Combining a sales software with a route planning software makes perfect sense.
CPG brands and wholesalers operating a field sales team can benefit not only from more efficient route planning but also create prioritized visit schedules based on customer information and sales data from the CRM / ERP. But how do you know if your business needs one?
1.
Your sales
reps aren’t meeting their targets
Below are three problems that a sales route planner can make a significant contribution in solving...
Have you noticed your field sales team keep
missing their weekly and monthly targets? Are your merchandisers completing all
their scheduled visits? If they’re not, your business is taking a hit.
Using a sales route planner, managers and
reps alike can effectively plan their daily routes on a digital map, making
sure they schedule the most relevant meetings first. This could mean they prioritize
visiting stores they have not visited for a while (say over 3 weeks), or stores
that have reduced order volume by more than 30% over the past month. Regardless
of the business rationale, a route planner will provide you with the tools to
prioritize customer visits.
Consider whether your field reps have the
information they need to up-sell out in the field? Can they access the product data
they need quickly and easily? Are they up-to-date with best-selling and
out-of-stock items?
With real-time access to the in-stock and
most popular items, they are in the perfect position to optimize shelf space
and quickly replenish goods whilst they’re out in the field saving time and
money. In addition, when your sales planning software is integrated with a
product e-catalog, your
reps can quickly pull up any product information the customer requests and
instantaneously create another order right there and then.
Additionally, you can monitor your staff
when out in the field, as every activity they perform can be geo-tagged and
time stamped. So you will be totally in control.
2.
Your
customers are showing their dissatisfaction
Customer satisfaction is a metric closely
monitored by all brands. No need to explain why. But what happens if things go
the wrong way? What if revenue decreases and customers are no longer making
repeat orders. If this is happening, it could indicate that your customers
aren’t being visited often enough and are ordering through your competitors
instead.
A route planner will help you plan daily
routes and schedules so you can meet customers at the right time to address
their ongoing concerns and provide that much needed personal touch to improve
satisfaction and reduce churn.
A well-planned route not only means you
visit more customers, it also means you meet the right customers at the right
time.
3.
Your field
reps are unhappy
When you don’t provide your reps with a way
to optimize their routes, they will miss important meetings, be late with their
deliveries and fall behind schedule making them demotivated. It will also
likely affect their compensation as field sales staff salaries are closely tied
to performance.
If you want your employees to be happy and
content, you need to give them the right tools necessary to do their jobs. A sales planner is such a tool.
Consider another issue - what if they get
asked about previous orders whilst out in the field? Or asked about the next
slot available for a shipment? Don’t let your reps feel powerless to answer
customer questions when they’re with them face-to-face. Make sure you provide
them access to back office data so they can better service customers.
Finally, integrating your sales route planner
solution with a navigation app (such as Waze, Google Maps or Apple Maps) will
help minimize driving time and maximize the number of stops.
If you’re seeing any of the above warning signs in
your business – it’s time to consider investing in a sales route planner.
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