How to Help Your Sales Reps Close More Deals While Working from Home

Disclaimer: Please note that we are not promoting the concept of working from home (WFH), working from office (WFO), or remote jobs. Our aim is to equip you with practical guidelines for optimizing your sales team's productivity while working remotely without endorsing any particular work arrangement.

The pandemic has changed the way we sell and buy. Remote selling has transitioned from a luxury to a necessity for many companies.

However, remote working sales professionals face their own set of challenges and opportunities. They face challenges like:

How to build rapport with prospects without meeting them face-to-face? 

How to overcome objections and close deals without being in the same room? 

How to manage and motivate themselves all the time without having peers and colleagues?

At Revnew, we understand the importance of building rapport with prospects, overcoming objections, and closing deals, even without the luxury of face-to-face interaction. 

Our team of experts has curated ten practical ways that have proven successful for us and other organizations in achieving their sales goals, all while working from the comfort of their homes. 

Don't let remote SDR services hinder your sales team's productivity and success. Let us help you unlock the full potential of your sales team with our ten proven strategies and techniques.

Top 10 Steps for Your Working From Home Sales Reps

As remote work becomes the new norm for many sales teams, finding ways to help your reps close deals while working from home is more important than ever. 

That's why we've compiled a list of the top 10 strategies for assisting your home-based sales representatives in closing deals.

From using video conferencing and collaboration tools to building a strong team culture and providing training and support, these methods can help you empower your sales reps and drive results remotely.

Method 1:  Leverage Technology

When closing deals while working from home, leveraging technology is vital. The right sales tools can help your reps stay organized, efficient, and connected with their prospects and customers. The best remote sales tools and ways to use them in your sales process are listed below:

• CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software: A center for managing communication histories, sales funnels, and customer data. The top 3 useful CRMs would be SugarCRM, Pipedrive, and Hubspot CRM
• Video Conferencing Tools: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or  Google Meet for virtual meetings, demos, and presentations.
• Sales Engagement Platforms: SalesLoft, Outreach, or HubSpot Sales for automating sales tasks, tracking prospect engagement, and personalizing outreach.
• E-signature Tool: DocuSign,  or Adobe Sign for closing deals and collecting signatures remotely.
• Email Tracking Software: Yesware, Mailshake, or Mixmax for tracking email opens, clicks, and responses.

Integrating these technologies into your sales process will optimize their efficiency and help you get the most out of them. This can include:

• Mapping out your sales process and identifying where technology can help streamline or automate tasks.
• Providing training and support to help your reps use the tools effectively and efficiently.
•  They are monitoring and analyzing data from the tools to identify areas for improvement and optimization.
• Regularly reassessing your toolset and processes to ensure they align with your sales goals and strategy.

Method 2: Set Clear Expectations

When managing a remote sales team, setting clear expectations is crucial. Sales reps will need a clear understanding of what's expected of them to stay focused and productive. Here are some tips for setting clear expectations for remote sales reps:

• Start With Clear Goals: Clearly define and communicate your sales goals to your team. Ensure everyone understands what they're working toward and how their efforts contribute to the larger picture.
• Create Realistic Targets: Set targets that are challenging yet achievable. Be mindful of the unique challenges of remote work, such as limited access to resources or distractions at home.
• Track Progress: Regularly monitor progress toward sales goals and provide feedback to your reps. Use data and analytics to identify areas for improvement and adjust targets as needed.
• Provide Feedback: Regularly check in with your sales reps to provide feedback on their performance. Then, offer constructive criticism and praise for a job well done.
• Be Transparent: Communicate openly and transparently with your team about your expectations. Ensure that everyone knows their responsibilities and the criteria used to evaluate them.

Method 3: Provide Ongoing Training

It's critical for sales professionals to keep up with the most recent innovations and industry best practices because sales is a field that is continuously changing. This is particularly important in remote work, where sales reps feel disconnected from their peers and the industry.

A survey conducted by LinkedIn revealed that organizations that invest in ongoing training and development for their employees have 34% higher employee retention rates.

Providing ongoing sales training is essential for remote sales teams to succeed. However, when it comes to giving your remote sales personnel continual training, keep the following information in mind:

• Importance Of Ongoing Sales Training: Ongoing sales training helps sales reps stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices, acquire new skills, and stay motivated. This can result in higher output, more work satisfaction, and better sales results.
• Online training resources: Online training resources can be a cost-effective and convenient way to provide ongoing training to remote sales reps. Some popular options include LinkedIn Learning, HubSpot Academy, Salesforce Trailhead, Udemy, and Coursera.
• Developing a training program: Considering the particular requirements and difficulties of working remotely is crucial when creating a training program for remote sales teams. This can involve using virtual training tools, scheduling regular check-ins with sales reps, and customized training materials to fit the needs of remote representatives.

Method 4:  Foster Team Collaboration

Any team's success depends on effective collaboration, but remote sales teams need it even more. Sales reps can feel isolated and need the ability to communicate and collaborate to work effectively. Here are a few tips on fostering team collaboration:

• Utilize CRM to Share Updated Information: Encourage sales reps to regularly update and utilize the CRM system to ensure everyone can access the most current information about clients, leads, and sales activities.
• Schedule Virtual Team Meetings: Plan regular virtual meetings where remote sales reps can connect, share updates, discuss challenges, and collaborate on strategies. This helps maintain communication and fosters a sense of teamwork.
• Conduct Virtual Sales Training Sessions: Organize online training sessions to enhance sales skills and product knowledge. This can include product demos, role-playing exercises, and discussions on effective sales techniques.
• Collaborate on Shared Projects: Assign collaborative projects to remote sales reps, leveraging tools like project management software or document-sharing platforms. Encourage teamwork, brainstorming, and creative problem-solving.
• Share Success Stories and Best Practices: Create a platform, such as a dedicated channel or newsletter, for sales reps to share success stories, best practices, and lessons learned. This facilitates knowledge sharing and motivates the team.

Method 5:  Create a Positive Work Environment

Creating a positive work environment is essential for the success of remote sales teams. It not only boosts employee morale but also improves productivity and job satisfaction. Here are some tips for creating a supportive work environment for your remote sales reps:

• Provide resources for mental and physical health, such as access to employee assistance programs, online fitness classes, or meditation apps. 
• Encourage open communication and provide regular feedback to your remote sales reps. This will help them feel valued and supported and can help address any concerns or issues before they become more significant problems.
• Foster a positive company culture by celebrating wins and recognizing employee achievements. This could include sending a company-wide email acknowledging a team's success or hosting virtual award ceremonies to recognize top-performing sales reps.
• You can offer people professional development and career advancement options. And you can do this by giving them access to online training materials or mentorship programs. This will help keep your remote sales reps motivated and engaged and show you are invested in their success.
• To give flexibility in work schedules and working arrangements, for instance, allow for flexible start and end times and the choice to work from home or a co-working location. It can help your remote sales reps manage their work and personal responsibilities more effectively and reduce stress levels.

Method 6: Incentivize Performance

Incentivizing your remote sales reps is crucial to keeping them motivated and focused on achieving their goals. According to a recent study conducted by Sales Management Association, companies that implement effective incentive programs for their remote sales teams experience an average increase of 23% in sales performance compared to those without such programs. 

Here are some effective incentive programs that can help you keep your remote sales team on track:

• Commission-based Pay Structures: A commission-based pay structure rewards sales reps for their individual sales performance, which can motivate them to work harder and close more deals.
• Performance-based Bonuses: Your sales representatives can be motivated to reach or beyond their sales goals by receiving performance-based bonuses. These bonuses can be tied to specific sales goals, such as revenue generated or the number of deals closed.
• Sales Contests or Competitions: They can encourage healthy competition among your remote sales reps, driving them to work harder and close more deals.
• Rewards For Achieving Specific Sales Goals or Targets: Offering incentives for attaining particular sales objectives. Also, goals can motivate your sales force to strive toward those targets and keep them engaged.
• Profit Sharing or Equity Options: Profit sharing or equity options can motivate your sales reps to work harder and contribute to company success through financial rewards tied to performance.

Hence, to develop an effective equity rewards system for your remote sales team, consider the following tips:

• Define clear, measurable goals and targets for your sales reps, and fix rewards to achieve those goals.
• Choose incentives that are meaningful and valuable to your sales reps.
• Communicate regularly with your sales team about their progress towards their goals, and provide regular feedback and support.
• Make sure that everyone on your sales team has the chance to participate in your incentive program and that it is fair.

Method 7: Encourage Personalization

Personalization is crucial in remote sales as it helps build relationships and establish trust with potential clients. Here are some pointers for customizing sales messages and pitches:

• Research Your Potential Client: Spend time getting to know your client's company, market, and problems. It will enable you to adapt your message better to meet their unique demands.
• Use Their Name: Addressing your client by name can make your message more personal and less generic.
• Customize Your Messaging: Create a message that speaks directly to the requirements and problems of your customer using the data you've acquired.
• Show That You Care: Provide customized solutions and go above and beyond to help your clients accomplish their goals to demonstrate your concern for their success.

Think about the following to add personalization to the sales process:

• Segment Your Client List: Group your clients based on their industry, interests, and pain points. It will allow you to send targeted messages that resonate with each group.
• Automate Your Messaging: Use email templates and automation tools to send personalized messages to your clients at scale.

Method 8: Improve Customer Experience

Any business, even remotely operating, must prioritize improving the customer experience. Don’t believe me? A study conducted by Forbes found that companies that prioritize improving customer experience see a 10-15% increase in revenue growth, demonstrating the direct correlation between customer experience and business success.

Following are some suggestions for enhancing the client experience in remote sales:

• Build Trust: To deliver a pleasant customer experience, you must first earn your potential consumers' trust. Afterward comes relationship building, being genuine about your products or services, and maintaining your word are crucial.
• Provide Excellent Customer Service: Make sure your client service is excellent. Respond quickly to consumer questions, offer helpful information, and address issues as soon as they arise.
• Personalize The Experience: Tailor your approach to your target customer's specific needs and interests. Use data and insights to understand your target customers' needs and customize your communication and sales pitch accordingly.
• Offer Value: Provide real value to your target customers by offering solutions that meet their needs and solve their problems. Focus on the benefits and outcomes of your products or services rather than simply highlighting their features.
• Use Customer Feedback: Ask your previous clients for input on how they found your goods or services. Then, use this feedback to improve your sales strategies, communication, and customer service.

Method 9: Provide Strong Sales Leadership

By providing solid sales leadership to your remote sales team, you can help them stay motivated, focused, and productive. Strong sales leadership is crucial to success in any sales environment but is vital in remote sales. Here are some tips for providing effective sales leadership to your remote sales team:

• Communicate Clearly And Frequently: Remote sales reps often need to hear from their leaders to stay motivated and focused. So be sure to communicate regularly about goals, expectations, and performance metrics.
• Set Clear Expectations: Ensure your remote sales team knows what's expected of them regarding sales targets, customer interactions, and other key performance indicators. Be sure to provide regular feedback and coaching as needed.
• Lead by Example: As a sales leader, you must model the behaviors and attitudes you want to see in your team. Be a positive role model for your remote sales reps by demonstrating a solid work ethic and a commitment to excellence.
• Develop a Leadership Plan: Creating a plan for remote sales leadership can help you stay organized and focused. Goals and objectives, methods for accomplishing them, and measurements for success should all be part of your strategy.

Method 10: Measure and Analyze Results

Measuring and analyzing remote sales results is critical for identifying areas for improvement and making informed decisions about your sales strategy. Here are some crucial considerations:

1. The first step in assessing the success of remote sales is to choose key performance indicators (KPIs) that are consistent with your sales objectives. Common KPIs for remote sales teams include:

• Sales revenue or growth
• Sales conversion rate
• Number of new customer acquisitions
• Average deal size or lifetime value
• Time to close a sale or sales cycle length

2. Once you've decided on your KPIs, tracking and evaluating them frequently is critical. Making data-driven judgments regarding your sales approach might help you find trends and patterns in your sales data.

3. It's critical to have the appropriate tools and procedures for gathering and evaluating sales data to use data to better your remote sales techniques. It can involve:

• Using sales analytics software
• Creating custom reports and dashboards 
• Working with a data analyst or sales consultant.

4. Another critical aspect of measuring and analyzing remote sales results is gathering feedback from your sales team and customers. It can assist you in pinpointing areas where your sales process needs work, as well as possible customer pain spots or places where your sales force will want more coaching or assistance.

5. And last, it's critical to be transparent and truthful with your sales staff about your KPIs and goals. You should also give them regular coaching and feedback to help them perform better. It can foster a culture of ongoing development and learning while keeping your sales staff motivated and focused on meeting their goals.

Final Thoughts 

And on that note, we can conclude this article. We explored how remote work affects sales performance and shared ten practical methods to help sales reps thrive while working from home. We dived into exciting topics like leveraging technology, setting clear expectations, providing continuous training, fostering team collaboration, and much more.

Still, thinking about how to outsource your SDR functions and wondering about the cost of outsourced SDR services? If you want to learn more about how Revnew can help you with consistent sales pipeline growth with Sales Opportunities, please contact us for a free consultation. We would love to hear from you and see how we can help you grow your business.