Getting the Most Out of Your Hybrid Sales & Marketing Teams: 4 Tips for Success

Over the last few years working from home has become the norm across a variety of industries and the trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon.?A?McKinsey & Company ?survey released last summer found that 80 million Americans engage in hybrid work arrangements, but many want to work remotely for the much of the week when given the option.?

One of the challenges which may arise from a hybrid model is effectively managing a remote team.?Some claim teambuilding and productivity tops the lists of concerns, however many experienced business leaders transitioned to remote work before the COVID-19 pandemic and figured out the best strategies for how to manage a remote team.?I’ve led remote teams for many years, and I believe decisions surrounding flexibility must come from the leadership level to retain and draw in talent.?

The bottom line is that leaders must be bold and lead differently to properly manage teams working from a different locations or office configuration. Although bringing together teams in person may be necessary at times, it must be done in a meaningful way that creates a value less likely to be achieved otherwise.

As we hit the ground running in 2023, I’ve found several strategies and tips helpful for leaders to successfully manage remote sales and marketing teams:?

Set Clear Expectations

With team members located in a variety of different locations, it's essential for managers to clearly communicate goals, expectations and feedback. ?Setting clear expectations helps to ensure everyone is on the same page and ultimately working towards the same objectives.?Simply because some of your team may be remote or working from home doesn’t mean that expectations, outcomes and budgets have changed.?Make sure your team understands what they’re being asked to achieve.

It's also essential to clearly assign duties and set deadlines for important projects and make sure the goals are clearly communicated. ?Keep people accountable, updating how they’re progressing with their tasks, so there are fewer surprises.?Additionally, schedule regular check-ins with your teams to see how the tasks are coming along and how you can help things move forward for optimal productivity.

Take Advantage of Technology

When teams are all in one office, communication is certainty easier.?However, we’ve had more than two years to adjust to remote or hybrid work and embrace technology to help keep teams together. ?With teams working from different locations, you must be proactive in your communication and collaboration.?

I encourage leaders to lean into new technology to help facilitate the process.?There are numerous tools to enable video conferencing (e.g., Microsoft teams, Zoom, etc.), project management solutions (e.g., Teams, Slack, Yammer) and more which can help to bridge the distance and keep your team members connected.

I work closely with our IT team to ensure we’re up to date with solutions, ideas and that our martech stack is lined up and working together. ?Leaders are smart to invest in technology, enact training and policies and ensure workplaces can accommodate both remote and on-site workers for peak efficiency.?

Make In-Office Days Meaningful?

For leaders managing hybrid teams try to think about ways to make "in-office" days special. ?Having your team drive to the office to do the exact same things they can do from home is not a smart tactic or a good use of anyone’s time. ?Rather, think about how to schedule meetings and activities that truly benefit your marketing and sales teams. Below are a few ideas to make coming into the office more productive and engaging:

• Individual Meetings?– Use the days you are in the office or a shared workspace for meetings to schedule in-person one-on-one meetings with your team. ?Face-to-face meetings are typically much more productive, and they offer you the opportunity to have conversations after the meeting, where a lot can be accomplished.
• Brainstorming?- Schedule regular brainstorming session that is available for your team to attend and provide updates on projects, ask for help from their peers and managers, and more. ?Communication is key, so leveraging everyone for an efficient in-person meeting is ideal.
• Sales Meetings?– Think about ways to incorporate your sales reps into meetings. ?Have your team share a recent success story (or challenge), give a presentation, or lead a training to make the best use of time together.
• Socialize?– If you’re going to ask your team to come into the office or a central location for the day think about weekly or monthly activities that your team will actually be excited about.?Sales and marketing bonding is fun and can help build the strength of your overall team.?You can even ask your team for suggestions on their favorite ways to connect and socialize.?It’s been challenging few years, so think about how you can best celebrate your team and have fun in the process.?

Show Your Humanity

Last but not least, remember to infuse your leadership style with humanity.?Provide ongoing coaching to your team and support them whenever and however you can.?Show empathy for the challenges that your team is facing and check in regularly to see how each individual is faring.?When your team knows that you have “their back,” they will be much more likely to give 100%.?Remember, when you build genuine connections with your people, everybody wins.

Overall, the rise of hybrid teams has led to a shift in leadership styles, with sales managers focusing on clear expectations, leveraging technology, and making office days more productive.?Effective leaders know that they must invest in technology, roll out policies, and training for employees to create workplaces that integrate people working remotely and on-site. ?This must come from the leadership level and over time, employers can define the right metrics and track progress to ensure a hybrid model is working.?

The future of work is continually evolving, but with the right approach to hybrid and remote work employees can be happier and work more efficiently.?This is not only good for business; it’s good for building a positive workplace environment and a stronger culture.?And who couldn’t benefit from that?