Globally, the proportion of people working from home has skyrocketed – increasing by 173% in just 15 years. And as our world is expected to change dramatically in these coming weeks this number is going to continue rising. So, how can we all make sure that working from home works for us?
We’ve put together some advice on how you can manage your sales team from home and limit disruptions to your work. Using our tips, you can stay motivated, keep your lines of communication open with your team and have more time to focus on your hitting your KPIs.
Set yourself a 90-minute timer
Now you’re working from home you have an entire day stretched ahead of you that’s no longer filled with office-related distractions. That’s great, right? Actually, many of us will find it difficult to stay motivated in this new working environment and maybe even miss the background noise of tapping keys and ringing phones.
Science Daily found that taking short breaks from a task can significantly improve your concentration and this evidence led to Tony Schwartz – founder of The Energy Project – proposing his 90-minute plan. If you’ve got lots of sales calls to make then schedule them in these 90-minute blocks and then reward yourself with a break. Not only will this keep you motivated but it will boost your efficiency, meaning you have more time to help your team chase sales leads or focus on hitting your KPIs.
Dive straight into your work
It might sound strange but getting stuck into a task first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day. Pour a cup of tea or coffee and settle into your new office then start your day by planning your outgoing calls. This will give you momentum for the day, and since 61% of people are most productive in the morning this is a great opportunity for the majority of us to tick a few things off the checklist.
Once you’re in the flow of your work you can plan the rest of your day out, perhaps allocating a block of time to checking through CV’s or arranging your virtual interviews.
Whether you’re following Tony Schwartz’s advice or find the Pomodoro Technique suits you better, consider having your breakfast after several cycles when you feel your focus waning. Take this time to serve up something nutritious and distract your mind from work.
Pick up the phone
Managing a remote sales team effectively is not easy. Many sales teams rely on their colleagues being just a few feet away and solving a problem is as easy as walking over to their desk. Now working from home, it can be tempting to use email or your internal messaging system, but to preserve a high quality of communication it’s important that you phone your team too.
After all, 83% of remote workers say they end up feeling overwhelmed by the influx of email. That’s not to say you should pick up the phone every time you need to speak a member of your sales team, but for those quick questions that you’d normally ask them in person just pick up the phone.
Take care of your wellbeing
With less time to commute and more time to work on projects, it can be easy to extend your workday. Research has found that 39% of remote workers will put in extra hours, compared to 24% who work in the office. But your wellbeing should be a top priority and it’s important for your mental health that you leave your house each day and get some exercise. Take a walk around the block, go for a run, do anything that will take your mind off work and help your brain to recharge.
Let BMS help you
So, you’ve got the tools you need to make working from home work for you, what’s next? Check out our blog page for more information on recruiting and managing your sales team. Or, get in touch with a member of the BMS team, we’d love to chat.