The way in which people sell has changed dramatically over the past 50 years or so. Gone are the days of sales people spending days, or sometimes weeks on the road, trying to sell their goods or services. Now, sales people can sell whatever they want, from where ever they want.
Including from the comfort of their own home.
Working from home is nothing new, but has most certainly been sprung into the limelight by the recent Covid-19 pandemic with many workers and sales people now having to sell from their sofas, dining room tables and home offices.
In 2021 alone, 25.9% of workers in the UK had worked from home, and this trend is going to grow as the years progress and as businesses decide to ditch their offices.
For sales people, this now means that more of us will be having to sell from the comfort of our own homes; which could cause some problems. You see, the majority of sales people thrive from a busy sales floor, a strong team around them, and from being in an office setting designed to motivate, and the thought of trying to sell from a quiet cul-de-sac for some is not the most inspiring of settings.
Which is why we have put together our top five tips to help you to sell effectively from your own home:
- Morning Routine
One of the ‘dangers’ of working from home in the first place is the lack of routine, and the lack of change of scenery. Normally, when selling in an office, you have the opportunity to travel to your place of work. You get to have an excuse to get washed up, drive/travel to work listening to your favourite tunes and being greeted by your colleagues. These kind of activities need to be replicated when working from home.
Make sure you stick to a solid routine to ensure you don’t just drag yourself out of bed and straight to your laptop and phone. How you plan your morning is entirely up to you and what makes you tick, but before you log on for the day try to have a strong breakfast. Head out on a walk; or why not take yourself on a drive as a pretend commute? Get yourself washed up, dressed up, and even splash on some aftershave or perfume. Treat your morning routine no different to how you would in an office.
- Hydration/Nutrition
Coffee is for closers, right? Well, no matter how good you are at closing, you have to make sure you stay hydrated and ensure you eat right to enable you to perform at the very best.
Try to keep a water bottle on your desk and ensure you drink it throughout the day, and try to steer clear of sugary and ‘quick fix’ snacks. We all know it is tough; trust me, I have been on the receiving end of a bag of Haribos after some tough sales calls. But eat solid meals, and if you need to snack try to stick to fruit, nuts and other tasty nutritional things.
- Move Around
As annoying as the office can be, the layout can sometimes be your best friend. The short walks to the printer, the walks to the water cooler, the lift downstairs to the toilet; they all allow you the chance to get away from your desk and to potentially get some fresh air.
For many, working from home stops a lot of the common moving around that would occur in a normal working environment. Printers are closer, and perhaps you have decided to set your laptop up in bed with you so you don’t have to lose the warmth and comforting feel of your duvet.
Incorporate into your working day as much movement as possible. Try to set up your home office in a part of the house that you will have to travel to. Try to be on a separate floor to your bathroom, and look to set up a lunchtime walking routine.
That way, you will be as active as possible which will not only help you to stay active and encourage blood flow, but will also give you the chance to improve your mood!
- Check in With Positive People
Us sales people are social creatures, and being cooped up working from home is not the best. Especially when you are either on a high from a very successful call, or on a low from a series of rebuttals and weak sales calls.
You simply need the support of others around you.
Look to set up a positive group of peers, colleagues or like-minded individual that can form a sort of support group. Whether that be on Teams, Whatsapp, or just as an email thread.
These people are your fans, your supporters, your mentors. Break the day up by chatting with these people and spur each other on – trust us, you will thank us later,
- Put Yourself First
And finally, don’t forget the most important person in the room: you!
Sure, we should put customers first. And of course, your bosses and your work matter too. But you know what; if you are not functioning at the top of your game, then your sales are only going to suffer.
Take some time for you and set boundaries. Don’t be tempted to log into your work accounts outside of work hours. Your emails don’t need to be read at 8pm when you could be tuning in to Love Island. Take time for you, unwind, and put yourself first.
There we have it, our simple tips on how you can sell effectively from your own home.
Of course, there are lots of tips that could be shared on this topic; what do you think we have missed? Be sure to get in touch with us to let us know your top tips.
And remember, if you or your team need help with any aspect of your sales, C3 Sales are here to help!
