20 Expert WFH Tips for Marketers in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

Coronavirus fears have led to millions working remotely. For marketing and sales teams, what are the best tips and tools to work effectively during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak?

October 9, 2020

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has led to companies across the globe asking employees to work from home. Social distancing, while effective in curtailing the effects of the pandemic, can lead to loss of productivity, miscommunication, and lower business output. We asked marketing and sales experts about the best tips, strategies, and tools to work effectively from home during this time. 

Around the world, professionals are working from their self-quarantined homes, and while social distancing is the need of the hour, work must go on. But sales and marketing teams that cannot (and should not) work in silos might have trouble communicating effectively and collaborating to get meaningful work done. So, for marketing and sales teams to continue to work effectively from home, we asked some of the leading industry experts to share their tips on doing it right.

20 Experts on Remote Working for Sales and Marketing Teams During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

To understand the situation and help marketers and sales teams work efficiently, we asked CMOs, founders, leaders, and industry experts to share their tips, strategies, and tools for effectively working from home in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Here are their valuable insights:       

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Paula Hansen, Chief Revenue Officer, SAP Customer Experience

“I recommend turning space into innovation. Some remarkable innovations have come out of people being in quarantine. Isaac Newton discovered Calculus while in quarantine. William Shakespeare wrote ‘King Lear’ while in quarantine. Perhaps the perspective yields new thinking. You may have some extra time to ideate, to think about your customers and to understand what success looks like in this new paradigm. As a best practice for anyone working in a new, virtual model, take advantage of curated courses on safe and secure remote offices, teams and tools that support virtual collaboration and time management. As we all move through these unprecedented times we are reminded how important it is to do so as a community. Together we will overcome this time of uncertainty as a stronger and more unified world.”

Building positivity and morale: In the team and with clients and customers

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Alon Alroy, Co-Founder & Chief of Customers and Strategy at Bizzabo  

“Because of COVID19 and taking into consideration what’s best for our employees and their health, we’ve closed our office for the foreseeable future and have everyone working from home. We’ve been hard at work, making sure that the transition is not just smooth, but also leaves each employee feeling as though they’re still “in office,” and a part of the team. We’ve implemented company-wide virtual lunches with gift cards to UberEats, virtual happy hours, using video for meetings and daily video check-ins with team members. We’ve also provided employees with a few work-from-home tips including: stick to your usual morning routine as if you were commuting to work (i.e. eat breakfast, workout, get dressed, make bed); set up a separate work space other than the couch; and set a schedule for your day and stick to it.”                                                                                           

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Norman Guadagno, CMO, Acoustic

“By implementing remote work, many would think that interpersonal communication suffers, but as marketers, such a large part of our day comes from collaboration with peers. Maintaining that level of communication is imperative in these times to ensure continued collaboration and a feeling of closeness to team members. Holding a weekly team call dedicated to sharing client updates, tips for maintaining normalcy during this time of unrest, even simply exchanging anecdotes about how to use the time they get back from commuting and traveling can promote feelings of togetherness amongst team members that makes the policy feel less isolating. For all meetings, participants should use video: This will help with important non-verbal cues and mitigate miscommunication. This also helps meeting attendees stay more connected and engaged.

Communicating with clients during this time is essential. Do not allow the comfort of remote work to trickle into your mindset and halt proactive outreach. Communicate with clients to ensure them that they are top of mind. Offer your services to answer any and all questions. Prepare for what is to come when the situation de-escalates and business as usual resumes. Communicating policy and procedure internally is essential, but communicating with clients and outside communities is a great way to ensure transparency and offer support.”

 Jason Grunberg, SVP of Marketing at CM Group

Jason Grunberg, SVP of Marketing at CM Group

Manage Marketing Teams Effectively in the New Normal: As the workforce continues to navigate social distancing, it’s important to remember that this is not a normal work from home scenario. While many companies are stating that things should operate “business as usual,” with work-from-home the only adjustment, there are many other variables to consider. On top of their usual workload, marketing teams are taking care of their families and monitoring news, all the while trying to remain engaged with their clients and coworkers. Below are a few ways leaders can best manage and maintain teamwork in a time of uncertainty.

  • “Creating an environment that is similar to how teams operated in-office will help keep morale and productivity high, as we redefine the new normal. Whether it be through virtual coffee meetings each morning or long-form video conferences with an open-ended objective, think about ways to encourage a familiar and collaborative environment.
  • “To help teams work effectively, given the evolving workplace, leadership must also evaluate current objectives to determine what projects are a priority, what projects can be best handled remotely, and where it makes sense to pivot strategy based on these elements.
  • “Finally, leadership must evaluate the use of new tools for team collaboration, from shared documents through platforms such as the Google Suite or video calls on platforms like Zoom and Skype.
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Vicki Brakl, SVP of Marketing, Training and Development, MNI Targeted Media

“Working from home now has a new twist! There’s no denying that these trying times have created a different WFH environment — one that brings new meaning to work-life balance. Many companies are currently facing the challenge of keeping morale high, while charting unknown territories. And, sometimes you just have to have fun. To combat this challenge, I’ve implemented a “Learn Something New” challenge and have encouraged my team to participate. It’s a way to keep the team connected and engaged. For example, one team member has decided to learn to juggle, another to speak German and someone else to take virtual piano lessons on her out-of-tune piano. In four weeks, we will be hosting a virtual talent show to give employees the opportunity to showcase their new talents. At MNI, our superpower has always been our team, and this is our way to keep the team united and growing during this time. As one of my colleagues put it, it’s important to use this time to ‘get better together.'”

Managing work from home operations

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Carrie Landers, Publisher Operations Manager, Freestar

“It’s important to make sure to strike a healthy balance between work and home. Clear lines will help you focus when you’re working and unwind when you’re done. Clearly designate an area for work. Instead of sitting on your couch with a laptop, set up a desk in a space that isn’t commonly used in order to easily separate work-life from home-life.

Take any opportunity you can to get up and take a quick walk. Fresh air and a change of scenery is a great way to stay positive and keep spirits high. Lastly, invest in a good pair of headphones with a built-in mic. The ability to block out potential distractions is important when working from home, but you should also make sure your coworkers can hear you over any background noise (from kids, roommates, or pets) on conference calls. And always remember to mute yourself if you’re not the presenter on a call.”

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Krista Thomas, SVP Marketing, Amobee

“Give employees the time and resources they need to update or create their working space at home. Mood, productivity, and creativity are all affected by one’s environment, and each individual has their unique response and needs to adapt to. “Another obstacle we came across at Amobee was overload on our conference calls — so be sure to renegotiate with your provider to ensure all employees have access and that the service isn’t prone to crashes. Facetime matters, so it’s more meaningful than ever that meetings are run with video on to keep emotional bonds and collaborative connections strong among teams.

“Finally, employees are struggling with smaller monitors and non-ergonomic chairs — both of which factors can contribute to back pain and repetitive strain injuries. It’s up to businesses to provide their teams with the appropriate equipment and technology they need to work with ease, maintaining physical comfort, productivity and efficiency during this challenging time.”

Learn More: Retailers and E-Commerce Get Support From Alibaba Cloud to Fight CoronavirusOpens a new window

Regularizing remote work schedules

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Howard Luks, Managing Director, Americas and SVP Global Platforms, Eyeota

“Maintaining structure in your day when you are working from home can often be difficult, but one of the simplest ways to monitor your time management is by using your online calendar to block out your day and dedicate set times to tasks.

It’s also important to not drop the ball on customer experience. It’s inevitable to expect delays in response times as teams and individuals transition to a new way of communicating. A catch-all contact page and/or email that is maintained by dedicated team members is an easy way to ensure customer experience doesn’t suffer. This helps maintain a “business as usual” approach to customer service.”

 

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Todd Wooten, co- founder, VRTCAL

“At VRTCAL, we are fortunate to always have the option to work remotely, so working from home during the COVID-19 times is no different. A few tricks that work best for me include starting the day early. This helps as there is generally less noise and less distractions in your home at that time. Morning is also a great time to focus on the more complex tasks, saving the latter part of the day for follow-ups and lighter to-dos. I suggest having a daily agenda and to-do list to keep yourself on-task. Cross items as you go and set specific times for lunch and breaks. And of course, keep in very close communication with your team via various channels: Slack, conference calls, etc. – it’s so important to stay connected and on the same page.”

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Tami Gaythwaite, COO, Centerline Digital

“Being a social team with a lot of face-to-face interaction, working from home and spending time away from the office is certainly a change to our rhythm. To make this transition as seamless as possible, we recommend employees set a regular schedule. Routine is healthy and imperative, as we are a collaborative bunch and need to be able to schedule meetings as usual. Making your home work station work for you does a lot for mental health and productivity. Allowing staff to “check out” items they want from the office, like monitors and keyboards, make their home stations more comfortable. While chat and messenger are efficient, they can never replace seeing someone face-to-face, so regular video check-ins are a must. Keep culture alive. At Centerline, we’re replacing Pizza Fridays with video lunch dates and hosting a video chat happy hour at 5 p.m. In addition, remember this too shall pass. Be kind to one another during this high-stress time.”

The tools and guidance you will need

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Paul Saleme, Global Head of Sales Enablement at Showpad

“As sales teams go remote, it’s important to maintain a culture of communication, coaching, and ongoing learning. A key way sales leaders can drive business continuity during these uncertain times is to deliver the same onboarding, coaching, and training experience that they would typically get in the office.

“Many companies have invested in sales enablement technology to virtualize their onboarding initiatives as well as their ongoing training and coaching. With these tools, front line sales managers can train and coach their teams at scale, no matter where they’re located. And sales leaders can ensure sellers keep ramping, are getting certified, and are getting the regular coaching that would typically happen face-to-face.”

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Mark Lewis, CEO of Netalico Commerce and e-Commerce expert

“Spend some time setting up an independent work area, not just your laptop on the dining room table (unless that works for you!), maybe spring for a Spotify Premium subscription and let yourself enjoy having the space to yourself.
“Use tools like Basecamp, Trello, Asana, and Slack to stay in-sync throughout the day. And instead of just using phone calls to catch up, use video calls to have a face-to-face connection. Give people “remote work buddies” to check in on them and keep personal contact. Embrace flexible hours because people are going to dealing with a lot of distractions, especially with schools closed in many cities. And while some might prefer the shoulder tap of a Slack message, others will find the interruption disruptive. You’ll be doing more communicating, but also block out time to keep your head down using the do not disturb mode on your communication tools.”

Jonathan Harrop, Senior Director - Global Marketing & Communications, AdColony

Jonathan Harrop, Senior Director – Global Marketing & Communications, AdColony

“As someone who has worked from home for two and a half years now, the most important thing is to put on pants – seriously. It’s tempting to work in pajamas all day. But getting dressed and “going to work” does wonders for your state of mind. Stick to your existing work schedule. Working from home doesn’t mean your work/life balance goes out the window. Resist the urge to do laundry when you have five minutes to spare.

I use a task manager (Any.Do) to manage day-to-day task lists, even as basic as “Ask John about that thing” because we may not be on Slack and active at the same time. Since everyone has joined me, we’re even having “Zoom lunches” where we relax and catch up like we normally would at work, which is new for me, but a nice reprieve!”

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Raquel Rosenthal, CEO, Digilant

“It’s critical to have a routine and set expectations on availability if you want to successfully work from home. To establish a routine, wake up and start work at the same time each day. If you don’t have an office at home already set up, designate a work area to establish boundaries with everyone you live with. When you’re done for the day, leave your workspace. In addition, try to be active and get outside for at least 30 minutes a day.
“Using high-speed internet ensures access to VPN, Google Drive, and Uber conferences easily. Stay engaged during meetings and don’t shy away from video calls. Lastly, keep your calendar up to date with time away from your desk for appointments and important errands, so colleagues know how and when to reach you.”

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John Ruvolo, Chief Sales Officer, EMX

“Common sense approaches to working with your customers apply whether it’s in person or remotely. The best thing a sales organization can do for its customers is to be valuable. That means being accessible and ready with helpful information or services. Remember that you see more of the market than your customers, and with the current uncertainty that’s out there, recent marketplace intelligence is more valuable than ever.

As for tools, we use Zoom, Salesforce, Salesloft, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Winmo, corporate email and yes, the telephone! These and similar platforms are necessary to keep the lines of communication open with your customers.

“If you were relying on in-person contact to verify the sales activity of your team, you may be challenged now that you’re all remote. Don’t turn into ‘Big Brother’ overnight but adopt sensible measurement tactics and more frequent one-on-one meetings to ensure your team is active and engaging the marketplace. Remember that this too shall pass. Customers will remember the partners who were there for them when the recovery begins.”

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Ryan Rolf, CRO of Imagen

“As COVID-19 forces marketing and sales teams to work remotely, video will become an invaluable asset. Firstly because keeping constant, quick and open lines of communication will maintain business continuity – in times of crisis and on a typical day. Digestible videos, whether a live chat or a recorded session, can seamlessly replace in-person meetings and deskside check-ins and keep teams engaged.

“Secondly, these teams still need to communicate with their target audiences, but might have reduced resources to create new videos. By tapping into an existing, organized and searchable video library, teams can keep prospects engaged. For example, a marketer could find and clip videos into short, 1-minute bytes to promote quick, digestible messages on social.

“Finally, storing and accessing videos remotely has become ‘mission critical.’ However, it must reside in a central, secure and cloud-based location for all employees to easily access. Instead of needing to request a file, or sift through disorganized files and unreliable servers, teams can operate as normally as possible.”

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Shane Phair, CMO of Decibel

“Remote work and canceled conferences have quickly forced sales and marketing teams to find new ways to communicate with each other internally, but also their remote customers. Unsurprisingly, businesses as a whole are laser-focused on navigating these uncharted times. However, marketing and sales teams at B2B organizations, specifically, need to be more creative than ever with their digital strategies to continue engaging their target audiences as the impact of coronavirus progresses.

“While digital experiences are nothing new, the virus has accelerated the need for marketers and salespeople to engage successfully online. For example, in lieu of the many industry conferences that have been canceled, teams might consider hosting a webinar series with industry influencers that help spread the messages that they planned to share during upcoming panels or through their booths. By thinking outside the box and leveraging existing digital tools in their arsenal, B2B teams will be poised for success during this crucial time.”

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Jacob Casados, Human Resources, Americas, CleverTap

“Working from home when you’re used to being in an office is hard. I really see three focus areas that can help marketers and sales teams continue to be productive during this time – technology, personal routines and team connection.

Technology – There are a lot of great tools out there meant to keep teams working, collaborative and effective. Leveraging tools like Zoom (communication and collaboration), Wrike (project management) and Salesforce (sales operations) can ensure that things continue to move forward smoothly.

Personal routines – Make a personal routine that works and stick to it. Get up in the morning and get ready, take a lunch break, and put devices away at the end of the night to get the break and sleep that you need. Blocking off time for breaks, lunches, and social interactions with the other people in your household is important to staying sane.

Team connection – Schedule daily team calls. We have implemented daily “coffee breaks” and a “virtual happy hour” on Fridays. Even if it’s just for 15 or 30 minutes, this will maintain team camaraderie and keep constant and consistent communication among team members.

“One last thing: Working from home allows for more free time. It doesn’t mean this time should be filled by sitting in front of a computer waiting for the next email. Take this time to complete other daily activities and projects. This a healthy way to help keep work time focused on results, not on time spent.”

Learn More: Your 2020 CrisisOpens a new window MarketingOpens a new window Strategy: Marketing Communication and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)Opens a new window

How to prepare for the outcomes

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Kerel Cooper, SVP Global Marketing at LiveIntent

 

“With people working from home, their attention is focused on the digital devices and channels that drive their workplace tasks. The majority of work is still done within email, and acquisition campaigns that begin in email tend to perform much better. The savvy marketer knows that this is a time to double down on email as a tool for marketing to people in a world with competing priorities.”

 

 

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James Heller, CEO & co-founder, Wrapify

“Be responsible. Adapt to the new temporary landscape by leveraging the tools and the channels that will set you apart from the competition.  We leverage Zoom every day, so using video conferencing wasn’t foreign to us. I saw my iPhone‘ screen time’ this week was up by 24%. Spending more time on our phones is a logical result of being confined to one’s home. CTV/OTT will be used more too. Shifting budgets to mobile and CTV/OTT, rather than pulling back, makes the most sense.”

 

 

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Summarizing the Key Takeaways

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Jason Grunberg, SVP of Marketing at CM Group

Double Down on Successful Initiatives and Postpone Exploratory Work: In uncertain times, it’s important for marketers to get back to the basics of their strategy, and then double down on what provides the most ROI. As such, we recommend brands consider pausing exploratory work and, instead, focusing on the tools and strategies that are proven. Automation and AI technology can take some burden off of busy marketers. These tools in email marketing, for example, could allow companies to segment and personalize content with the current climate in mind. Further, marketers must understand that their target audience’s behaviors will continue to change in times of crisis. How they typically engage on online platforms is rapidly evolving. Companies need to think about how they are measuring success during and consider different approaches to driving engagement. Email has historically been a great measure of success and the analytics tied to this strategy can help teams become more agile in their approach.”

We’re suddenly in a whole new world, and the consumer mindset and behavior, among other things has changed drastically. While marketing and sales teams take this time to navigate the challenges and stay updated on the situation, it becomes imperative for them to connect with each other and their communities to keep customers at ease and on top of mind.

  1. For marketers, the focus should be on email marketing, digital marketing, mobile advertising and Connected TV (CTV) or over the top (OTT)
  2. Sales enablement technology can help deliver consistent onboarding, coaching, and training experience
  3. Double down on the marketing strategies and activities that are working
  4. Encourage virtual gatherings among teams you collaborate with – lunches, coffee breaks to promote team spirit
  5. Creating an appealing workspace, following a routine and sticking to schedules can help boost morale
  6. Communicating with clients and communities is imperative to provide an optimum customer experience, especially in times of crisis
  7. Tools like Slack, Any.Do, Basecamp, Trello, Asana, Google Suite, Zoom, Skype, Salesforce, Salesloft, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Winmo, etc. can be of great help
  8. Embrace change, rethink your communication strategy
  9. Automation and AI technology can take some burden off marketers during this time
  10. Constantly ideate and brainstorm to think about your customers and to understand what success looks like in times of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
  11. Learn a new skill or a language while working from home

While we find our sea legs amid a pandemic, it is essential to stay calm, stay safe, and most importantly, have a sense of purpose when it comes to taking charge of your customers, your team, and your family. As millions of us work from our homes, let’s focus on becoming better versions of ourselves, building skills, and doubling down on our hobbies and passions with the added home time self-quarantine has given us.

What has helped you carry out business as usual while working remotely during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak? Tell us on TwitterOpens a new window , LinkedInOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window ; we’re listening!

Merilyn Pereira
Merilyn Pereira

Editor, MarTech Advisor

Merilyn Pereira is the Editor of Toolbox Marketing. She is a writer and editor with 10 years of experience in Digital Advertising, Communications, and Publishing. Travel, cooking, photography, and physical fitness are some of her stress busters and she can talk about them endlessly.
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