You’re about to lose your sales team. Or at least their presence. The mobile workforce is on the rise and a significant number of companies expect that more than 75 percent of their staffs will be working remotely by 2020. And your sales team is ripe for this disruption.
Outside reps are supposed to be out of the office, calling on prospects and customers. They can update the CRM from anywhere. Even inside sales reps don’t have to be “inside.” With technology, they can make and log their calls from a kitchen table.
But the fact is, reps thrive on connections.
Reps like to be around people. And as this blog from Peak Sales Recruiting suggests, you’re going to need new ways to manage new remote work situations.
You may have to check in with your reps a little more often. Maybe you can’t walk by their desk and say, “how’re you doing?” But you can text them. Teleconference. Don’t stick to business. Ask about their weekend. The family. Last night’s game. Personal connections help build trust.
You can build on that trust, too, by giving reps an opportunity to take on additional responsibilities. It will help them feel empowered and connected—despite the distance. It shows that you don’t have to be looking over their shoulders to get the job done.
Frequent check-ins also remind your staff that you’re there for them. Set reasonable expectations around when you will respond to their phone calls, emails, or texts. You may have to give up personal time. You never know when a rep in another time zone will encounter an emergency.
You’ll also want to set reasonable expectations around your CRM.
You may want to be a little stricter, since time management may be diffucult for a remote salesperson. Keep up with how reps are doing, you now need more timely and detailed updates when they aren’t in the office with you.
If a rep loses 3 – 5 hours a week in productivity updating the CRM, in a remote situation they may have to lose 6 – 10. Unless you give them Rollio.
Rollio is a virtual assistant that turns everyday language into CRM updates. Instead of menus and commands, reps just speak or text. Rollio also asks for information your reps may not thing to provide.
You get more data. Better data. And you get it in less time. So rather than bugging reps for data, you can ping them more helpfully and friendly. You’re not just building a team. Your building loyalty.
Click here for a free demo.
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