Working with clients remotely has countless advantages for your business. From reduced overheads to being able to work all over the globe, you can be far more flexible and ambitious for your organization. However, it is clear that companies exploring remote work need to master an entirely different skill set to their in-office counterparts.
That’s why we’ve put together 10 essential keys to success when working remotely with a client. We’ll take a deep dive into the strategies, skills, and tech solutions you need to hit the ground running. So if you’re looking to make the most of cloud-based B2C business, read on.
1. Calculate what you’re capable of offering
Before you even approach clients, there’s a lot of groundwork you can set. This is especially important for leaders who are launching a new venture: it’s hard to know what you’re really capable of, or what difficulties lie ahead, without practical experience. However, it is equally applicable to established companies looking to expand or take on different kinds of projects.
One of the keys to success when working remotely with a client is to ensure you have the ability to take on the task. Do you have the right software to collaborate and communicate? Do you have the right skill set in your team to achieve what you set out to do? Can you handle multiple projects at the same time? All of this can be covered in your business plan, then it’s time to put it to the test.
Gathering data on your performance is crucial to knowing exactly what you can offer. With time tracking software, you can measure how long tasks should realistically take. All of this data is vital to offer guaranteed service level agreements when working with clients remotely.
True, it’s quite a tedious task, but it pays off in the long run. Rather than staining your reputation with poor service, you can build trust with your clients and get feedback that you can use to attract more business.
2. Decide on the tools and processes you’re going to adopt
With platforms out there that cover all your business needs, there’s simply no excuse for taking a slap-dash approach to your organizational tools and processes. When you’ve got your act together, those around you can spot it a mile off. It transmits professionalism and trust, not to mention reducing stress in your day-to-day working life.
Even when you’re working alone, you can’t reach peak productivity if you aren’t organized. That’s why so many business leaders and solopreneurs outsource huge chunks of their brain activity to smart little algorithms. Put simply, you can make good use of calendars to reduce the need to remember tasks, and run your tasks through a project management tool with a Kanban visualization, rather than picturing it in your mind’s eye.
On a more personal level, it’s very easy to fall into bad habits when you’re working from home, or if the work you receive isn’t consistent. Therefore, a structured routine is central in our keys to success when working remotely with a client.
3. Be comprehensive about your client onboarding process
When working with clients remotely, your onboarding process is the first major point of communication. This makes it a golden opportunity that you should use for all it is worth. Sure, you can go over technical aspects such as project milestones, but don’t miss the opportunity to connect with clients on a personal level.
Ultimately though, an onboarding process explains how you can help each other to create a long-lasting, successful partnership. Therefore, one of your most important tasks is to explain how you will work together using cloud-based collaboration tools. You should walk them through aspects such as how to find key documents in your online storage and edit documents in real time, as well as reassuring them that all their data is safe.
While many of the keys to success when working remotely with a client focus on hard skills that you can adopt, your onboarding process goes even further. Yes, you outline expectations and set the stage for collaboration, but you’re also making serious headways into a less tangible area: trust. As you build trust, you improve the likelihood of repeated or continuous work and earn some leeway when things go wrong outside of your control.
4. Plan (and stick to) a communication strategy
When contemplating how to work with clients remotely, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that communication is everything. However, it’s not as easy as pinging out messages with every update at all hours of the day. There are innumerous pitfalls in communication, such as overloading your clients and losing vital information. However, all of these can be avoided with a well-thought-out strategy — and it’s not too hard to make.
Experience will guide you in what works and what doesn’t, but you can start simple. In a communication strategy, you should include periodic updates with clients: short, weekly video calls that outline your progress and offer clients the opportunity for feedback. Outside of these calls, our keys to working remotely with a client suggest keeping all communication limited to one place. As a rule of thumb, emails and instant messages can get messy, so stick to your task management tool to stay organized.
5. Keep records of all your communications
One of the top keys to working remotely with a client is to create a tight professional and personal relationship by getting written records of communications and agreements in a CRM. No need to rely on your overworked memory, you can ask how the kids are doing, refer back to previous communications, and offer a much better customer experience.
Experienced remote workers will tell you that another of the keys to success when working remotely with a client is to take detailed notes as you communicate with them. At the end of the call, you can go over the topics discussed and the agreements made, before creating and assigning relevant tasks.
Keeping records of your communication has a double benefit. Firstly, it clears up any confusion and eradicates the possibility of you forgetting what you’ve spoken about. However, it is also a reliable record that can come to your defence if things turn sour.
For maximum impact, we’d strongly recommend taking notes in a structured fashion. The best way to do this is to take all your notes and create all your tasks directly in your project management app. Complete with deadlines, collaborators, instructions, and resources, you can use your task creation tool as a checklist without letting anything slip past unnoticed.
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6. Be methodical about your client’s needs
Although it’s a great time saver to create trusted project templates, it’s also important to take your client’s needs into account alongside your working style. For example, if your clients are in a different time zone, you can’t call them in the middle of the night just because it’s convenient for you.
Before getting into the details, take time to do a bit of research on who you’re dealing with. You can create a checklist of areas to look at, such as how many people they have in the company, who your main contact will be, and what their mission statement is. Being attentive in this way takes its place in our keys to success when working remotely with a client principally because it helps you provide an excellent customer experience.
7. Agree on achievable deadlines — and stick to them
If you’re early in your career as a small business owner, you may have already come up against the difficulties of over promising to secure contracts. This is totally understandable. You want to get business moving, so you grab any opportunity with both hands and work out the details later.
It’s not catastrophic as a short-term strategy, but you’ll soon find yourself overworked — not giving each project your full attention and missing deadlines. All of this contributes to a breakdown in trust. Therefore, one of the most mature keys to success when working remotely with a client is to discuss deadlines with your clients and only promise what you can honestly deliver. Remember: it’s better to underpromise and overdeliver than the other way around.
8. Analyze your performance and continuously improve
We live in a fast-paced world, if you hadn’t noticed, and if you aren’t constantly improving your strategy, you’re falling behind. This calls for a lot of self-reflection to stay ahead of the curve.
The easiest way to look for improvements is to have an open-door policy with your team. They’re on the battlefield and they know what isn’t working— and usually have suggestions on how to streamline it.
For a more data-driven tactic, the best project management tools give you a full suite of performance analyticswhere you can identify roadblocks before they snowball into issues that can wreck your projects.
By paying close attention to these elements, you can tackle problems while they’re still manageable rather than overhauling your entire strategy. This translates into a professional approach that inspires confidence in clients.
9. Get constructive feedback from your clients
At the end of the day, the secret to any successful business is giving your customers what they want. And what better way to do that than with those who know you best?
Therefore, as one of our simplest keys to success when working remotely with a client, we’d advise you to reach out for feedback — but to be systematic about it. Emails and calls are great for the odd comment here and there, but it’s hardly the most productive approach. Instead, you can guide your clients to get more reliable feedback on the areas you want to work on.
For example, if you’re worried about your communication, customize forms to include a sliding scale of satisfaction, before offering a text box to give more information. You can then pull out easy-to-analyze reports to see common themes and train your team to tackle them better in the future.
10. Don’t be afraid to push for future projects
When considering how to work with clients remotely, it’s easy to see success through the lens of individual projects. But what do you do once you’ve wrapped up your work?
The most visionary leaders are always looking for the next step for their business, and are bold enough to go for it. There is no shame in asking your main contact to keep you in mind for their next campaign, or even suggesting their next moves.
Even if they have no more work for you, happy clients are more than willing to provide a testimonial praising your services. Whether you share their kind words on social media, feature them on your website, or use them in marketing campaigns, positive reviews from past clients are an invaluable marketing tool— even better if they share them with their own networks.
When internalized throughout your team, these 10 essential keys to success when working remotely with a client will undoubtedly lead to greater success for your business. However, you need to put frameworks in place to facilitate your new strategies. While some of these involve a change in working culture, others are much simpler to enact.
Bitrix24 combines all the technology mentioned in this article for an all-round business platform. No more shaky integrations, switching between apps, or forking out for a new product— one online headquarters to launch all your projects with ease.
If that sounds like the kind of system your company needs, it couldn’t be easier to get started. Sign up to Bitrix24 today and take your remote projects to the next level.
FAQs
How do you successfully work with remote clients?
The keys to success when working remotely with a client include:
- Setting clear expectations from the outset
- Keeping written records of decisions made
- Using technology as your ally
- Implementing an effective communication plan
- Constantly improving your strategy
How do you engage clients remotely?
When you can’t meet face-to-face, the best ways to engage clients are:
- Emails and phone calls for reaching out
- Comprehensive onboarding to get to know each other
- Video calls to dig down into details
- Cloud project management tools for task-related communication
- Customizable forms for structured feedback
How do you maintain client relationships while working remotely?
When you’re not side by side, it’s hard to maintain relationships with your customers. However our keys to success when working remotely with a client recommend the following methods:
- Frequent check-ins via video call
- Key updates within your task management software
- Being flexible to accommodate their needs
- Sticking to deadlines throughout the process
- Offering your services for future projects
What is remote work?
Remote work refers to a professional arrangement where employees work from locations outside the traditional office environment.
How do I build trust with remote clients?
Be transparent, honest, and accountable. Consistently deliver high-quality work on time, communicate proactively, and address concerns as they arise. Maintain a professional demeanor and show genuine interest in your clients' needs.
What are some tools for effective collaboration with remote clients?
Popular collaboration tools include project management platforms (e.g., Bitrix24, Trello, Asana), file sharing services, and communication platforms.
How can I manage my time effectively while working remotely?
Establish a daily routine, set priorities, break tasks into smaller milestones, and track your progress. Use time management tools and minimize distractions to maintain focus.
How can I ensure data security and privacy while working remotely?
Use strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and encrypted communication channels. Keep software and devices updated, and follow company guidelines on data storage and sharing. Be cautious with public Wi-Fi networks.
