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5 Tips For Working From Home

Due to the coronavirus, many Americans are having to work from home because their regular places of employment aren't allowing them to do their work on premises. Some have been working from home for a while. Only about 29% of Americans did their work remotely in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the rest of us, it can be a learning experience.

I've worked from home for years, in the sense that I do my phoning, setting appointments, paperwork, etc in my home office. I don't meet clients in my house, as a rule, but will meet them at their homes, workplace or coffee shops. With those options taken off the table, I've had to resort to phone appointments and video meetings, which I really don't care for.

One of the more recent pieces of news was the strong uptick in Zoom video conferencing users, and the company's stock went up as other stocks dropped significantly. Then the bad news hit, that Zoom's services weren't secure. Hopefully other conferencing services will be better.

Personally, I prefer to just talk to someone over the phone if I can. I'll email my client a PDF of a brochure beforehand and just talk to them about the product. And luckily, my insurance carriers have applications I can fill out on the web.



There's another aspect to working from home that is also very important. Most people just don't know what to do. They have never been in this kind of situation and are poorly prepped mentally when it comes to being productive in the place where you normally relax. So here are a few tips to help you succeed from home.

  1. Get dressed. Just because you're home doesn't mean you get the day off or it's casual work day. Do your normal morning routine. Wake up on time, get a shower, and get dressed. Don't forget breakfast too.
  2. Be prepared for anything. Don't leave files and supplies in your vehicle or another room. There's nothing like putting a client on hold so you can find your phone charger. And keep your phone charged.
  3. Let the family know you are working. My daughter has been forewarned not to walk in and scream "Hey Dad!" at the top of her lungs. Any cleaning that creates noise (vacuuming, washing dishes, etc) is moved to evenings. As I have explained, if I can't work, I can't make money and you can't eat.
  4. Avoid distractions like social media. We can agree that Facebook is a time killer. If I do some work, I'll reward myself with 5 minutes of social media, but I have to be strict on that time limit. Otherwise I get nothing done.
  5. Invest in yourself. If you find that you have some extra downtime, use it to learn more about your products or watch a webinar. Much more productive than watching Netflix all day.
As you learn how to develop this new skill set (and that's what it really is) you may be find yourself wanting to do more of it when things get back to normal. Some predict that after the coronavirus dies down we may still have many employees who will continue to work from home, whether by choice or company directive. Make the most of it and stay safe and healthy.

Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.
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