A lot has been said about the
benefits of remote work in general. These conversations are typically centered around the benefits to the employee in the relationship, and not the employer as often.
So let's switch it up. How would you as a company benefit from hiring someone as a remote SDR?
Time Zones The first thing I realized worked in my favor when I began working as a remote SDR was time zones. What I mean by this is that by virtue of where I was located, I could plan certain sales enablement strategies ahead of time, and then see the results in real-time. I am always one step ahead of my prospects, which provides me valuable insight into new directions to aim for with targeting and new cadences to try.
On the other hand, if I were to be in a time zone behind my prospects, I could also use this to my advantage. I'd have more time at the end of my workday to take my time with the results at the end of the day, and consider strategies that might be used the next day.
Additionally, it would be worth taking into account the type of schedule you want your remote SDR to follow. Working asynchronously is the best option for me due in part to the time zone issue, and I have not felt my productivity decrease whatsoever. Recently, a study has proved that indeed,
remote work has no negative impact on productivity.
In fact, I rather think my productivity has increased. I have time to run errands in the mornings or at certain times throughout the day, provided I check back in to work and make sure to stay on top of things. But I do not have someone constantly watching over my shoulder. In an office setting, in the same time zone as everyone else, this would be unthinkable. There are also lulls, as there are in any workday, that I also use to run errands or work on other additional SDR tasks in a more relaxed fashion.
So time zones, as silly as it seems, are a huge win with remote SDRs. And they can match your prospects, catch them early, or catch them later - there's a lot more flexibility here.
Larger Talent Pool Remote work means your talent pool has increased significantly. You are not limited to hiring within your city, state, or country anymore. No more checking on the budget for hiring someone across the country and helping them relocate.
You can find the best talent from around the world.
And with remote work, you can also hire from a variety of disciplines, especially in sales. So your talent pool? Has triplicated, at the very least.
Sergio the school teacher from Chile can work just as well for you as Sharon the former realtor from Minnesota. Both have obtained skills that would work well in the world of sales. And you can employ them both if you find them to be a good fit. This brings us to our next point.
Diversity Yes, hiring from around the world results in a more diversified workforce. And it is always good to learn about each other.
But the true gain here is diversity in thought.
While certain sales strategies and plays remain the same, different cultures interacting can provide new ways of doing business. And sometimes, the reason your remote SDR excels at cold calling in particular, for example, is related to their cultural experience. They can then teach others what they know innately and strengthen your workforce.
Additionally, the other gain of hiring remote SDRs and employees is the internationalization of your business. You can reach new markets that you had not thought of previously, in new countries, and you'd have some local insight into how to approach operations there as well.
All in all, hiring a remote SDR is a great idea.