With the shift to hybrid working set to be a permanent fixture, companies are looking to drive consistent revenue growth from a remote workforce. Additionally, many companies are starting to return and expand into new markets meaning recruitment drives are back in full force.
A recent Accenture report found a majority of workers (83%) prefer a hybrid work model, but a variety of factors influence their ability to thrive, whether they’re onsite or off.
The events of the past year did finally put one misconception to rest — that enabling employees to work remotely means loss in productivity, with 63% of high-growth companies having already adopted a “productivity anywhere” backed up by The Accenture survey finding that 40% of individuals feel they can be productive and healthy anywhere — either fully remote or onsite or a combination of the two — as the hybrid workplace emerges.
While adding remote salespeople is a lower-cost way and appears to be to enter a new market, it does come with its share of management challenges. From working with 70+ Pre-Seed to Series A B2B tech startups, Sales for Startups has collated some advice for overcoming the challenge of revenue growth with a remote sales team.
1. Communication
Challenge: Remote teams can feel isolated. Creating communication channels and practices that work for an entire spread out team can be difficult to manage. Network issues in different locations can cause friction during conference calls and Zoom fatigue is a new condition we have all learned to deal with at varying degrees.
Solution: Technology today is evolving. Instant messaging is fast becoming the most attractive means of communicating with colleagues.
2. Accountability
Challenge: Holding remote salespeople accountable without imposing micro-managing tactics can be difficult. The goals are being hit, but you’re not sure how their time is being spent and whether they’re maximising their full potential. The main goal is to ensure a negative atmosphere does not fester and affect team motivation.
Solution: Cloud-based sales management systems help provide company overview to track leads, activity levels and KPIs in real-time. Enabling feedback to be accurately reported and better decisions made at speed.
3. Incentive
Challenge: Motivation while remote working can be a challenge, especially for remote sales people. The lack of office buzz, deal celebrations and training from one another can be demotivating.
Solution: While the more experienced salespeople are self-motivated, it is important to set incentives for top performers and encourage some healthy competition.
A few incentives that have proven to work for others include:
- Technology perks
- Home delivery perks
- Learning and development perks
- Holidays
Every startup is unique so ultimately, there will always be a range of pros and cons to having remote salespeople. Understand the challenges and opportunities that are unique to your business, then create the perfect sales strategy to fit your company goals and increase revenue.