The traditional office 9 to 5 is increasingly becoming condemned as something of the past. Indeed, we are seeing more and more businesses embracing the benefits of remote working with some taking the steps to going completely remote. No longer simply a small possibility, remote working has become commonplace - and that can only be a good thing. However, while we can appreciate the clear benefits of remote working (not only for businesses but for their staff as well), it is important to recognize the impact that it will naturally have on the way we work. Indeed, if you are considering a move to remote work for your company, it is important to invest in the tools that make it possible.
Among the major challenges for remote operations is in maintaining effective sales teams in that remote environment. Fortunately, as the workplace has adapted, there has been a rise of powerful and innovative tools designed to make it easier for sales to continue to flourish. In this article, we'll take a look at seven consistently trending tools that can make sales easier for a remote business.
Tool No.1 Mobile payment solutions
When operating remotely one of the obvious challenges comes in the form of accepting payment. Yes, you can just take cash, or even direct customers to your website in order to finalize a transaction - but this process is often slow and cumbersome and will inevitably result in losing some sales entirely.
Whether you're at a trade show, meeting clients in person, or conducting sales from a number of locations it is important to offer customers a method of paying that is quick, easy, flexible and secure. And this is where mobile payment solutions come in.
You've probably seen some of the well-known card readers which are used everywhere from physical stores and markets to sales events and conventions. These devices allow you to take card payments instantly - so a transaction can be taken care of no matter where you are.
Tool No.2 Password management
In the era of remote working, we have to get used to the idea of being able to log into your work accounts from anywhere. Of course that sounds like great news - access to your key business and sales data from anywhere in the world. But it comes with the downside of creating a much greater security challenge.
Of course it is well known that still one of the most common reasons that businesses get hacked is simply the use of weak passwords by employees. Indeed, it has been estimated that 80% of data breaches occur as a direct result of weak passwords being used to secure accounts.
There is a solution to this problem that comes in the form of password management tools. All a user needs to do is remember the master password to their account and the password management tool will store their other passwords for them. This means that you can utilize very long, powerful passwords that would be almost impossible to remember.
Tool No.3 Scheduling and calendar tools
In the world of remote sales, time is precious, and efficient time management can make or indeed break a deal. Scheduling and calendar tools have emerged as absolutely indispensable for remote sales professionals. They can help you to navigate the complexities of a busy work schedule while ensuring seamless coordination with clients, prospects, and team members.
These tools play a pivotal role by simplifying appointment management, a task that can often be a logistical nightmare for remote teams. Rather than engaging in a never-ending cycle of back-and-forth emails or phone calls to set up meetings, these tools streamline the process. They provide a user-friendly interface where users can display their availability, allowing clients and prospects to select a suitable time slot with ease.
This might mean using well-known options such as Google or Outlook calendars to schedule your meetings and appointments. Still, if this is a major part of your business it could be a great idea to look into the possibility of finding an industry-specific scheduling tool that would be perfect for the way your company operates.
Tool No.4 Collaboration and communication platforms
Perhaps the ultimate challenge for remote businesses comes in ensuring that communications never break down within the team. If individuals are purely working remotely, it can be easy to get tunnel vision around a task, or miss opportunities to collaborate effectively and find better ways to manage sales.
For remote teams, collaboration and communication platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams can be the difference maker in terms not only of getting sales over the line, but also in helping with efficiency and team morale.
Tool No.5 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software
Of course, in any sales environment, managing your relationships with your customers is vital. In remote sales, this is only increased, as you might have a team that works across a wide range of locations and even time zones - this makes it crucial to have a centralized system monitoring leads, interactions, and opportunities.
Sales CRM tools are perfectly designed for this job. You can store and organize data effectively meaning that you always have access to key information such as contact details, communication history, and more.
Tool No.6 Analytics and reporting tools
Often not considered the most thrilling aspect of sales roles, analytics and reporting have nevertheless become an absolutely crucial element in the way modern businesses operate. Many sales teams actually have a huge amount of data about customers and clients, as well as previous interactions - but they lack a way to use this data.
Analytics tools help you to take this information from its raw form and turn it into something actionable. Whether that's understanding customer behavior, or making better decisions - these tools can offer reports on how sales processes are working and what to do in order to make your sales strategies more effective.
Tool No.7 Time tracking
It is really worth having an internal system for tracking your time. This doesn't need to be the Big Brother-style invasion of privacy that it sounds like - time tracking is more for the benefit of the individual so that you can understand how long you have been taking on a particular lead or customer.
Having this data tracked and available to you once again can help you make better decisions about how you work.
