How To Manage And Motivate A Hybrid Sales Team

Since the pandemic, more people than ever are working hybrid (44% as of 2023 - Forbes). 

Despite pushbacks from many employers, even the most unlikely industries have adopted some form of remote work—one of those being the sales industry. Traditionally, sales teams are known for their high energy and motivation, with employees in the office every day, cold calling, meeting clients, and maintaining the overall buzz. But as the world evolves and sales teams face retention challenges—with HubSpot reporting that sales reps stay with a company for only 18 months—allowing hybrid working is a game-changer.

While this shift is known to benefit employees by providing a work-life balance (something that probably wasn't common in a demanding sales environment) it’s not all positive for employers. Sales relies on sustained motivation, often fueled by coworker interactions and a vibrant sales culture...

So, what happens when employees work from home two to three days a week? It becomes harder to:

• Track progress

• Provide on-the-job mentoring

• Keep motivation levels high

• Maintain culture

As a result, it's not uncommon for sales managers to start thinking the solution is to get rid of hybrid working altogether. I mean, if you introduced something that has harmed productivity and the culture as a whole, you'd be tempted to take it away too.

But it's not that simple because  60% of HR leaders believe that hybrid working increases retention, and 80% say it boosts employee satisfaction (Forbes). So taking hybrid working away could lead to even worse outcomes. 

Instead, you need to learn how to manage your hybrid teams properly. Maybe you're someone who has nailed in-person management but it feels all the more difficult to do it remotely. But this is the way the working world has moved towards, and it's your job to adapt. It is possible to ensure maximum productivity, regardless of where their employees work - you just have to be intentional.

Here are five tips to help you manage and motivate your hybrid sales team.

Make In-Person Days Engaging

When team members are in the office, make those days count. 

Use these opportunities to hold engaging team meetings and interactive sessions that promote collaboration and camaraderie. It may even be a good idea to implement a schedule where two to three days are "office days" so whoever is available can make it, ensuring you have the maximum level of people in the office to create that buzz

When you have employees working from home, sometimes more than they're in the office, you want to provide all you can when they're in to instill motivation and support. Why? So when they're at home, it's maintained. 

And not to mention, an attractive in-office culture will ensure that employees look forward to these days, rather than dread it. It's probably not a reach to assume that many salespeople choose to work from home to avoid the cutthroat environment some sales companies have. So by working on your sales culture, it will make a big difference.

Communicate Effectively

Effective communication is crucial, especially in a hybrid work environment. 

Just because employees work from home doesn’t mean they should be left to their own devices. But just because they shouldn't be left to their own devices, it also doesn't mean that you have to be micromanaging them either. Instead, it’s about being of support regardless of location.

Regular check-ins, whether through 1-1 meetings, team catch-ups, or even simple messages on Teams, can help maintain a supportive and motivated culture. Be approachable and create an environment where employees feel comfortable reaching out with questions or concerns. 

An issue that many managers is that working from home creates a clear disconnect between them and their employees. This means they don't know what employees are working on, what they're struggling with and how they as a manager can be of support. However, working on how you portray yourself as a manager ensures that working from home doesn’t sever the lines of communication.

Hold Employees Accountable

One issue that lots of hybrid teams struggle with is a lack of accountability and in an industry like sales where there are targets to be hit, you can't afford to let this slip.

Make it clear that while employees are allowed to have the flexibility to work from home, your expectations remain unchanged. You've given them hybrid working because you trust them. Trust them to get their work done, hit their targets, work full hours, and work on bringing in new clients. If employees know you have those clear expectations, you'll get far fewer cases of employees not working hard enough.

Implementing a performance management strategy can help track employee progress and provide a clear pathway for improvement and growth. This structure benefits both managers and employees by setting clear expectations and allowing for regular progress reviews.

Keep a Strong Team Culture

Company culture is one of the main things that can suffer when you implement hybrid working.

This isn't just because employees aren't seeing each other as much as before, but online communication just isn't the same no matter how much you try for it to be.

Especially for an industry like sales, maintaining that supportive culture is key because team members need to bounce off one another to continue learning, staying creative and also being inspired by one another.

To ensure the culture doesn't suffer as a result of working from home, you're going to be far more intentional to create opportunities for team bonding and relationship building, both in and out of the office. A classic one is quarterly meetings and socials as well as yearly events that can be done to suit the majority of the team's schedules - especially because you've planned it in advance.

It's also so important to encourage a culture of recognition and appreciation. Acknowledge achievements and milestones, both big and small such as birthdays, work anniversaries, sales targets etc. encouraging employees to support and celebrate one another - as well as motivate them to keep striving for success.

Don’t Ignore Professional Development

Professional development can be put on the back burner when employees are working from home because you "can't see what they're doing". But as mentioned before, implementing a performance management strategy, as well as performance reviews can help you to keep track of employee progress and award them when relevant.

Especially in a sales environment where most employees are money-motivated and ambitious to get to the next stage, you don't want to make this lose any focus, regardless of where employees are working. Offer training and development opportunities that align with your team’s goals and interests. 

This could include sales training, leadership development programs, or courses on new technologies and industry trends.

- Written by Tim Macmillan

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