66 percent of a sales team member's time is spent on non-sales tasks. Whether it's travel, administrative work, or non-sales related phone calls, these tasks prevent sales reps from spending time on what they really need to do – sell.
Sales route planning is one of the most critical tasks for a sales rep. It streamlines their work and keeps them on track to achieve their goals, but many reps fail here because of a lack of planning, poor execution, or being bogged down by other routine tasks that need attention first.
In this guide, we discuss five expert tips for sales route planning and how you can use them to get the most out of your team. Let's dive in!
Sales reps can't sell what they don't know. An in-depth understanding of your products and services is essential for crushing sales quotas. This means a firm grasp of the features and benefits of your offerings, as well as knowing how they can help potential clients achieve their goals.
Be prepared to address questions or objections about your products, and articulate their value to prospective clients. Focus on solutions and provide detailed case studies or testimonials to support your claims. Train your sales reps with simulated sales conversations and role-playing exercises to ensure they're prepared for any situation and can handle any objections.
One of the most common mistakes sales reps and teams make is assuming it's simply something they should do "when they have time" or as an afterthought to their regular sales activities. Instead, integrate it into your sales strategy to ensure everyone follows the same guidelines and objectives.
Start by planning your sales territories and allocate a certain amount of time each week for route planning activities. Then, use CRM software or scheduling apps to track your progress and make necessary adjustments. And above all, remember that it's a continuous process – your sales reps and territories change over time, so revisit your route planning strategy regularly.
Set clear and measurable goals for each sales rep and ensure these align with your overall sales objectives. Be realistic about the time each rep has available for route planning and ensure they have the necessary tools and resources to achieve their goals. Track their progress and ensure they have the time and resources needed to achieve their sales targets.
For example, goals around travel time – how many miles each rep should drive per day or week or how many hours they should spend on the road. Other goals include the number of sales calls or appointments per day or average daily deal sizes. Whatever your goals are, make sure they're clear, specific, and measurable to track progress and stay on top of any issues with individual reps or territories.
Your CRM contains valuable information for your sales route planning efforts, including customer contact details and past sales data. Integrate the map with your CRM to get the most out of this information. Salespeople who use a CRM tool for sales are 9 percentage points more likely to have hit their annual sales target last year and be satisfied in their current role.
Most sales leaders also expect sales tools and customer support tools to be integrated: 64 percent say sales reps should be able to access both. CRM data, such as customer locations and past sales history, help you identify the best routes for each rep and potential new customers or hot leads they may want to visit. Use this data to help pinpoint areas where certain reps may struggle or find new sales growth opportunities in different territories to maximize results.
Your reps may have free time or unallocated hours between meetings or appointments. Rather than wasting this time on non-sales tasks, find ways they can use this time for route planning purposes.
Options might include using GPS tools and apps to track their current location and identify the best routes, finding nearby customers or leads they may want to visit, or using their downtime to catch up on any other sales tasks still on their to-do lists. Whatever you choose, ensure your reps make the most of every minute of their day and dedicate this time to drive more sales and revenue for your business.
Automate as many administrative tasks as possible to make your sales reps' lives easier. One of the most common administrative tasks that can be tedious and time-consuming for sales reps is mileage tracking and reimbursement. Reps spend a lot of time filling out mileage forms and are often not reimbursed on time. Automating this process saves your reps time, hassle, and frustration and reduces the likelihood of any errors or delays with their reimbursements.
Several tools and apps are available to help you automate mileage tracking and reimbursement for your sales reps. These range from simple mobile apps that track each trip automatically to more complex software solutions that integrate with your CRM system and other sales tools. Choose the best solution for your team so they can focus on what they do best – setting and achieving sales goals.
Sales route planning is a critical part of any effective sales strategy. Preparation avoids wasted time, missed opportunities, and lost sales revenue. Use the latest tools and technology to streamline your sales route planning efforts, and share clear and measurable goals with your sales reps to help them achieve their targets.
RepMove is one solution that can help you achieve these goals. A full-fledged sales route planner for sales reps, teams, and managers, RepMove accumulates all your accounts, contacts, maps and deals in one place. With RepMove’s advanced route planning features, you can find the fastest and most efficient routes for your reps to take, optimize delivery routes, schedule appointments intelligently and more.
To learn more about RepMove and how it can help with your sales route planning efforts, explore the website today.
