How to Sell Well While You Work From Home
Work from home sales representatives can make the most out of their setup with these tips.
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RELATED: 14 Helpful Tips For Working From Home While Social Distancing
7 Tips for Work From Home Sales Representatives
Embrace the Work From Home setup
First things first, you need to start with a good attitude about working from home. If you’re working from home because of unforeseen circumstances, then it may require an initial adjustment period.
Take some time to figure out what works best for you and your home situation. Make the most out of your newfound freedom, but find ways to stay motivated and goal-oriented at the same time.
Managers can try to keep track of their activities through their CRM systems. Still, it’s ultimately up to you to stay disciplined and focused. Here are some things that’ll help you make the most out of your new work environment:
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- Identify any usual sources of distraction and address them ahead of time.
- Set up a dedicated workspace.
- If you can, invest in the right office equipment like a comfortable chair and a dedicated work table.
- Don’t skimp on your tech. Choose a fast and reliable internet provider and make sure your computer and phone are loaded with all the programs/systems you need to get your work done.
- Put up “do not disturb” signs if you need to.
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It may take some time to get used to it, but it’s essential to embrace the strengths and opportunities that come from this setup.
Establish a Routine
If you work from home, you need to be a self-starter. Your manager can’t micromanage your activities (nor would you want them to).
Just like any other work environment, there will be some days where you’re pumped and ready for work and other days when you’re unmotivated and unfocused. In a regular work environment, working side by side with your peers makes it easier to shake it off and focus on the work.
When working from home, though, even the most disciplined workers will be tempted to goof off a little. One way to combat this is by establishing a work routine.
Your routine should include:
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- Wake-up time
- Clock-in time (for work to begin)
- Mealtimes
- Break times
- Clock-out time (for work to end)
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Once you get used to a routine, it’ll be easier to stay productive even on the days when you’re not in the mood. Having a daily routine also helps if your kids or other family members are at home too.
Establishing a clock-in and clock-out time helps your partner or kids know when you’re accessible and when they need to give you space to work. One of the advantages of working from home is having more control over your time, so make sure to design a schedule that works for you, your managers, and your family.
Prioritize Tasks
Once you have a daily routine in place, it’s good practice to take some time at the beginning of the day to prioritize tasks. As sales representatives, you may want to start with essential duties such as:
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- Strategic planning
- Prospecting
- Calling customers
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Otherwise, you may get distracted with non-essential tasks that don’t advance sales. There are IT solutions that can help you with this.
XANT’s Playbook has a customized scoring feature that helps make sure you spend more time prioritizing the right tasks. It even gives your managers some input so that you’re always on the same page.
RELATED: XANT Introduces Industry’s First Mobile Sales Engagement Solution
Pay Attention to Results Rather than Time
Sometimes, when people work at an office, merely showing up counts as an achievement. This isn’t the case with work from home jobs.
As a remote worker, clocking in helps you structure your day, but it isn’t enough. You need to pay more attention to results.
If you don’t get anything done by the time you clock-out, the time you spent at work that day doesn’t really count. For work from home sales representatives, results are everything. You need the discipline to focus on tasks and get things done as efficiently as possible.
Use Technology to Capture Your Work
Your manager needs to track your progress, especially when you work from home. Your manager needs to know what you’re doing and keep track of the sales you’re making.
Without these regular and real-time updates, your manager might think that you’re not getting any work done at all. Sending in daily reports may be cumbersome, and it eats up a lot of time—time better spent making sales and connecting with potential clients.
Thankfully, there are IT solutions that can help automate all of this. XANT’s sales solutions can help your manager stay on top of your progress.
It automates a variety of administrative tasks that helps everyone stay on the same page. It can capture the work that you do each day so that your managers can see your real-time progress.
This won’t only promote accountability, but it’ll help your managers assess your strengths and weaknesses. That way, your manager can provide the coaching you need so that you can keep improving even if you’re working from home.
Stay Connected
It’s easy to feel isolated in a work from home setup, especially if you aren’t used to it. When you work at an office, it’s easy to learn from your peers and managers.
You can take a break in between calls and swap stories and strategies. These everyday exchanges are valuable, and they help keep you motivated.
Emailing and instant messaging is a convenient way to stay in touch, but they can feel impersonal. On top of that, you can only convey so much through emails or messages.
There are communication tools, like video conferencing applications, that can help you feel more connected. Regular video meetings can help build empathy between you, your peers, and your manager.
These touch base meetings are an excellent opportunity to pick up some best practices from your manager and peers. It’s also reassuring to learn that your co-workers share similar struggles.
It may take a little more effort to maintain these connections, but it’s worth it in the long run. Everyone needs a professional support system, even if you work from home.
Listen and Learn From Calls
When you work at an office, you have the advantage of observing your fellow sales representatives’ work. You can intuitively pick up strategies by watching top performers in action.
This is still something you can do even if you have a remote sales job. There are IT solutions that allow you to listen in on your peers’ calls so you can learn from them. At the same time, your managers can listen in on your calls and provide real-time coaching.
Remember, your manager and peers are great resources for professional growth. You don’t need to give this up just because you have a home-based sales job.
These tips will help you make the most out of work from home setup. With the right mindset, practices, and technology, sales representatives can remain motivated, sharp, and productive even when they are working remotely.
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