The only time a sales route plan is unnecessary is when the number of sales activities and destinations being performed is very low. For instance, sales route planning isn’t really necessary if a salesperson is intimately familiar with a local area and is only going to a few places. That means they might not need a formalized plan and will likely be able to manually create the best possible sales route for themselves.
Their expertise alone may be sufficient to create a reasonable sales route. However, this can’t really work if a sales representative is either new to a city or sales territory or has a busier day with a bunch of sales activity planned. In these instances, it is smart to perform some sales route planning, even if it’s only done during certain times.
Sales route planning could help a sales rep navigate a strange area with better ease. It will help them understand efficient paths throughout the sales territory, saving them time and giving them the ability to generate more sales and earn more throughout their day.
When creating a sales route plan, you will want to make sure that you have a map view, notes on the areas you wish to visit, and apps to log the activity’s history. That might warrant using a mobile app on either an Android or iPhone device. In other cases, a manual spreadsheet may be enough.
Choosing a good route planning solution
For many sales reps and companies, it is clear that planning improves productivity and saves a huge amount of time. Nonetheless, it is not simple to pick the ideal solution to make planning your routes easy. There are many sales route planning software for you to choose from, each with each having their own pros and cons.
One of the most challenging methods is making a route manually. Typically, this involves field sales reps assessing maps and choosing a destination order. However, since they do not benefit from real-time traffic data and traffic delays, the outcomes when doing this are not often optimal.
In many situations, a sales route planner is a good option. For instance, you could utilize Google Maps for route planning. That approach is useful, as the app is free, and most people use it already. However, while it may provide you with the shortest route, that is not always the best route, particularly if you are looking to add multiple stops.
Most specialized applications might be good to consider. As such, it might be better to pursue an option created specifically with business needs in mind. That could involve a dedicated sales route planner app or enterprise-grade routing software based on your company’s requirements and size.
That way, you can implement a solution that focuses on optimization and is totally scalable, ensuring your salespeople can reach new peaks in their sales productivity.
Optimization enhances sales reps routing
Excellent planning will transform your workflow and business. In fact, the importance of optimization can’t be overstated. Keep in mind that outside salespeople can spend less time on the road and much time working with potential and existing customers. This can help to increase a sales team’s motivation as they will be able to generate more sales in a shorter period of time, allowing them to earn higher commission rates.