Tricks to effective remote working

I’ve worked remotely for 20 years, so over time, I’ve learned the ins and outs to productivity while working outside the office. A few key components have contributed to my success as a remote team member and in serving my customers.

Maintain an “always-on” mindset

In today’s world, people are always on, always connected. Throughout the day, I’m constantly interacting with my team, reaching out to customers, and responding to customer needs. Sometimes that means quickly checking in or responding to an email while I wait for dinner or sit in traffic. Work is part of who I am. Just like I never shut off aspects of my personal life like being a parent, I fully never shut off work either. When a customer needs something, I need to be there.

Understand when you’re most productive

I’m a morning person, so I like to get up early and get a start on the day before the emails and messages start pouring in. I’m also most productive at that time. Working early in the morning gives me a chance to catch up on email and other work without distractions. For me, as soon as my laptop is in front of me it’s game on!

I also schedule meetings with others at times that make the most sense, which may not be during regular business hours. The other day, a client and I were struggling with scheduling a meeting during his busy work day. I suggested we meet at a coffee shop at 7:00 am before the day got hectic. It was so helpful for him to get the meeting done early, rather than cram it into a busy schedule. While many businesses still have normal operating hours, that isn’t necessarily when the most productive work gets done. That said, I always try to schedule meetings in the first half of the day. That’s when people have the most brainpower and energy left to think strategically and make good decisions. Do work when it works for you – when you’re most productive and energized.

Find the right tools to communicate effectively

The beauty of today’s world is that work is where you are. I live in Evansville, Indiana, yet I work for Kerauno, whose global headquarters are in Indianapolis. Despite being nearly 200 miles away, I feel like a part of the Kerauno community. That’s due in part to the suite of collaboration tools I use to stay connected with my team and my customers.

Bolt Softphone, part of the Kerauno portfolio of tools, makes it easy to do my job anywhere. Whether I’m in my home office, a customer location, or in the airport, Bolt Softphone allows me to use my work phone number in a completely trackable and secure way. It’s easy to stay connected to Bolt through my desktop or on my mobile phone without being tied down to a traditional desk phone or distributing my personal cell number.

The second tool, Chat+, also a Kerauno tool, allows for quick back-and-forth communication to get work done rapidly. One challenge of working remotely is that I can’t just pop into my colleague’s office when I have a quick question. However, tools like Chat+ allow me to pop into their “virtual office” by sending an instant message and getting a quick response.

Carrying a company culture over from your headquarters to a home office can be a challenge. I don’t necessarily hear about company news in passing when I’m not working in the office. Videos like the Kerauno company updates help remote employees and even customers stay connected as the company quickly grows and evolves. With video updates, I’m able to know what others are up to in different departments, even if I don’t see them in the office for a few weeks.

These virtual collaboration tools allow our sales team and other collaborators to still “see” each other and maintain consistency even when we aren’t in the same office.

Jody Branson is the Midwest Regional Sales Director at Kerauno, LLC. She is a graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and has over 15 years of experience in the industry.

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About Kerauno LLC

Kerauno is a global Communications Workflow as a Service (CWaaS) platform that powerfully connects people, process, software and systems. Through the infusion of key modes of communication including voice, SMS text, chat, email and social media, Kerauno can amplify existing business software to provide strategic insights and actionable analytics across all forms of communication which affect every industry and vertical. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Kerauno has created a global customer base that relies on its mobile-centric communications workflow platform to optimize business processes, enhance customer and employee engagements, and drive revenue to the bottom line.