If you work in sales, you already understand the importance of doing your homework. A quick LinkedIn search, or a little browsing on a company website, can tell you so much about what someone’s interested in and how they might benefit from your product.

Question: What are the best ways to keep cheerful when chatting?

Are remote teams doomed to failure? Is it possible to build a positive team culture when everyone is distributed?

Question: Wait a minute - you can talk to a bunch of customers at once with live chat?  How does that even work?

Celebrating with candy is an Olark tradition. We call it Sweet Support. As part of our monthly newsletter, the support team chooses an Olarker (or two or three) who has gone above and beyond for our customers. They get a box of treats to enjoy as a fun way to show our appreciation. Anyone at Olark can receive a Sweet Support package in the mail.

Question: How can I elegantly wrap up a chat when I need to leave my desk?

Last year, Olark became a remote-first company. We said goodbye to our headquarters in San Francisco and now our 40-person team works from across the US, South America and Europe. We love the benefits of working remotely so much, we’re trying to help others find a remote job too!

Question: I’m concerned that the visitors I chat with won’t remember everything I’ve shared with them.  Help?

What does a support-heavy business do when its customer base booms and its customer service capacity is stretched to the limit?

The following article originally appeared in Harvard Business Review. 

Many years ago, I had to take some time off work for depression. I had a sick note from the doctor, and had disclosed that it was mental health related. After two weeks, when I was just starting to feel like I could cope again, my colleagues invited me out for the evening. I wanted to remain welded to my sofa, but I decided to go, as a way of easing myself back into my normal routine.