Without a daily route, you might as well be telling your customers that you don't care about their business.
A daily route is the bread and butter of any successful salesperson. You might have the best sales pitch in town, but if you don't make regular visits, they'll go elsewhere.
Unfortunately, creating a daily route isn't always easy. It takes time, effort, and the right planning tools to ensure you're making the most of your time.
In this guide, we'll look at why a daily route is important and highlight seven steps for creating it.
A daily route lists the customers and prospects you plan to visit regularly. Each day, you'll map out your routes and ensure you make the most of your time by visiting as many clients as possible.
For example, suppose you work for a local electronics store. Your daily route might include regular visits to the various retailers in your city and your best customers – those who typically buy large quantities of products and place repeat orders. You might also include visits to the local schools, libraries, and government buildings that purchase electronics for various purposes.
Do you create machines without a blueprint? Of course not. Your daily route is just like that. It gives you a roadmap for success, outlining the most efficient way to reach your customers and increase sales.
Some benefits of having a daily route include:
Increased productivity: When you have a daily route, you know exactly where to go each day. Plan your time and focus on sales rather than wasting time driving from one location to another.
Better customer service: A daily route ensures no clients fall through the cracks. You'll always visit everyone who needs your help, so you can maintain healthy relationships with your customers and improve customer satisfaction.
Improved sales results: Clients are more likely to buy from you when you visit them. You establish trust, build stronger relationships and enjoy a competitive edge over other salespeople in the industry.
There's no one-size-fits-all solution. The right strategy for your business depends on several factors, including the size of your sales team and the number of clients you need to visit daily. Here are some tips that can help you create an effective daily route:
Sales tracking tools are essential for planning your route and ensuring you make the most of each day. RepMove allows users to visualize their daily routes on maps and make adjustments based on real-time conditions.
For example, if a particular route takes too long, you can easily adjust it to save time. With the right sales tracking tool, you can ensure your daily routes optimize efficiency and help you deliver better results.
Your daily route should include both high-value and low-value customers. Track your clients' purchase history, sales productivity and other key data to help determine which customers are most important. If you need to, create separate routes for different customer types to ensure you focus on the right people.
You can also use RepMove's sales analytics feature to look at your previous sales data in greater detail. This can help you identify opportunities for improvement and ensure your daily routes generate maximum results.
Traffic patterns can have a significant impact on your daily route. For example, if you plan to visit multiple locations on the same street, starting at the furthest location may make sense and working your way back to avoid congestion.
Monitor real-time traffic data to adjust your routes as needed. Focus on minimizing travel time and maximizing productivity, and remember that your daily route is a work in progress. As traffic patterns change, update your routes to ensure they continue working as effectively as possible.
Your sales team will have valuable insights into their clients and the best way to reach them. They're on the front lines, so they know which clients need the most attention and what strategies have worked best in the past.
When you create your daily route, ask your team for feedback and be willing to adjust as needed. Suppose a client is always difficult to reach on the phone. If a sales rep knows this, they can add a few extra minutes to their route, so they have time to visit the client in person.
Weather conditions often change throughout the day, which may affect your daily routes. For example, severe storms could make driving more challenging than usual, or a heatwave may make an outdoor client visit more hectic.
Keep these factors in mind when planning your daily routes and be flexible enough to make the necessary changes. Consider creating multiple routes for different weather conditions, and always communicate with your team about potential changes to avoid any confusion or delays.
Your customers will have different preferences for sales visits. Some may prefer in-person visits over phone calls, while others may be more comfortable with video conferencing. Understanding your customers' preferences can help you create a daily route tailored to their needs and goals. It also helps you meet their expectations and maintain a positive relationship.
Your daily route is always a work in progress, so tracking metrics, such as travel time, productivity, and sales results, is important. This data can help you make necessary adjustments and optimize for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
If a new client requires more frequent visits, for example, adjust your route to include that client regularly. Let data dictate when and who you visit, and you'll be able to create daily routes that meet your customers' needs.
Start your route from your place of business or primary residence. Use your prospects list to add prospects as waypoints and optimize your route to minimize driving time. Add custom locations, such as a restaurant or coffee shop, for breaks or to track mileage.
Manage appointments or other events that might delay your route. When you're done, get an overview of your route, including stops, miles driven and travel time.
With a well-designed daily route, you can focus on the most important tasks and optimize your sales productivity. A sales route planner like RepMove can help you create effective routes that meet your customers' needs and maximize your sales results.
Whether you're looking for in-person visits, phone calls, or video conferences, RepMove can help you manage your daily routes and track metrics to ensure continued success. So if you're ready to start improving your sales performance today, try out RepMove now!
