Whether your sales team typically works remote or they started working from home due to the pandemic, communicating with a remote team brings certain challenges. You might face difficulties trying to schedule meetings or you might find it tricky to get everyone on the same page. Fortunately, communicating with a remote team doesn’t have to be so cumbersome.

According to Claire Lew, CEO of Know Your Team, it helps to put some best practices in place to create a more coherent work environment. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share Lew’s five communication best practices for remote teams.

1. Make asynchronous writing your default. This means you and your team do not rely on real-time communication. Instead of chatting with someone on Slack or holding a Google Hangout to discuss project details, Lew recommends managers switch to asynchronous writing by sending details and messages via email and giving the team 24 hours to digest contents. According to Lew, the advantages are many, including increased transparency and thinking time.

2. Make sure the message aligns with the channel. Once you move to more asynchronous writing, it’s important to consider the channel. Not every topic is well-suited for email, chat or video call. Lew uses a method she calls “matching the message to the channel,” which means all messages are delineated to specific channels based on their importance or urgency.

3. Promote quiet time. People need quiet, uninterrupted time to get work done. This is why silence is golden on a remote team, says Lew. To promote quiet as a communication best practice, Lew recommends leaders ask their team members and themselves, “Can it wait a few minutes, a few hours, even a few days? Don’t take someone from their work unnecessarily.” When your sales reps are working remotely, everyone should be conscious of how their communication can pull others’ attention in distinctly different directions.

4. Create a “How We Communicate” document. According to Lew, this document can answer questions such as “What are the working hours for each team member?” and “What are the overlapping working hours for staff members in different time zones?” Managers can use this cornerstone document to align their staff members and help onboard new reps. Keep it uncomplicated and don’t penalize sales reps if they make a mistake by not following it exactly. Lew adds that like any good process, its value comes from how well it helps your team.

5. Emphasize empathy. Empathy is even more important in a remote environment since you can’t see in-person cues. To overcome this obstacle, Lew recommends using video calls to give you the next best thing to being in the same room. She also advises that everyone extends more grace when giving and receiving communication. If someone’s message to you appears curt, assume positive intent behind it. The other person may have other issues weighing on their mind.

Communication is key, no matter where your team members work. By implementing the best practices above, you will begin to cultivate a remote team that works cohesively.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Claire Lew is CEO of Know Your Team. She speaks internationally on how people can communicate more openly and honestly in the workplace, so they can build happier, more productive companies.