How to Work Effectively and Run Your Brand Remotely
Whether you’re a brick and mortar business or you’re simply looking for a way to increase your online presence while working remotely, we’re here to help. There’s no two ways about it, the novel coronavirus is changing how we do business. Now, more than ever before, as most of the world learns how to navigate the implications of these changes, it's critical to work effectively and learn how to run your brand remotely.
Here are some guidance points about how to create a high-functioning remote team and continue running your business, all while assisting your customers and promoting your message.
First we’ll address how you can transition internal communications remotely, then delve into external communications.
Developing a Remote Office Space
Find the Best Way to Communicate
Whether it’s Google Chat or text, instant messaging is great for informal communication but it’s not the best for tracking and recording work conversations. When you’re working with colleagues in different places and maybe even different time zones, the key to success is to find a way to communicate effectively. Instead of defaulting to long email chains of back and forth communication, consider adding a communication app like Slack to your toolbox. Haven’t heard of Slack? Check it out!
Slack does a great job showing why it’s an excellent resource for working remotely, but I’d like to highlight how the use of its “channels” is extremely versatile.
It’s likely that your team communicates about various topics throughout the day—and conversations can get complicated. With a tool like Slack, you can easily organize your conversations by category. You can designate specific channels and share them with relevant team members who are typically involved in the conversation. If your company has smaller or breakout teams, members can form a specific channel to avoid bombarding other members with unnecessary chatter. Channels allow for a clean division of communication, so you don’t end up with notification overload. For example, say you need to talk with a few key people about updating a policy. You can try Slack Channel #policyupdates.
Pro tip: If you have special teams, such as management or finance, you can set up private channels so others that aren’t privy to the information won’t be permitted to view the content.
Legal tip: Be sure to check your privacy policies within your company if some communication has to stay behind confidential firewalls.
Customer/Client Interaction
As you shift your business online, we recommend branding any content that you share. In a recent post, we noted that customers love branded content.
Get in the Right Mindset
One of my favorite mentors, Dr. Samandari, Senior Research Consultant for Health Impact Evaluations, shared some great advice: “Get out of your PJs and dress for the day.” While it may be tempting to stay cozy for your workday, your brain will also think it's time to curl up and watch a movie. So stand up and head to your closet to pick your outfit for the day.
In addition, being dressed for success will allow you to have virtual calls with your clients. Although many service-based businesses are best conducted in-person, it’s feasible to run your session online. We’ve seen many industry leaders sharing virtual meetings, brainstorming sessions, or even personal training sessions online. Chances are, the services you offer are easily transferable to the virtual meeting space.
Secondly, whether you’re working remotely a few days a week or full time, I’d recommend having a dedicated workspace. Having a space for work allows for the proper mindset to get tasks done when you enter this space; conversely, it promotes work-life balance by discouraging working around the clock!
Both of these tips allow you to be ready to work, and will also help to maintain your professional presence in the event of an unexpected video meeting.
Share Your Working Environment Needs
Working remotely, in most cases, means working from home. If you’re in this situation temporarily or working on transitioning to this lifestyle, don’t be afraid to share what your environment is like with colleagues and/or clients. For example, having kids at home, pets who may let out a meow or woof, city noise like street cleaning, or even limited cell phone service may add to work chaos. Although you can limit these conditions, the reality is that working from home isn’t like working in a coworking space or at an office. And don’t worry, you’re not the only one with these factors in your life; chances are, someone else’s pet will start barking at the delivery truck, too!
If you’re planning for a virtual meeting with a client, try your best to eliminate any distractions that might occur. Here are a few quick tips:
Do you have a dog? Try to take them for a walk or have ball time before you jump on your call.
Are you expecting a delivery? Leave a note on your door instructing the delivery driver to refrain from ringing the doorbell.
Do you have poor cell reception? Call your client from an internet-based service.
Manage Your Time Wisely
If your team is new to working from home, it’s essential to set the expectations regarding time management. Coaching employees to use time blocking can be an effective way to know what projects they are working on at a given time.
Furthermore, distractions can take over when working from home. I’d recommend encouraging techniques like the Pomodoro technique or try using Focusmate to have an accountability partner to focus your attention on your tasks during working hours.
If you’re ready to take it to the next level, consider using any additional time that you are gaining (ie. from not commuting) to invest in your brand. Need some inspiration?
Analyze your SEO rankings
Reach out to other businesses about collaboration projects
Create social media templates
Plan your marketing for the year
Try Virtual Whiteboards to Collaborate
Just because your team is working remotely doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on team collaboration in real-time. Digital whiteboards are virtual tools that allow teams to brainstorm ideas, plan next steps, sketch mockups, and easily illustrate information to collaborators.
For more tools, tech companies are offering free resources for businesses looking to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Show Your Support
As managers of people and projects, don’t forget that independent working doesn’t mean a hands-off approach. If anything, this setting may require additional support for technical difficulties or other problems.
6 Ways to Offer Support
Show that you are available to your colleagues. Whether you set your Slack status to reflect your working hours or have a calendar that co-workers can block a time to chat, this can provide relief to those accustomed to just walking next door to ask for help.
Acknowledge your appreciation. Did someone turn in a proposal early or close on a sale? A quick message can be a way to continue motivating your colleagues!
Conduct frequent check-ins. Posing simple questions to your team helps spark ideas and create small reminders of things that are in progress. Consider phrasing your check-ins as open-ended questions rather than as yes-no questions to increase engagement and truly learn what the current status is on a project.
Provide guidance and feedback promptly. Tasks are a part of overall workflow, and if one step gets stuck, it could delay the entire process. Be prompt and transparent in your guidance to questions and requests for help.
Click for a Thumbs up 👍🏼. Many project management and communication tools have quick buttons that can add an emoji or some type of reaction. Taking half a second to provide this reaction can show your acknowledgment of discussion topics and task completion.
Be understanding. Transitioning to remote work can be challenging for some workers. Remember to be empathetic and helpful as your team continues to work through adversity in a new setting.
As you reduce your face-to-face time, the essential piece of advice is to communicate with your team and customers. You are not alone in this transition, and clear communication is the key to continue making forward progress.
Ready to go remote?
Reach out to us!
We are now offering the following support:
Strategy sessions to help you pivot and evolve your existing offerings to lock in new and current business
Laser-focused coaching sessions to address concerns and to help develop a plan for moving forward
Targeted content marketing to help you continue to provide value and serve as a resource for your customer base
Communications support to craft client-focused messaging to reassure your customers
Mini Systems Audit to streamline your brand's systems and set up so you can maximize productivity and efficiency
Remote Systems Setup to move your communications and workflow online so you don't miss a beat
If you’re ready, we’re here to help you transition your business offerings online. There are many available platforms for managing your team’s communication, projects, and planning processes. It’s time to make sure your brand is set up for remote work.
