Why sales companies should (or not) consider going fully remote
Fully remote sales teams are gaining popularity, largely thanks to the effects of the pandemic. While not every sales company will be able to fully embrace remote working, there are several key benefits to offering your sales employees the opportunity to work from home.
For any business, it’s important to consider the benefits a fully remote team can offer, so let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of a fully remote sales team.
The Pros of Fully Remote Sales Teams
1. Cost Cutting
A key advantage of a fully remote sales team is cost-cutting. In-person teams require office supplies, plenty of office space, additional insurance, and technical expenses. When a company is sales hiring, this cost-cutting factor is beneficial to consider.
While a fully remote team may require additional tech supplies like laptops and software, the overhead expenses are significantly reduced when a remote sales team arrangement is implemented.
2. Higher Productivity
Studies show that remote workers exhibit higher productivity than their in-office counterparts. This is because there are fewer in-office distractions for those working from home.
Flexible working hours also allow employees to work in their most productive hours, resulting in better productivity.
3. Technology Makes It Possible
Technology is quickly evolving to benefit remote working. Remote collaboration, video conferencing, and artificial intelligence are improving rapidly to make remote sales teams a real possibility.
Technology that goes hand in hand with remote working is easier and easier to incorporate into business operations, making it easy to set up a remote sales team.
4. Increased Work-Life Balance
Employees who work from home tend to have a better work-life balance than those in the office. They can spend more time with their family, reduce their commute, and manage their personal time more effectively.
Workers with a better work-life balance are happier and more satisfied with their jobs. This benefits the organization because they can maintain a higher employee retention rate.
5. Improved Candidate Pool
Offering remote working conditions to potential employees opens your candidate pool to top-tier sales talent. There is competition in the job market for the best sales candidates, and they likely have several options when it comes to jobs.
The company will also gain access to a wider pool of top-tier sales candidates by looking outside of your company’s city. A wider candidate pool is very helpful during sales recruiting.
The Cons of Fully Remote Sales Teams
1. Communications Issues
Effective sales teams thrive on good communication. Remote workers have to rely on instant messaging and video conferencing, which often is not as effective as talking to someone in the office.
Managers must find new ways to connect with and motivate their teams without face-to-face contact. Often, this requires a company to shift away from processes and focus on outcomes.
2. Client Perception
Depending on your business model, your ideal customer may associate your office space with credibility and authority. Closing or downsizing your office space may raise concerns about your company’s financial well-being.
It’s important to consider the impact going fully remote may have on your company’s credibility before diving into a remote model for your sales team.
3. Readjusting Costs
Despite the cost-saving benefits of having a fully remote sales team, you will likely need to expand your budget for team building, travel, and technology.
A remote sales team requires planned opportunities to team build. This could include meeting in person from time to time or on a scheduled regular basis, which is an additional cost. Depending on the technology your company uses, you may need to consider investing in new tech and software to take your operations remote.
There are pros and cons to operating fully remote sales teams. Depending on your company, the benefits can far outweigh the drawbacks. As remote and flexible working becomes more popular, shifting to a fully remote sales team can be a game-changing move for your business.