networking and digitization, more and more companies are taking advantage of opportunities to recruit the best talent from all over the world.
Recruiting is now a global network. Sometimes the idea of working remotely is less about bringing in international employees and more about having employees work from home.
But successfully managing remote teams presents companies with tremendous challenges. Earlier this year, it was reported that IBM is reversing its policy on remote work and banning remote working, with employees being told they must either work at a primary location or resign.
Does that mean it's impossible to effectively manage remote sales teams?
Not, of course. The key to success lies in the question of how the teams are set up correctly.
So how is it possible to motivate your sales development reps (SDRs) when they're on the other side of the globe?
How do you make sure they're contributing to the company instead of watching Netflix at your expense? And are there times when you shouldn't use a remote sales team?
Advantages and Disadvantages of Remote Sales Teams
Let's take a look at some of the key benefits first:
Lower costs:
The big advantage of using remote teams is the savings. Office costs represent an enormous cost factor that should not be underestimated. Although there is an enormous urban-rural divide, the best minds live in cities and want short commutes, as numerous studies have shown time and again for years. But it is precisely here that rents are highest. We are all familiar with the reports of real estate prices not rising steadily, which has not taken a breather even during the Covid-19 pandemic. Saving office space therefore appears to be an extremely attractive option for many companies.
Unparalleled access to top talent:
When you build a remote team, you have the opportunity to hire the best people from around the world. There are millions of talented people out there who are overlooked. Imagine how powerful your sales team can be if they're not limited to the talent in your region.
Get the best work out of your team Many people worry that remote workers will only do the bare minimum. They probably think so because most people in offices don't work the whole time they're there. However, my experience is that people who have the opportunity to work on their own terms do their best work. That means that your remote team may very well do better than the one chained to their office.
But that doesn't mean that leading a remote sales team isn't also challenging. I've found that the two biggest drawbacks are a lack of knowledge sharing and communication difficulties.
No matter how well you've set things up, nothing can replace sitting next to a group of your colleagues sharing feedback from a meeting and with customers.
It can also be difficult to build up a sufficient level of trust, particularly in the first few months. While many people can work remotely without a hitch, it's not for everyone. A successful home office often fails due to a lack of or incorrect equipment.
You can never know with 100 percent certainty how someone is going to work. Even with the best of intentions, it can be particularly difficult to make the transition if it's the first remote position.
Using Sales Development Reps to Boost Your Sales
A key member of a sales team, whether remote or not, is the Sales Development Rep (SDR). Simply put, their job is to generate leads for the back office team.
Your focus is on attracting the right kind of prospects for your business, not closing the sale.
In my experience, this is one of the hardest jobs to fill and train. One reason is that the job is constantly changing.
Typically, the sales process looks something like this:
Qualify and contact your lead
1. Go through your exploratory questions/fact-finding to ensure that your prospect is right for your business
2. Go through the cycle of requirements and product fit
3. Discuss details such as pricing
4. Close the sale
With most SDRs, there's a whole range of new technologies that most typical salespeople have never seen or used before. The workflow is constantly changing. Most SDRs also have the disadvantage of not knowing how to sell or buy technology.
The SDR role involves a lot of training, and many companies don't have their own SDR manager to properly scale this team.
Despite the challenges, I'd recommend that you seriously consider hiring an SDR as soon as you have 2-3 employees. You want your sales team to focus on revenue, not acquisition.
I know there are different opinions about this, and not everyone is going to agree, but I've never understood why sales managers want their highest-paid salespeople to spend 25-50% of their day working an SDR. It just doesn't make sense.
The companies that do it right understand the value of an SDR and its ROI for the organization.
One solution I've seen with many companies is hiring outsourced companies as the first SDR.
The costs are the same (if not lower) than hiring an internal SDR, but now you get all the knowledge sharing and experience of a professional managing your campaigns. Everyone is happy.
Your VP has one less person to work on and get through the first three months to figure out whether or not that mindset is working. The sales team is being pumped full of leads, and you've dramatically increased the chances of achieving your goals.
Once the model works for you, you can start building the team internally.
Build your dream remote team
If you're looking for the right people to join your team, hands-on experience is invaluable.
For example, someone who sold a similar order value or sales cycle.
In addition, character and personal drive are crucial. It is always better when an employee really believes in the product and wants to solve a real problem for the customer instead of simply closing a deal.
That's not part of our culture at proceeds; we don't push hard sales with our foot in the door. Rather, we try to understand our clients' business and train them to help them achieve their goals. If we can't do that for our prospects, we don't deserve their business.
One often overlooked aspect of attracting the right talent to your company is showing your passion for the company.
If you can't show enthusiasm for your company, how can you expect a potential employee to want to work for you?
When it comes to team size, there is no one-size-fits-all. They hire when the business requires it.
As the company grows, the number of remote workers is likely to increase as well.
It's important to follow the same process that you would when hiring people in the company. Too often I see companies that reduce the hiring process to a brief Skype conversation and an offer letter. That is not enough. You can use a pre-employment aptitude test to assess your applicants' cognitive and essential skills.
Make sure you have appropriate training for remote workers. If you don't already have a handbook for onboarding new employees, you should wait until you have one.
Have your training handbook ready before you hire new employees. Alternatively, you can also plan two weeks on site to train and get to know the employees and work processes.
That way, your new employees will feel part of the team from day one and understand your organization's people and business practices.
How to manage remote workers
Active management is central to a high-performing team. For remote teams, that means regular communication. Fortunately, today's technology makes this cost-effective and easy.
Nothing beats calling and talking to your team members. Sometimes that means picking up the phone.
We've also set up a CRM with excellent activity reports. It's also easier to track the performance of sales teams compared to other teams because the results are easy to interpret: How many leads were contacted? How many sales were made?
However, you have to be careful not to overdo it. Building a great remote sales team without trust is impossible.
To keep productivity high, you need to hold everyone accountable. We are looking for people who can manage themselves and take responsibility. Your remote team won't work if you're constantly watching over them.
I hear so often that people worry about how they can be sure that the team is working and how you can trust them. That is an understandable concern. That's why you need to hold your external employees accountable just like any other employee in your company. Make sure your expectations are defined and then ensure easy communication methods.
Make your remote teams part of the business
The best companies ensure that remote teams are as much a part of the business as any employee. We never want there to be a “them versus us” stance.
Yes, remote sales teams can be an important part of your business if you set them up and manage them properly. Make communication a priority and provide constructive feedback.
Hold employees accountable with clear goals and expectations. Build trust that goes both ways. Recognize your remote team's work and reward their efforts. In return, they'll reward you too.
