Because of the ongoing pandemic, sales teams within the metals industry have adapted to a remote work environment. Leaders in the industry have had to rethink how they manage their teams, as many are leading remote units for the first time. Here are some of the best strategies for driving your remote sales team.
Establish Consistent Processes
Managing remote teams can be more challenging than managing regular sales teams because there is less visibility. Establishing clearly defined processes and expectations will make the job much easier by ensuring everyone is on the same page. It is also essential to set clear expectations by communicating to the group what the company’s priorities are and describing how success looks.
Communicate Promptly
For a remote sales team to work productively, they need prompt communication about client activity. One of the most important jobs you have as a manager is to find ways to make communication within your team faster and more transparent. Prompt, transparent communication gives the team a genuine sense of purpose, improves engagement, makes it easier for you to delegate, and facilitates better, faster decision making. Nowadays, leads and clients expect responses within minutes or at least within hours. If you take days to respond to messages, you may alienate leads or clients. As a manager, modeling prompt communication will ensure that you are practicing what you preach.
Check Your Procedures
When switching from an in-office setting to a remote setting, managers may be unsure if their standard procedures will suffice. One thing to consider is how often you should do performance reviews. In most cases, you want to meet with your team to discuss performance and engagement at least twice a month. Then you want to meet weekly with each employee to discuss key performance indicators like the number of new leads, job satisfaction, and customer engagement rates. Working remotely can often feel confusing and isolating, so regular check-ins can help ensure the team feels seen while allowing you to have a thorough understanding of how the team is progressing with performance goals.
Managing a sales team remotely may seem more challenging than managing a team in person. You can’t see your employees perform their day-to-day tasks, and you have fewer opportunities to speak to them face-to-face. Establishing consistent processes and expectations, modeling prompt and transparent communication, keeping track of metrics, and meeting with the team regularly will ensure the team has focus. This focus will help your team keep the same priorities and respond quickly to leads, and it will allow you to monitor both client and employee engagement effectively.
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