Now more than ever, working remotely and hosting virtual meetings might make all the difference to your company’s future. Said another way – it’s the new normal. As a sales leader, how do you manage your remote selling teams? What are the best remote selling tools? This article will help you discover the best tools—a curated selection of top-rated solutions—to enhance your remote sales team’s productivity and performance.
I’ll answer those questions and more in this article.
But first, let me tell you about my experience with remote teams.
Vengreso has always been a remote company with a virtual sales team. We have employees all around the world (Europe, Asia, North and South America). So we know what works.
Not only that, but as a digital selling training and SaaS company, 90% of our training is online. We combine on demand virtual sales training with live virtual training and our AI sales coaching to make sure that our clients get the most out of – and retain what they learn – in their training sessions. This method is known as Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT).
Watch the video below or continue reading to learn about my tips for managing remote sales teams and leveraging video conferencing tools.
Managing Remote Sales Teams
There are many things you can do to manage a remote sales team effectively, but the pillar of it all in a virtual office is communication — group chats, email, phone, text, video, whatever is required, utilizing digital channels to connect and collaborate.
You must stay in touch because you don’t have the option of hanging out by the water cooler or going out to lunch together.
At Vengreso, we use video calls constantly, so we can see each other’s faces, body language and hand gestures. This is how we communicate every day. Yes, we have voice calls, send emails, and text each other, but they just don’t have the same impact. Personal calls are also valuable for maintaining team engagement and fostering stronger relationships.
Additionally, we have a virtual watercolor via Zoom, for all Vengresonians, on the second Friday of each month. It’s a time to bond and talk about stuff that’s not work-related. It is said that water cooler talk in the break rooms are known as “gossip hubs,” but it’s also the birthplace of fresh, new ideas that have made companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. Managing both field sales and remote sales teams requires integrating in-person and virtual strategies to keep everyone connected and aligned.
Other general recommendations for managing a remote sales team include:
- Establish clear goals and expectations for each remote seller and follow up on progress regularly.
- Schedule virtual coaching sessions.
- Coach your team regularly to provide personalized feedback and skill development.
- Stand up meetups, where sales reps and others from the company can stay connected as a team.
- Build trust and reward top performers as they meet and exceed KPIs.
- Invest in tools and solutions to help sellers do their job virtually, using a comprehensive platform to centralize communication and collaboration.
Now let’s look more closely at those selling tools.
Communication is the pillar of managing a #remote sales team. Learn how to stay up to date with your remote #sales team and what communication #tools to use from @LinkedInExpert. Share on XEssential Remote Selling Tools
For sales leaders who are managing a remote team for the first time, it can be a challenging experience. Luckily, we’ve been doing it here at Vengreso for eight years. During that time, we found the tools that are essential for remote teams to succeed, and reliable technology is crucial for supporting remote sales activities. Popular tools like Teamwork, Basecamp and Slack are widely used for remote team and project management.
While these tools enable better internal communication, some of them offer even more value for sales teams in their daily selling activities, speeding up their workday with writing assistants, and especially as they leverage social selling techniques. For example, one such tool enables sellers to display a professional background on video calls (even if they’re sitting at the kitchen table with a pile of dirty dishes behind them). A centralized platform (our favorite is Teamwork) can also streamline project management, communication, and sales engagement for remote teams.
The Best Remote Selling Tool
One of my favorite sales prospecting tools is FlyMSG, a free AI Assistant or Swiss army knife. It has many assistants built in to help users in all facets of writing, pitching, sales training and customer engagement. Here are a few AI assistants that FlyMSG to help sellers:
- The AI grammar checker
- The AI paragraph rewriter
- LinkedIn AI auto comment generator
- LinkedIn AI post generator
- AI sales roleplay and coaching software
- An auto text expander that allows sellers to spend less time drafting and organizing their sales messages with a library of pre-saved, industry-standard sales messaging templates (FlyPlates).
FlyMSG is valuable for both remote sales teams and individual reps looking to improve their outreach efficiency.
Check out this video to see how it works:
Communication Tools
Besides email, you should have instant communication tools that keep conversations flowing in real-time, such as:
- Google Hangouts
- Slack
These tools support online meetings and video meetings, and make it easy to schedule meetings with prospects and clients.
Productivity Tools
Many sales reps have worked remotely for years (at least part-time), whether it was from conferences, hotel rooms, lobbies, or even their kids’ soccer games. To stay in communication with leadership, clients, and prospects, they use manyproductivity tools, whether from the road or in the office.
Productivity tools help sales reps save time and spend time more efficiently on high-value activities, such as prospecting and client engagement. Allocating time for regular practice using these tools is essential for improving remote selling skills and building confidence.
Now, these sales tools are essential as everyone works from home. Some of these tools include:
- Social Selling Tools
- Sales Enablement Tools
- AI Sales Tools
- Project management apps
- Sales prospecting tools
- Browser Automation Tools
- Free Content Writing Tools
This is definitely an incomplete list, as there are many other tools available.
Video Conferencing Tools for Sales Teams
When working remotely, video is essential. To properly communicate and understand each other, we need to see nonverbal cues, such as hand gestures and facial expressions. In fact, according to research, roughly 60% of communication is facial and 40% is vocal.
Video meetings enable more personalized and interactive sales conversations, helping sales teams keep buyers engaged throughout the process.
Plus, video allows you to build a connection with someone else (whether a direct report or a prospect) faster than a voice call. That’s why our standard at Vengreso is video calls, whether internal or external.
There are many video conferencing platforms out there. Currently, Zoom is the most popular and the market leader, both for its ease of use and its speed (latency stays under 150 milliseconds so conversations feel natural). A comprehensive platform can support all aspects of remote sales, from meetings and training to contract signing and collaboration.
Zoom has other great features, like a green screen background option to “change” your location, a ‘touch-up my appearance’ feature to subtly smooth and filter fine lines and dark circles, and the ability to switch from mobile to desktop or any other device during a meeting without skipping a beat. Zoom also allows a seller to share content whether it’s on their desktop or their mobile device, and file sharing is a convenient way to distribute documents during meetings. Sharing engaging visuals and interactive content during video meetings helps keep buyers engaged. Reliable technology is essential for seamless video meetings. This is very useful during sales conversations.
For those reasons, I consider Zoom one of the best remote selling tools out there.
Video calls offer many benefits for sales teams, including the ability to close deals and finalize agreements remotely. Digital tools and video meetings facilitate the successful closing of a deal in a remote environment.
Before you turn on Zoom, though, make sure you have the right equipment to stream video. Here’s the tech I use in my home studio for my communication with coworkers and clients. The whole setup will cost you less than $500!
Teach your sellers how to use the #virtual background option in @zoom_us to “change” your location and look more professional when #WorkingFromHome @LinkedInExpert #DigitalSelling Share on XCamera
Some computers come with a built-in camera. And as with anything, some are better than others. Don’t let your sellers rely on their computer’s built-in camera. Instead, we recommend they buy an external camera for consistently better results.
I use a Logitech Camera, which is a full HD webcam great for streaming and video recording, but there are many other options available. I recommend you choose one that has full HD and is great for streaming and recording. So, if that one is out of stock, look for others that meet those requirements.
Microphone
Just like with cameras, there are many choices when it comes to microphones, ranging from very cheap to expensive, pro-level mics. Your sellers do not need the most expensive microphone, but they do need to ensure that it is quality and that it works reliably.
My choice for video conferencing is the Audio-Technica Mic. It’s a handheld microphone that I place on a stand by my computer for easy access.
Additionally, I sometimes use the Logitech Headset for bad hair days! And as many sellers are dealing with kids, spouses, and pets in the background, having a headset will reduce the background noise that would otherwise get picked up.
Green Screen
Sometimes your home office doesn’t provide the most professional background for your business meetings. That’s where green screens come in. You can use them to change the background for any image you’d like: from a fancy office to a tropical beach.
You can get either a pop up green screen or a clever mobile green screen, which can be attached to any office chair.
Why use a green screen? Because:
- It’s visually appealing (better than a white wall or a messy office).
- You eliminate the home office distractions (kids, spouses, and pets).
- You can add logos or key messages to the background to engage with your clients.
- Sellers can upload any images, including a prospect’s logo or website, to illustrate their focus on delivering a solution to that buyer.
Work with marketing to develop some custom background images that align with your brand and messaging. In the meantime, Zoom offers a variety of standard backgrounds your sellers can use. They even have options that don’t require a green screen.
Lighting
One of the biggest challenges of video calls is getting your lighting just right. Often, people look like silhouettes because of open windows or other lights behind them. Or they have weird shadows because their dining room table wasn’t designed to hold virtual sales calls.
To address these issues, I recommend your sellers getting a dimmable LED ring light to properly light themselves during video calls. This is essential for sales calls to maintain their professional appearance.
Lead Generation and Management
Lead generation is at the heart of every successful remote sales strategy. For remote sales teams, finding and managing new prospects requires a smart mix of digital tools and platforms that streamline the sales process and help sales reps focus on what matters most—building relationships and closing deals.
Today’s top-performing sales teams use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Crunchbase, and Owler to identify high-potential leads and research accounts in real time. These platforms empower remote sales reps to discover new prospects, gather valuable insights, and personalize their outreach for maximum impact.
To further boost productivity, lead generation platforms such as LeadBI and GetProspect automate the process of capturing and qualifying leads. By leveraging these digital tools, sales teams can ensure that only the most promising leads enter the pipeline, allowing reps to spend more time nurturing relationships and moving deals forward.
With the right tools in place, remote sales teams can efficiently manage leads, track progress, and keep customers engaged throughout the sales journey—no matter where they’re working from.
Measuring Success and Performance
For remote sales teams, measuring success and performance is essential to drive continuous improvement and achieve sales goals. By tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as sales revenue, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction, sales leaders can gain a clear picture of what’s working and where there’s room for growth.
Digital tools like Calendly make it easy to schedule sales meetings and keep the sales process moving smoothly, while HelloSign streamlines contract signing and document management. These tools not only save time but also provide valuable data that can be used to analyze sales performance and identify trends.
Regular feedback and coaching sessions are also crucial for remote digital sales teams. By reviewing data and offering targeted coaching, sales managers can help their teams refine their skills, overcome challenges, and consistently improve results. With the right mix of tools, data, and support, remote sales teams can stay focused, hit their targets, and drive revenue growth—no matter where they’re located.
Remote Sales and Customer Relationships
Building strong customer relationships is more important than ever in remote sales. Without the benefit of in-person meetings, remote sales teams must rely on digital tools and virtual sales strategies to connect with customers and earn their trust.
Video conferencing platforms like Zoom and GoogleChat enable sales reps to host engaging virtual sales meetings, deliver personalized presentations, and maintain face-to-face connections with customers. These tools help remote sales teams create a more human experience, even when working from a distance.
Active listening and empathy are essential skills for remote sales reps, allowing them to truly understand customer needs and tailor their solutions accordingly. To make sales conversations even more impactful, digital selling tools like Canva and Prezi can be used to design visually compelling sales content and presentations that capture attention and drive engagement.
By combining the right tools with the right sales enablement and strong communication skills, remote sales teams can build lasting relationships, keep customers engaged, and create memorable virtual sales experiences. That is the formula for a sales enablement framework.
3 Benefits of Working Remotely
According to a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. hiring managers, 73% of all teams will have remote employees by 2028.
Remote work is not the future, but the present. Thirty percent of workers leave their job because it doesn’t offer flexible work options. Another study showed that 80% said they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options.
Old-school thinking prevents some companies from working with remote teams. Now, we don’t have an option. Luckily, there are plenty of benefits to remote work for both you as a leader and for the individual seller. Reducing the need for office space can lead to significant cost savings and improved operational efficiency for businesses.
1. Improved Health
Health is on everyone’s mind right now. But even before the coronavirus, remote employees experienced improved health.
- Crowded offices can be conducive to the spread of infectious diseases.
- Office politics and peer pressure can have negative effects on mental health.
In fact, remote employees reported up to 25% less stress when working from home and they exercise more often than office workers.
2. Better Performance
Various experiments show that remote workers are more productive than office workers. For instance, one Chinese company divided its workers in two groups, one working at HQ and the other at home. The remote workers had a productivity boost equivalent to a full day’s work, they took shorter breaks, had fewer sick days, and took less time off.
As a sales leader, you know that sellers have worked remotely at least part-time and are, in essence, CEOs of their own company. They are responsible for generating revenue and should be able to work from anywhere. Hence, you want to provide them with access to the tools they need to succeed. This is a critical sales enablement function.
3. Increased Sales Productivity
Remote teams are an average of 35-40% more productive than on-site teams. Here are more numbers:
- Remote employees work 1.4 more days every month than those in an office.
- Remote workers waste less time than office workers in distractions (27 minutes per day vs 37 minutes per day).
- Remote workers report being less distracted by their bosses than office workers.
Remote work allows sellers to spend more time with family, not only because they’re at home, but because there’s no commuting time. In fact, according to one survey, roughly 25% of respondents said they had left a job for another because of a long commute. At Vengreso, we have employees who were previously commuting two hours each way to work. By working remotely, they’re saving four hours a day!
And besides, when your sellers start using the remote selling tools listed above, they will save even more time.
To us at Vengreso, the math is easy: Better Health + Better Performance = Increased Productivity.
There are benefits to #RemoteWork. The math is easy: Better Health + Better Performance = Increased Productivity. Learn how to manage your remote #sales team via @LinkedInExpert Share on XTrain Your Remote Sales Team to Sell More
The buying process has changed even more in the current environment. The modern buyer seeks information digitally about how to solve their business challenges. To adapt and meet the demands of the modern buyer, sellers must leverage digital platforms to find, engage, and connect with buyers. This is even more important now as we all face unexpected, challenging circumstances. Remote sales training is essential for equipping sellers to succeed in a digital environment by providing structured, interactive learning tailored for virtual selling.
Sales leaders should provide their sellers with the tools they need to maintain their productivity and performance while working remotely now and in the future. By implementing a modern selling approach, your sales organization shares content, builds relationships, and nurtures prospects through digital platforms. Onboarding and supporting new remote sales reps through virtual training and coaching ensures effective integration and ongoing development within the sales team.
Discover how our FlyMSG enterprise sales prospecting training leverages the neuroscience benefits of virtual instructor-led training to equip your sellers to create more sales conversations with qualified prospects. This program incorporates role-playing and practice sessions to help sales reps improve their skills in handling objections, while emphasizing the value of consistent practice for building confidence and improving remote selling techniques.
The Future of Remote Sales
The future of remote sales is bright, with new technologies and innovative tools transforming the way sales teams connect with customers and drive results. As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) become more integrated into the sales process, remote sales reps can automate routine tasks, analyze data more effectively, and focus on high-value activities like relationship building and strategic selling.
Emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality are also opening up new possibilities for remote sales teams, enabling immersive product demonstrations and interactive customer experiences that go far beyond traditional video calls.
To stay competitive in this rapidly evolving landscape, sales teams must invest in the right tools, ongoing training, and forward-thinking strategies. By embracing new technologies and continuously developing their skills, remote sales teams can boost productivity, deepen customer relationships, and drive revenue growth for their business—no matter where the future takes them.
