Working From Home? Top Telecommuting Tips for Salespeople

Working remotely as a salesperson has pros and cons – just as working in an office as a salesperson has pros and cons. A study by HighFive says the average remote worker is:

  • 49 years old
  • college-educated
  • $58K average salary
  • works at a company with more than 100 employees
  • 13.9% are in sales

Employees want to telecommute for a variety of personal and professional reasons. According to SitePen, the top 8 reasons employees want to telecommute are:

1. Fewer Distractions, Easier to Focus

1. Save Money

2. Save Time

3. Less Stress

2. More Presence in Family and Social Life

3. No Pants (or Makeup) Required

4. Location Independence

5. The Ability to Take Real Vacations

Companies are increasingly receptive to telecommuting. Cake HR reports that the top reasons businesses like remote employees are:

#1 Reduced Overhead Costs

#2 Lower Turnover Rate

#3 Higher Productivity and Morale

Working remotely is not for everyone. The key to salespeople successfully working from home is their ability to turn potential cons into pros. Here are my top telecommuting tips for salespeople.

Top 7 Telecommuting Tips for Salespeople

1. High-Speed Internet 
Different internet providers provide different residential high-speed internet options. 2000mbps is great, but many only offer 940-1000mbps. Some options to optimize your home internet speed are:

• Move your computer closer to your router to get optimal speeds.
• Change your router’s wifi channel.
• Plug your computer directly into your router.
• Buy a new router.
• Buy a wifi booster to increase your internet speed.

2. Private Office Space 
When you work from home, interruptions are expected. Family members, neighbors, deliveries, yard services, ambulance sirens can all be distracting to you – and to whoever you’re speaking on the phone with. If you can’t have a home office with a door:

• Use headphones to block out background noise on calls and limit your distractions.
• Disconnect a doorbell or put a Do Not Disturb sign on it.

3. Schedule Regular Meetings with Your Sales Manager 
Staying in touch with your manager is critical for remote salespeople. Whether in person or virtual, schedule a weekly or monthly meeting with your sales manager to stay current on company updates and get important feedback on your performance and goals.

4. Structure Your Day 
One of the greatest benefits of telecommuting is flexibility and work/life balance. That doesn’t mean having no structure to your day. Create a work schedule that works for you – and stick to it. That doesn’t mean you can’t change your schedule. But when you change your schedule, stick to it – until the next time you need to change it.

5. Don’t Become A House Hermit
Working from home doesn’t mean never leaving your house. Work for a few hours at a coffee house, take a walk at lunchtime, schedule a daytime exercise class – just get out of the house and engage with other people. Human interaction is important for motivation, stimulation and productivity.

6. Stay Off Social 
If you are someone who gets sucked into the social media abyss, then simply stay off your personal social media sites while you’re working. Most salespeople need social media as an important research and marketing tool. That’s not the same as scrolling your feed or shopping on the internet.

7. Use Technology
There are many ways to stay connected to your office and clients and increase your productivity that rely on productivity. Instant messaging and videoconferencing tools. The many apps and tools that exist today are what makes it possible for salespeople to work remotely.

Here Are My Top Telecommuting Tools and Resources for Salespeople

A Profile of the Remote Worker by HighFive (Infographic)

RemoteWork_Infographic

 

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