How to Conquer Remote Selling Challenges and Reach the Top of the Leaderboard
How to Conquer Remote Selling Challenges and Reach the Top of the Leaderboard
Introduction
Increasingly, sales teams are working remotely. And while this is a great option for reps who want to work when they’re most productive, it can also make it difficult to participate in the selling activities that drive performance and showcase top-performing skills. So what are the best practices for being a top performer even when you’re not in the office? In this guide, we’ll cover seven steps you can take to be more effective and efficient with your time—and win more deals.
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Adopt a sales mindset
The first step to conquering your sales challenges is to adopt a sales mindset. You can't get ahead in sales without it, and if you're struggling with your performance right now, this may be the most important step you take.
So what does it mean to have a “sales mindset?” It means defining the problem before starting on a solution. In other words: ask yourself how many leads are coming in and why they aren't converting into closed deals. This will help you identify where things are going wrong and gives you direction for improving your performance in the future.
Once you've identified some ways that could help improve your results (more leads or better conversion rates), set goals around these areas that are both ambitious but also reasonable for where you are today. For example, if one area where I know I can improve my results is generating more leads from cold traffic sources like Facebook ads or LinkedIn ads (which cost me thousands per month), then my goal will be something like "Generate 100 new customers from cold traffic over 6 months."
Leverage your subject matter expertise
There are many ways to increase your sales results, but the most effective is leveraging your subject matter expertise. If you're selling B2B products and services, this means creating a knowledge base of information on the product or service that is valuable and relevant to your customers.
What does it mean to have subject matter expertise? Think about when someone asks for advice from a friend or colleague. How does he or she respond? Typically by saying something like: "Oh I know just the person who can help! You should talk with..." That's right—people will share their knowledge if they feel knowledgeable!
Make more calls, but call smarter
The most important part of remote selling is making more calls. But you need to call smarter.
That means using insights to find the right buyers, identify sales opportunities, and maintain contact throughout the buying cycle.
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Use insights to find the right buyers
You can also use insights to find the right buyers. You should use the right data and tools, as well as technology to find them.
Proactively identify sales opportunities
A prospecting system is critical to success. It’s not enough to wait for leads to come in, especially if you want to climb the leaderboard. You need a consistent process that includes identifying and targeting prospects and following up with them on a regular basis.
For example, use a CRM system (such as Salesforce) to keep track of all interactions with customers and potential customers. You can also use it to create lead lists based on your past interactions with potential clients or customers (for example: “customers who asked about our services within the past month”). Using such lists will help you proactively identify new sales opportunities instead of spending time chasing after them after they contact you directly or through another channel like social media.
If your company uses Pipedrive as its CRM system, consider using their Pipeline Management feature which allows users like sales reps or managers access into their own pipelines from any device so they can easily manage incoming leads from any location at any time without having access issues due back home office systems only available inside office hours Monday through Friday 9am-5pm EST.;
Use value-based selling techniques that resonate with buyers
"Value-based selling" is a strategy that helps sellers present and demonstrate their value to buyers. It involves identifying the exact needs of your buyer, then offering a solution that solves those needs. In other words, it's about making sure you're providing something of true value by understanding what makes people want to buy from you and how you can help them with it.
Here are some examples of value-based selling techniques:
Maintain contact and nurture leads through the buying cycle
Keeping in touch with leads is the ultimate goal of a remote seller. After all, without contact, you won't know if your lead has changed their mind about buying from you or even if they're still interested at all. This is where nurturing comes in.
When a lead doesn't reply to your emails and social media messages for a while, it's time to get creative with how you stay in touch. Don’t just send them another generic message saying “Hey there! Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?” Instead, take advantage of any platform they may be using and share something relevant that relates back to what they were looking at when they first contacted you—or whatever else has been on their mind lately! If nothing else works, try sending them some personalized gifts (but only if it's appropriate). It's worth the effort because this kind of personalization makes all the difference between being ignored and being nurtured by potential customers who are now raving fans of yours (and willing buyers)!
Every rep can be a top performer if they based their activities on modern selling practices.
Conclusion
Today’s sales reps need to be data-driven, customer-centric and able to leverage technology to deliver a personalized buying experience. Taking these steps isn’t easy, but it is rewarding. As you take on the challenges of remote selling, remember that there are tools out there that can help ease the process.