Category: Remote Working

The ongoing pandemic situation has nudged businesses to switch to remote working. Businesses started allowing employees to work from home on some days of the week. A few even ditched the office and turned entirely remote. This might mean that people and businesses doing remote work will continue to grow in the coming years, maybe even after the pandemic ends.

As remote work continues to change the way people tackle tasks, it also introduced a bunch of new apps and systems. Now we’re running our daily tasks on new apps, tools, and software to help keep productivity and collaboration present in our home offices.

If you’re one of the businesses or teams who still struggle to work remotely, we’ve listed these most effective remote working tools for you!

1. HubSpot

HubSpot is a CRM solution that is built for every marketing and salesperson out there, putting customers at the core of every operation. HubSpot is your go-to tool for sales, customer service, operations, and content management. It’s been helping businesses recalibrate inbound efforts to provide a better experience for their customers.

Remote workers find HubSpot’s operations and built-in processes extra helpful. It makes collaborations between departments easier and faster, even with lesser human intervention. It aligns processes and solves inefficiencies in the systems to make every customer’s purchase journey seamless.

What’s more, HubSpot is also open to more collaborations with other tools. It syncs and connects with different tools that can help organizations and businesses become more attuned to their goals.

2. Trello

Organizing tasks and making team collaborations fun and easy from wherever your teammates are is Trello’s outstanding tool for remote workers. It utilizes advanced features to automate workflows, organize tasks and set up daily work projects while also giving opportunities to integrate with other tools.

 

 

 

Productivity is Trello’s core. With its no-code automation tool Butler, remote working will be such a breeze. Butler lets teams and individuals automate repetitive administrative tasks that disrupt workflows to let them focus on things that matter.

Simple, intuitive, and accessible from anywhere, Trello is all about keeping things organized and making collaborations transparent for remote workers. It’s a remote productivity tool definitely worth considering.

3. Hubstaff

Businesses testing the waters for remote work has one thing that keeps them hesitant at first – monitoring their employees. However, Hubstaff has found a solution to this and has made tracking, monitoring, and even payroll operations work seamlessly for virtual teams.

Remote working may still raise eyebrows of traditional work systems, but Hubstaff is making every effort to solve this. Aside from tracking time, it maximizes its tool to track screen activities, and pages visited with a daily time report after shift. This assures businesses that remote work can still be manageable outside the office.

Hubstaff also benefits workers by giving them an easy to keep track of everything while they work. It’s as simple as running a timer as they work, and let it do all the tracking for you. It keeps everything transparent between workers and businesses, not to mention faster payroll processes with integrations to top payment apps.

4. Slack

Not ready to let go of those quick office chit-chats just yet? Slack is the tool for you. It’s a collaborative remote app for communicating easily with teams, individuals, and other members of the organization. It’s fun, friendly, and functionally apt to keep the ideas and teamwork flowing.

The best thing about Slack is that it integrates with other remote work tools, apps, and to move projects forward. Its urgency creates a functional work system where you can manage time on tasks, notify people before meetings, or quickly ask someone about things you need. 

Slack mimics a physical workspace where you can formally and informally exchange ideas, have quick chats or organize projects collaboratively to expedite tasks and form bonds even when working remotely.

5. Aloware

Move your sales team or your customer success organisation structure to a contact center software that gears them with turnkey solutions to carry on with their goals and daily quotas. Aloware provides the best tools unimaginable for every sales team out there, big or small. 

You can benefit a lot from Aloware’s hardware-free and cloud-native app that you can access on your desktop, laptop, or just any mobile device. It’s got everything your sales team needs to kick-start their tasks in minutes. Even better, Aloware provided advanced tools and features like Power Dialing, automation systems, SMS+MMS broadcasts, omnichannel solutions and so much more.

6. Zoom

Zoom has taken the world by storm and has been saving every business meeting since the start of the pandemic. Almost everyone has relied on this remote tool for video conferencing, school meetings, webinars, or even virtual get-togethers. For virtual workers, it’s definitely one of the best remote tools out there.

Zoom makes it easy for remote workers to discuss tasks and projects visually. It’s more than a video conferencing tool, as you can share your screen for the whole group to see. Quick chats are also provided for taking notes or for quickly asking questions without interrupting the presenter. The best thing? You can use its important features absolutely for free!

There may be other video conferencing tools out there, but there’s nothing like Zoom. It allows up to 500 users on a call, perfect for webinars, and grand meet-ups. It’s highly intuitive and doesn’t require sign-ups for a new member to use it.

7. Creately

Creately is a visual workspace for brainstorming, planning, executing, and analyzing around projects. You’ll be delighted with its infinite canvas, powerful diagramming, and drawing capabilities, along with real-time collaboration. It enables teams to centralize documents, resources, tasks, and communication, creating a single source for effective decision-making and increased productivity. 

Apart from these, Creately features synchronous and asynchronous collaboration through in-app video conferencing, live mouse tracking and synced change previews, and comment discussion threads. Working with over 70 diagram types you can use from marketing, business, education to HR. To date, it’s servicing 5 million users, including Netflix, Amazon, NASA, Disney, and PayPal.

8. Drag

Email collaborations feeling like a drag? Try Drag – a Chrome extension that turns Gmail into a collaborative workspace. It helps companies manage their workflows right where most projects and demands start and finish: their inboxes.

 

Collaborate with your team inside Gmail with a bunch of handy features like shared inboxes, task management functionalities (like due dates, kanban, notes, assignments), shared templates, email sequences, and even internal chats inside each email/task.

You also have an option to personalize your experience in Drag. Start using automation options, shared boards like Trello, color-coding, and shared labels. 

9. Salesflare

Collaboration is key for every remote sales team. CRMs can help you share all the information you need with each member of the team. However, not all CRMs are friendly for that stuff, which can make working together really hard.

That’s where Salesflare comes in: it’s a CRM that takes the manual tasks of logging data from your plate. It pulls all data together automatically and gives your team all they need to follow up leads effectively and as a team.

10. ProofHub

For productivity work, you can trust ProofHub’s expertise. ProofHub combines several business productivity apps into a single management suite that you can access on the web and mobile. It’s a one-stop-shop that centralizes all the critical tools in one place. 

ProofHub currently offers 8 productivity modules that cater to project communication, collaboration, task management, timekeeping, and digital proofing aspects. It manages tasks and assignments, proof files and feedback, it records billable work hours, and provides communication tools for users.

Winning the productivity game is important nowadays when uncertainty is making the world pause its growth. Remote tools for productivity give opportunities to every business to keep team members connected and efficient. 

Bring back productivity even outside the workplace with remote work tools that are proven effective. To know more about Aloware’s productivity tools for sales, you can always book a demo with us.

The COVID-19 pandemic led many businesses to entirely remote models of operation. As things begin to open up, some workers are eager to return to the office, and others prefer to stay remote. How can you manage these conflicting preferences? You can do that with a hybrid work strategy.

A great hybrid work strategy can help you stay ahead of the curve while still letting your sales representatives work in their preferred environment. Here’s what you need to know about this type of strategy and how it can prepare your business for growth in the new, post-pandemic market.

What is a hybrid work strategy?

A hybrid work strategy allows companies to combine in-office and remote work. Some sales teams will work in the office, others will work from home. This level of flexibility can actually work for most inside sales teams. Studies have shown that happy employees are more productive, make more calls, and close more sales. By implementing a hybrid work strategy, you can increase your employees’ happiness and, therefore, their productivity.

Managing this work strategy does require some extra effort. When people aren’t working in the same place, it takes dedication to communication and technology to keep things running. Your company should think about how teams would be able to work together remotely and how success will be measured.

Benefits of implementing a hybrid work strategy

Hybrid work strategies are fast becoming a necessity for many different industries. That’s never been more true than today, with many businesses preparing to operate across remote and in-person offices. These five significant benefits of hybrid work strategies can help your company thrive in the post-COVID-19 world.

1. Increased competitiveness

The most fundamental benefit of hybrid work strategies is that they make your company more competitive. By adopting the latest digital technologies and collaboration tools, you can make your team more likely to succeed in the new hybrid working world.

A company that’s adopted a hybrid work model is already ahead of the curve. The technology involved in hybrid models (such as communication technology and machine learning) will continue to improve exponentially and having it already implemented will give your business an edge.

2. Faster communication

Hybrid work strategies are all about communication. The tactics and tools you use to improve communication among your team won’t just make mixed work possible. They’ll also speed up your company’s communication across the board. Your in-office staff and customers will benefit from the improved speed just as much as your remote team members.

3. Better agility

When your company is already prepared for both remote and in-office activity, it becomes more agile. It’s equally easy to bring prospects to you or to connect sales staff with hot leads.

Colleen Stanley, president of Sales Leadership, a firm specializing in emotional intelligence, sales and leadership training, points out that the future of selling lies in a hybrid model. She points out, “It might simply be how your customer likes to buy. I’ve heard from a lot of customers; they don’t mind Zoom calls. Maybe you don’t have to get on a plane for every appointment. You can get a lot accomplished. Remote selling is simply a new skill and it’s one that’s very learnable if you’re coachable.”

This flexibility allows your business to adjust to world conditions in the blink of an eye. No matter what the future brings, hybrid work strategies are the most adaptable.

4. More efficient employees

Some of your employees will simply work better at home when they don’t have to worry about commuting. Others work best in an office, surrounded by other people. By letting each worker choose where they work best, you can ensure that they’re all performing as efficiently as possible.

Studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic show that the hybrid model does offer distinct advantages. By offering flexibility and empowering employees to work to their strengths, hybrid models can boost productivity.

Hybrid sales strategy pull quote

5. Greater customer satisfaction

Hybrid models allow your staff to have quicker response times and they give your sales team the tools to adapt to changing world conditions. That’s a potent combination, and it leads to the most crucial benefit of all: hybrid sales strategies improve customer satisfaction.

These strategies let you solve customer problems more quickly and directly enhances their sales experience. In the sales world, customer satisfaction is everything, so hybrid work strategies are an obvious choice.

How to design a hybrid work strategy

No two companies will need the same things from their hybrid work strategy. If you’re planning on adopting a hybrid approach, you’ll need to design one that works for your business. By taking into account a few basic considerations, you can build a hybrid work strategy that meets your specific needs.

1. Improve internal communication

If you haven’t already taken steps to make your business’s internal communications more effective, now is the time. Improving internal communication is essential to coordinating teams across offices and remote locations. Choose a cloud-based platform that will make it easy for remote teams to stay in touch and manage their responsibilities from anywhere.

2. Examine sales processes

Part of creating a hybrid work strategy is examining your current sales processes to see which works. You may find that some of your methods won’t work efficiently across different locations. For example, if your sales strategy currently relies on in-person meetings to exchange information, you should look for ways to update the process for hybrid work. This has the added benefit of allowing you to improve procedures that aren’t serving the business.

3. Implement automation

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, getting a hold of customers has mostly shifted to the virtual method. Based on a survey done by management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, hybrid sales representatives will soon become the most common sales role. They are expected to interact more with customers via video, phone, and apps as well as occasional in-person visits. The survey, which was released in March 2021, also said that 64% of B2B organizations intended to increase the number of hybrid sales representatives over the next six months.

Hybrid sales representatives B2B

One way of improving the sales processes of hybrid sales representatives is by implementing automation. There are plenty of sales process elements that can be handled by the right software instead of manually by your sales team. For instance, implementing Aloware’s power dialer and workflow automation features can save your team the effort of performing manual tasks themselves. They will also save time and effort by automating lead follow-ups.

4. Adopt the right tools

Beyond your general sales processes, using the right tools will make your hybrid work strategy that much more effective. For instance, Aloware’s cloud-powered contact center software allows your team to make calls and foster customer relationships from a single platform. It lets your team work efficiently both at home and in-office, so you’ll be prepared for anything the post-COVID-19 world presents.

Begin the hybrid strategy switch today 

The pandemic has fundamentally changed how businesses and customers approach sales. It’s time to evaluate hybrid work for your team. In adapting to the changing market, you’ll need the right tools. Schedule your demo of Aloware’s robust, cloud-based contact center solution, and discover how it can support modern-day selling just the way you need it to be.

Talking on the phone for hours in your jammies must be the new normal for most salespeople today. While remote working is saving you from the commute, the annoying office elevators, and trying to look your best (at least from the waist down), it also puts you on different kinds of daily struggles.

Productivity barriers, communication problems, distractions, and so much more can now have the power to stop you from meeting your sales quotas. Simply getting in the zone to reach your daily goals can be ten times more difficult when you’re not in the office. However, it is not impossible if you know how to deal with it like a real salesperson.

 

How to keep crushing quotas from home (or anywhere, really)

1 – Separate yourself and eat that frog

Stop assuming that your bedside desk is enough. If you have the luxury of space in your home, work on a little office nook or room where you can separate yourself from anyone in the house and away from your bed. Remote work distractions can happen anytime – your dog barks, you see your soft and cushy bed, a fridge full of snacks, or your kids running around the house.

 

 

It may also work to set your daily schedule like how you would in your office. Use the ‘eat the frog’ method – tackle the most important tasks first, down to the least. This will help you finish your priority items early, so you won’t have to deal with them at the last minute, or before your kids start waking up and playing around.

 

2 – Plan based on metrics

Planning your day with a specific goal is ideal, however, you should first see how realistic they are. Start by checking your metrics to see where you’ve left off, which leads you should be contacting first, and what are the tasks that need more attention.

 

 

Setting goals just by simply setting one can be frustrating once you’ve failed to accomplish them. It’s better if you’re working with a tool that can show you a daily summary of metrics and trends, so you’ll know how to plan your goals for the day. Invest in a tool that provides real-time analytics of customer data, a dashboard of your sales progress, or if you’re managing teams, a review of your team’s daily metrics.

 

3 – Invest in remote-friendly tools

Plenty of productivity tools have made remote working possible. For sales, investing on a cloud contact center software should be a top priority. Opt for one that lets you handle calls, texts, and all client communications in one place.

 

 

Look for a tool that’s easy to set up, use, and is conducive whether you’re at home or office. These days, you can never be too certain, that’s why choosing a phone system that you can bring with you anywhere you go is ideal. This way, you can also talk to customers on any device or any place you’d find fitting for productivity.

 

4 – Power dial your leads

Power dialing takes a whole different approach to sales productivity. For small and big teams struggling with quotas especially while working from home, you should give power dialing a go.

 

Some power dialers even offer smart call solutions for sales teams. They’re so advanced that they can skip bad numbers and voicemails for you, letting you focus on high-quality calls and engaged leads. The great thing about having them is that you can also integrate it with your CRM, so all your leads can be promptly followed up.

 

5 – Automate your workflows

If you’re still thinking that using automation in your contact center may not be a good idea, it’s time we get you acquainted. Automating your contact center is never just about programming a bot to speak with your leads. It’s getting repetitive tasks done without or with lesser human intervention.

 

 

Suppose you have to talk to 500 leads in one day. By using automation, you can make sure that all these leads are getting the best attention while you set up to talk to them at your own pace. You can let automation handle follow-ups for you while you talk to high-value customers. With a contact center solution powered by automation, you can organize lead lists and set up automated calls, texts, or follow-up sequences, and get everything moving along with you.

 

6 – Manage teams efficiently

If you’re managing a sales team, not being able to see them face-to-face while they work on their quotas can be a little unnerving. However, you might also come off as a little annoying if you start asking them what they’re doing from time to time. To ace managing teams remotely, you should know how to balance.

 

 

Another way that can help is to start switching your operations to a more transparent setup for you and your team. Find a cloud contact center solution that manages your agents’ activities, and lets you see analytics and data updated in real-time. Most contact center solutions offer team management features like call whispers, call coaching and advanced routing. 

 

7 – Take breaks

Simply because you are human, you should take a break once in a while. However, your little breaks must still be controlled. Veer away from things that can take your attention fully. For example, you can opt for a quick run around the neighborhood rather than switching to a full couch-potato mode in front of your TV.

 

 

 

When longer breaks are necessary, like running an important errand, mobile-ready solutions come in handy.  This is possible if your whole team is working in a contact center software that runs in the cloud. It keeps you connected while away from your computer in case there is anything that needs immediate attention.

 

9 – Stop overworking

Working from home is never an excuse to clock in more working hours just because you feel that you have more time in your hands. Discipline yourself to only work on the hours you are expected to. As much as it is stressful, this is also an unhealthy habit that you have to let go of.

 

 

If you’re the one running a team, make sure that your sales representatives are getting time off after office hours. Keep in touch with team members and observe signs of burnout, so you can work on a different approach of handling tasks and setting quotas. 

 

Work from anywhere with Aloware

Being a salesperson during these uncertain times is tough. It is important to keep stress at bay while making sure you’re still killing it with your daily goals as you work from home. To help you boost productivity and power up your sales team to keep crushing quotas, you can get started with Aloware. 

Armed with smart and advanced tools for sales productivity, Aloware makes it easier to engage with customers and win deals from home or just about anywhere! Talk to us and let’s help you set up a more efficient contact center.