The popularity of the Internet and other modern technologies has enabled many companies to hire people virtually and save on costs. These platforms also allow skilled professionals to gain easier access to a wide range of jobs.
However, it is often hard for managers to determine fair salaries for remote workers depending on their skill level and where they live. Obviously, as a manager, you want your employees to earn a fair salary. But at the same time, you don’t want to spend more than needed to compensate your company’s employees.
Today, sales work is one of the most popular types of remote work. When working remotely, the salesperson is expected to find new customers for the businesses. They are expected to find the target audience, maintain contact with them, and convince them to buy the products.
What Does the Work of a Remote Sales Rep Entail?
Remote sales work is a type of work where a salesperson works in a remote location compared to a company’s office. The salespeople usually work in a home office or a different office in another area.
Most notably, remote sales work is also growing in the B2B field. Although the sales representatives are working from a distance, they need to communicate and interact with their colleagues at the company’s office. This type of work requires a specific skill that doesn’t necessarily require сareer-related education.
Sales representatives are expected to conduct sales activities, including face-to-face sales or telemarketing jobs. Apart from that, they also need to attract new customers, find sufficient leads consistent with the company’s marketing strategy, and communicate with potential customers through various channels, such as the phone, email, or social media.
When communicating with potential customers, sales are expected to maintain their first impression, products, prices, and features.
This takes a certain level of skill as not everyone is a great communicator with a pleasing personality. Sales rep hires need to think on their feet. They should be able to offer solutions to the potential customers’ issues.
The ability to identify the needs of the customers and address them promptly is essential.
How Much Should Your Company Pay Remote Sales Reps?
If you are looking for remote sales hires, you should expect to pay them more than in-house sales jobs. Higher salaries are justified because remote sales hires don’t work in an office, which means that they need to maintain their home office, maybe even the office of their customer.
Despite that, remote sales reps are usually paid less than in-house sales reps. This is because in-house sales representatives are paid more. After all, they are generally in close contact with other employees in the company. However, in the case of remote sales, the sales representatives are not in close contact with other employees in the company.
That is why it is tough to determine what to pay remote sales representatives. How much you should pay your remote sales hires depends on the country where they are based. It also depends on what are they are selling, what are their potential customers, what are the company’s working hours,
The remote sales rep’s salary can be calculated in a number of ways based on the understanding of the person’s skills and experience.
Generally, a remote sales rep earns a base salary, a bonus based on performance, and a commission based on sales. The ranges of salaries for a remote salesperson can vary from company to company.
Factors that Affect Salary for Remote Sales Work
There are several other factors to consider when deciding how much to offer potential candidates and new sales rep hires.
Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind:
Country and Cost of Living
The cost of living and the standard salary rates in the country of origin affect how much to pay a remote worker. Remote employers must consider the cost of living in the area and the standards in the land of origin when setting up salaries.
This will result in a remote worker who is more likely to be satisfied and not over-priced. The differing cost of living is a significant factor in establishing the pay rate. In the U.S., the cost of living varies from state to state. Remote workers need to know the standard salary rates of their city and state.
Skill Level
It is also essential to consider the skill level of the remote worker. This is because the skill level will help determine the remuneration that the worker receives. For example, if the remote worker is highly skilled, they will receive higher compensation than those with little or no skills.
Years of Experience
This is one of the most common factors employers use to determine to pay for remote sales hires. If the candidate is new to the job, it’s justifiable to start them off at a lower salary than the more experienced candidates. It’s a given that you would want to ensure that new hires are trained before you trust them with more responsibilities.
Hours of Work
The remote sales representatives work from a remote location, so they usually work a standard workweek, but a remote sales representative doesn’t have a “9-to-5” job.
One of the most significant benefits of working remotely is that remote sales representative can set their schedule. In other words, you can also work from home, from a different office, or a coffee shop.
This flexibility helps a lot in attracting the best talent. It is also one of the reasons that may attract a lot of talent to remote sales jobs. The remote sales rep usually does not have strict business hours and can choose their own work schedule.
Benefits and Time Off
Remote sales reps usually don’t work in an office and get paid for sick days and holidays. However, they still receive the same benefits and time off as in-house sales reps.
The Bottom Line
Managers often find it hard to determine the appropriate pay for their remote workers. The main problem is that the cost of living in a certain place is not the same as in another place.
The type of work will also determine the pay rate. For example, a virtual assistant is expected to be highly skilled, and therefore, they will be paid better. On the other hand, sales representatives will be paid better if they generate a higher income for their employer.
In the end, the pay that a company offers for remote work will depend on the above factors. The company will weigh all the factors in order to provide fair compensation for remote workers.
If you’re looking for a way to improve your client experience, start with your service. With hundreds or even thousands of customers, you need a reliable team.
CrewBloom is ready and equipped to provide expert and dependable sales representatives to ensure your brand is represented in the best way possible. We guarantee that our team of professionals works hard, smart, and fast!