One of the best parts of the 21st century? Being able to work anytime, anywhere, and with whoever you want. At The Miner Agency, we appreciate the flexibility and tools (thanks, Wi-Fi!) that allow us to partner with long-distance clients.
If you work in the industry and are hesitant to begin taking on long-distance clients, or you’re struggling to find the balance between long-distance and in-person clients, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to share with you just a few of our favorite tips, tricks, and platforms that make communication a breeze – from anywhere.
Without further ado, let’s get into the dos and don’ts of long-distance clients.
DO Establish Communications Preferences Immediately
This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to decide which platform you’ll be using to communicate with your clients from the get-go.
At The Miner Agency, we use Microsoft Teams for quick, effective communication. It feels like texting, but it also lets you jump into a call or video chat instantly. Teams is great for both 1:1 chats and group chats.
Another communication option is Slack. Slack is more or less the same as Teams. It’s a great way to have both 1:1 chats and group chats, and like Teams, it allows you to easily hop on a call to brainstorm.
Of course, you could always go for the old-fashioned phone or email method!
DO Find Ways to Track Completed and In-Progress Work
There’s nothing worse than attempting to complete a multi-stage process and then not being able to track down important links and documents. This is why we love to use tools like Microsoft SharePoint and Asana!
SharePoint allows you to build “sites” for each of your client where you can organize folders for documents, making it easy for team members to edit and update files in real time. From here, everyone with editing access can add to the folders and even directly edit documents. Creating documents within a SharePoint folder from the get-go is best for tracking purposes!
Asana is our favorite work management platform. You can assign tasks to others and yourself so that you can easily manage your to-do list. Each task can link to specific documents, which also helps tracking. Conversations about certain tasks, especially when edits are needed, can easily be tracked within Asana.
DON’T Forget to Set Up Times for Regular Calls and Meetings
While the convenience of working remotely is great, as humans we function better when we can meet and talk face-to-face – even if periodically. Decide how often you’ll meet. Will it be daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly? Each client or team may need a different schedule, so adapt accordingly.
You should also decide which platforms you will use for these meetings. Will you be using Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams? Will you need an in-person meeting every few months? This is up to you and your colleagues/clients and there is no wrong answer – it’s just important to set expectations sooner rather than later.
DON’T Forget to Set Clear Boundaries and Expectations
When it comes to remote work, it gets harder and harder to say “no” to some tasks and “yes” to others. It can be hard to step away at the end of a work day, because after all – you’re already home. It can be hard to agree to an impromptu in-person meeting when you’re used to meeting from the comfort of your couch!
This is why it’s so important to set your expectations from the start. Agree on a daily work schedule, a routine meeting schedule, and what protocol and etiquette will be for working remotely.
Is it cool with you for your colleagues to have their cameras turned off? Is it okay to join a meeting from the car? Are these meetings confidential? It’s a good idea for everyone to agree on a few “ground rules” from the start.
The Miner Agency specializes in productivity and streamlining success – even with long-distance clients and coworkers. If you have more questions, feel free to email us at info@themineragency.com.