In today's globalized market, the ability to hire remote talent is a competitive edge for both startups and established businesses. Moreover, the entrepreneurial mindset that comes hand-in-hand with sales jobs makes these positions the perfect fit for remote talent.

While the benefits of hiring remote salespeople are undeniable, building and managing a remote team presents unique challenges unseen in traditional jobs. A distributed workforce impacts everything from communication to team building dynamics and company culture. 

In this article, MagicPace shares proven strategies for building a remote sales team that consistently meets sales targets - no matter where they are located. 

1. Identify key roles  

Identifying key roles is the best place to start building a remote sales team. Many businesses opt to create org charts to visualize their company's hierarchical structure. Afterward, you should create specific job descriptions for each sales position within your org chart. 

Once roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, you can allocate your salary budget to each position in your org chart. This not only helps for future financial planning, but it also helps ensure you recruit candidates that are commensurate to job and salary requirements. 

2. Identify target markets & sales territories 

With an org chart in hand, you should take a close look at your target markets and subsequent sales territories. By assigning specific territories to team members, you ensure that sales efforts are focused on high-potential areas, maximizing efficiency and increasing conversion rates. 

Once a salesperson settles in their territory, they can create tailored sales strategies that resonate with local customers. Clear territories also reduce overlap and competition among team members - creating a more collaborative and productive environment. 

3. Onboarding & training  

Before you start actively hiring, it's critical to have your onboarding and training processes in place. Not only will a lack of organization cost your company lost time, but it can also be a serious red flag for in-demand sales talent. 

Prior to their first day, you should provide new hires with a detailed onboarding and training schedule so they know exactly what to expect. Since distributed teams are 100% reliant on technology to do their jobs, they must be properly trained on key technologies like your customer relationship management (CRM) software. 

4. Collaboration & communication  

Since you will rarely, if ever, meet your remote sales team in person, creating clear lines of communication is essential. As Harvard Business Review explains, “Remote communication can distort the normal pace of our conversations. The delay between our messages can often postpone or hide emotional reactions to our comments.”  

To overcome the impersonal nature of remote work, your organization should implement the right communication tools like video meetings, regular check-ins, and team-building rituals. With a rapport between employees and management, you can address challenges promptly, share best practices, and maintain morale. 

5. Set goals & performance metrics  

The final step in structuring a remote sales team is developing a system to keep tabs on performance. Most sales managers focus on setting realistic goals, tracking progress through CRM systems, and using performance dashboards to ensure accountability and transparency.

Tracking data is one of the foundations of successfully managing a remote sales team. By looking closely at your CRM, it's possible to track sales activities like cold calls and prospect emails, as well as important metrics like win rate, sales growth, and customer acquisition cost.