It is absolutely core to the business model.

We get better qualified applicants as we’re not limited to those in any one location.

I built the business out of a desire to support my family while maintaining the flexibility to live wherever I wanted and live a balanced life, so it was only natural that the business be created to support remote work.

Attitude is the number one. I want high energy, go-getter, positive individuals.

Video conference is essential. I’ve even begun asking for videos as part of the application process so I can get a sense of the applicant’s personality before we meet.

Interestingly enough, the culture comes across best while asking the candidate questions. The very type of questions we ask, which often get the candidates speaking of their personal values, conveys more about us than any statement we can make. When candidates ask about the company culture, I’ll often bring on one of the other staff to answer those questions, as I’m obviously biased as the owner.

I request applicants to submit a video application and/or fill out a quiz, which puts them in common work scenarios to see how they react.

No, we do not.

We have them work through our website and knowledge base, then shadow other staff, and then have staff shadow them during their initial interactions. We also constantly give feedback on client interactions.

Clear tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables.

Managing outgoing sales efforts.

Our weekly staff meeting, done via Skype, keeps everyone on top of the company’s initiatives.

Each person takes as much time off as they need, though they are expected to coordinate with other staff to make sure nothing falls through the cracks in their absence.

Initially our policies for managing our remote staff developed organically, then later we developed a more cohesive policy.

100%. The staff meetings are key to that.

You must develop intelligent systems to hire and manage your remote staff, or you’ll soon find yourself out of control.

Identifying which staff are doing a great job and which are not.

Chat and Skype

We’ve developed a knowledge base that contains core elements everyone needs to know. Not only do new staff need to study the knowledge base, but whenever they have an interaction not inline with our company policies, they are referred to the pertinent section of the knowledge base to review and correct.

I’m both an author and a business owner. I do my writing in the morning, then transition into work in the afternoon, which is when U.S. business hours begin for me.

The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes

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