With the right telesales technology, your virtual sales and support team can stay connected with clients
As I write this, millions in the workforce have moved to home offices and have been trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy during the Coronavirus emergency.
TSRM Group as been a virtual sales and marketing agency since our founding in 2004. So, although few of us can say anyone was “ready” for the kind of massive disruption a global pandemic brings, we do have a deep well of experience and some best practices to share when managing a virtual team—specifically a virtual sales organization.
Achieving the “next best thing” in teamwork through technology
No doubt, there is a growing appreciation for just how much human interaction—face to face, in the same room—sparks creativity, camaraderie, pursuit of common goals/purposes, and of course, everything great that comes from building team spirit. A Stanford study a few years ago demonstrated that people persist with challenging tasks longer when they are provided with social cues that confirm that they are working in conjunction with others, rather than on their own. You can mitigate the sense of isolation that is common among remote teams (there are several types to be wary of—you can read about them in this piece in Forbes) with the use of apps, chat tools, project management software, or by uniting them around a common goal.
When face-to-face meetings are not possible, video conferencing is “the next best thing” since it provides the closest simulation to human interaction. Even if your organization has been using video conferencing for a while, be sure to brush up on some timely trips on how to run a great virtual meeting (Harvard Business Review lists them in this article).
How to run a great virtual meeting
Communicate clearly
Setting clear expectations is a fundamental management directive. With a remote workforce, it’s especially important to establish a sense of structure and clear direction so employees can stay on track and maintain focus. Stay connected and present with scheduled as well as informal check-ins. Proactively focus on individual achievements and goals. Set up ways for the employee to self-correct and hold themselves accountable. And don’t neglect what is perhaps most fundamental management pillar of all: making sure that your team understands the why of your business.
Leverage reporting
There is a saying common in marketing (and personal training): if you can’t measure it, it didn’t happen. While a sales team is accustomed to quantitative measurement, consider the advantages of using dialing metrics to take a closer look at qualitative measures—like list accuracy, message resonance—or to explore why leads are getting stuck in the funnel too long. Then, use that information to provide ongoing training. Providing your team with the right tools is essential to their success and a great way to improve retention in a challenging role.
Stay connected
There are many management tools available to help managers stay connected to remote workers, helping to collaborate, track leads and manage reporting. The tool we’ve relied on in our business—from Aavaz—is a platform that provides critical visibility into aspects of marketing, sales, and lead management. It also provides reporting that enables managers of remote teams to improve productivity and gain transparency into each salesperson’s performance.
Even before the onset of the Coronavirus pushed many teams remote, the virtual workplace has been a growing trend. It’s generally conceded that remote employees are happier and more productive, and better able to manage work/life balance. In fact, it can even represent an opportunity to demonstrate trust, leaving the sales team more empowered and engaged than ever before.
On a personal note—From our founder, Keith Mintzer:
When we formed our team, my partner and I envisioned a new kind of agency, 100 percent virtual, nimble, and able to bridge geography to help our customers succeed. For the past 15 years, we’ve learned the importance of finding creative ways to “connect” our own team—headquartered in the Northeast—to Seattle, Paris, and beyond. We’ve learned one thing above all else: with the right tools and a willingness to stay connected, we have been able to do more than succeed, we’ve been able to thrive. I’m confident we all can.
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