In this Power Producers Shoptalk episode, David Carothers returns
for session five with the Insurance
Futures team to tackle one of the most critical elements in managing a
successful remote workforce: communication. Following four weeks of deep dives
into building remote teams, this episode zeroes in on how effective
communication can make or break your virtual agency’s culture and efficiency.
and his guests Jeremy
Huerta, Michael
Overstreet, and Caleb
Walker discuss the challenges unique to remote communication—like delayed
responses, misinterpreted messages, and the absence of face-to-face cues—and
share practical strategies to establish clear, consistent, and intentional
communication frameworks. They emphasize the importance of having structured
communication protocols, standardized abbreviations, and response expectations
so that the whole team is aligned and productive, no matter where they’re
Why Clear Communication Is Essential
David highlights how
delayed or unclear communication can cause frustration and impact client
service and sales outcomes in a remote setting. Consistent and transparent
communication is vital to keep everyone on the same page.
Setting Communication Guidelines and Hierarchy
The team stresses the need to define who to contact for what and by which
method—phone call, message, email, or quick acknowledgment—to prevent confusion
Choosing and Sticking to a Communication Platform
Jeremy and Michael explain the importance of picking one primary platform—like
Microsoft Teams—and committing to it, even if it’s imperfect, to maintain
consistency and avoid team frustration.
Standardizing Language and Status Updates
Using common abbreviations, uniform status indicators (like “BRB” or “Back”),
and clear expectations around response times reduces misunderstandings and
improves workflow across the virtual team.
Leveraging Playbooks and Resources
The team shares how they’ve created a comprehensive communication playbook and
organizational clarity tools that staff can access anytime, ensuring everyone
knows how and where to communicate efficiently.
To download the communication playbook and organizational chart worksheet:Click here