The 3 Keys to Managing a Remote Sales Team

Managing a sales team has always required a mix of strategy, leadership, and motivation. But managing a remote sales team? That requires an entirely new skill set.

When the shift to remote work accelerated, many sales managers found themselves struggling to keep teams engaged, productive, and mentally healthy. While some salespeople thrive in a work-from-home environment, others struggle with isolation, structure, and accountability.

With 20+ years in sales and sales management, I’ve worked with in-office teams, satellite locations, and fully remote sellers. Through trial and error, I’ve tested various approaches—daily check-ins, live webcams, hyper-tracking CRM activity, and more.

What I’ve found? Three key actions consistently lead to success:

1️⃣ Set Clear Expectations
2️⃣ Help Your Team Master Time Management
3️⃣ Prioritize Consistent Communication

Let’s break them down. 👇

1️⃣ Set Clear Expectations 🎯

Managing a remote sales team starts with simplifying expectations and communicating them clearly.

📌 Expectations matter at every level:
✅ For leadership: Helps define realistic sales forecasts
✅ For managers: Provides a roadmap for guiding the team
✅ For sellers: Gives them clear goals and keeps them accountable

💡 Key Adjustments for Remote Sales Teams:

🔹 Adjusting Revenue Forecasts

Traditional forecasting models rely on stable markets and predictable customer behavior. When uncertainty strikes, clinging to old forecasts is a mistake.

📉 Instead of pushing unrealistic targets, recalibrate.

🔹 Reduce year-end goals based on impacted months (plus one additional month for recovery).
🔹 Prioritize protecting existing revenue and closing easy wins.
🔹 Focus on building pipeline for long-term sales opportunities.

🔹 Setting Seller Expectations

Sales teams thrive when they have defined deliverables—especially in a remote setting.

✔️ Clarify daily and weekly goals (e.g., outreach, contract closes, pipeline growth).
✔️ Put expectations in writing and discuss them in 1:1 or team meetings.
✔️ Set short-term, realistic metrics that allow for small wins (e.g., X number of new contacts per week).

🔹 Example: If a seller used to generate 10 new leads per week, they may now focus on 5 high-quality leads with strong follow-up. Adaptation beats blind persistence.

2️⃣ Mastering Time Management ⏳

Sales teams in an office environment follow a built-in structure:
📅 Morning routines, team meetings, coffee breaks, and in-person interactions.

Without this framework, many remote salespeople struggle to structure their day. That’s why managers must help install good habits.

🔹 Keep Morning Routines Intact

Encourage salespeople to stick to their pre-remote routine:
✅ Wake up at the same time
✅ Get dressed (no need for full work attire, but avoid pajamas)
✅ Take a morning walk, grab coffee, or do an activity to signal “work mode”

🔹 Red flag: If they start showering at midnight, they’re struggling with structure. 🚨

🔹 Use Time Blocking for Sales Activities

Remote sellers need time blocks to stay focused.

✔️ Break the day into 3-4 distinct parts with specific sales deliverables.
✔️ Encourage 45–55-minute deep work sessions followed by short breaks.
✔️ Install time tracking apps like Timer25 to create natural work rhythms.

🔹 Example:
🚀 8 AM – 10 AM: Prospecting & lead generation
📞 10 AM – 12 PM: Client follow-ups & calls
🍽 12 PM – 1 PM: Break & reset
📊 1 PM – 3 PM: Pipeline management & proposals
📩 3 PM – 5 PM: Admin tasks & strategic outreach

💡 Make it a game: Create a Spar challenge—sellers put in $1 when they miss a goal, and the pool funds a team lunch when everyone returns.

3️⃣ Prioritize Consistent Communication 💬

A remote team doesn’t just struggle with productivity—they struggle with paranoia and isolation.

✔️ Paranoia: "Am I being left out of decisions?"
✔️ Isolation: "I feel disconnected from my team."

Managers must actively work to keep sellers engaged and connected.

🔹 Preventing Paranoia 🤯

In an office, people overhear discussions and feel included. Remotely? They don’t. That leads to self-doubt and assumptions.

🔹 Solution: Proactively address concerns before they start.

📌 Example message to your team:
"We are NOT operating under normal business conditions. Decision-making may be more urgent, and not everyone will be consulted as they normally would. This is not a reflection of your value—it’s simply an adjustment to how we operate during this period."

🔹 Reducing Isolation & Fostering Team Connection

Sales is a head game. When sellers are hitting quota, life is great. But when they’re struggling, isolation makes things worse.

💡 Proactive Strategies for Connection:

✔️ Peer-to-peer engagement: Assign small groups of 3-4 sellers to discuss strategies & wins.
✔️ Non-work interactions: Host casual coffee chats or virtual lunches.
✔️ Manager-led team calls: Check in without a rigid agenda—just to listen.
✔️ Encourage knowledge sharing: Let sellers discuss challenges & solutions without a manager present.

📌 The Goal? 30 minutes a day of team connection outside of direct management.

Final Thoughts: Focus on the Long Game

✅ Managing remote sales teams isn’t just about quotas—it’s about creating structure, reducing isolation, and keeping people engaged.

✅ Some months aren’t about closing deals—they’re about creating the pipeline for future wins.

✅ The best sales leaders don’t micromanage—they empower.

🚀 Sales success isn’t about working harder—it’s about working smarter. Give your team the structure, accountability, and connection they need to thrive.

Bonus Tips for Managing Remote Sales Teams:

✅ Avoid over-scheduling—busywork is not sales work.
✅ Encourage non-work breaks (walking the dog, folding laundry, decompressing).
✅ Reinforce long-term goals and the bigger picture.
✅ Limit distractions—turn off emails, social media, and unnecessary alerts during focus sessions.

What’s your #1 tip for managing a remote sales team? Drop it in the comments! 👇