“Plans are nothing; Planning is everything.”
Dwight Eisenhower
When it comes to sales force management, the toughest call lies in arranging and augmenting the sales routes so that maximum productivity is extracted out of the entire route as well as from the sales representatives. This has a direct impact on increasing customer satisfaction and adding to new customers along the route. With a sure shot cut in costs in terms of lesser sales force, maintenance, diesel cost etc., sales route management are one of the key areas that are vital in the success of any mobile field force automation.
From the sales representative’s angle, the frustrating situations arise when there is such a lot of time wasted in moving from one place to another, without any route planning. Not finding the right way, repeating routes to meet new customers, wasting time, not reaching customers on time thereby losing out on their trust factor are very common hurdles the sales force faces. This has a direct impact on their efficiency and enthusiasm levels. For a get set go to market at a fast pace, a field force automation solution is the ideal key. And a perfect sales route planning is the major element for a successful implementation.
“Either you run the day, or the day runs you.”
Jim Rohn
How does Sales Route Planning Work in a Sales Force Automation System?
As a comprehensive route management feature, there is a complete tour arrangement done in the solution which includes planning of distributors by field force as well as managers. Based on the geolocation of customers, the entire route plan is showcased to each field force as per their day to day activities.
Even prior scheduling of monthly tours, creating of beat and holiday planning in advance can be done through the calendar-based route plan. New routes can be added, salespersons can be assigned to the routes and then customers can be attached to relevant field force based on different criteria. The back office can do the entire route planning, but it can be updated depending on necessary conditions. The geographical maps can show complete routes with customer locations using Google Maps directly from the solution itself.
“There’s no lotion or portion that will make sales faster and easier for you – unless your potion is hard work.”
Jeffery Gitomer
Why is Sales Route Management Critical to the Success of Field Force Management Software?
Managing and monitoring sales routes is one of the most important features of any Mobile SFA solution. Sales effectiveness can be surely improved with a comprehensive field force management software. These are the very evident reasons why managing routes properly is a must.
Lessened Driving
If planned properly, a perfect route can directly affect the need for driving and lessen it to a great extent. Instead of the driver moving repeatedly from one location to another, backtracking, the route itself shows an optimized way of reaching out to customers one after the other. And that reduces unnecessary driving largely saving a lot of time, money and energy.
Decreased Waiting Period
Route planning can be done in such a way that there is a minimal waiting period for the sales staff at customer locations & traffic areas, keeping in mind prime traffic times, lunch breaks etc. A robust sales force automation system sees to it that the sales route management is finely done, encouraging the field force to perform with ease and simplicity.
Ideal Loading of Items
It is very important how the items are loaded into the vehicle. That does form a crucial part in deciding how much time 1 transaction takes. If it is done in the sequence of customer visits, it becomes easier to take off the items from the vehicle saving a lot of time at the sales rep’s end.
Enhanced Client Satisfaction
It is a direct ratio, happy sales force to happy customers. If the field force is working on the right sales route, it is bound to meet customers regularly, complete orders on time and work upon returns / new visits etc. much more effectively. This has a direct positive impact on the client satisfaction level. It is sure to bounce up.
Monitoring Driver Activities
Since the entire solution is GPS driven, the solution has the full stock of which driver is going where, when and which routes are being taken. A close eye on the activities of the drivers can be easily managed, disallowing them to do any kind of malicious activity or delay in their schedule. Various reports based on requirements can also be generated, bringing in a lot of transparency to the entire team.
To Zip Zap Zoom your Sales, download the free demo version of ZooM from Google Play Store and experience the capabilities of some of the most prominent features of ZooM. How else would you experience the efficiency and robustness of this comprehensive mobile sales force automation application?
Try it to believe it!!! To convert to a complete end-to-end enterprise solution for your organization, ask for a demo or visit https://www.mobilesalesforceautomation.net/.
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