How to Use Geomarketing in Sales Territory Planning!
You want to plan, evaluate and divide sales territories for your sales representatives? Here are the key reasons why geomarketing software makes sales and territory planning more efficient.
Software-assisted Territory Planning for Your Sales
Get Better Results from Your Sales Planning with the Help of Software
Sales territories often grow over time and no longer meet their objective criteria. It is recommended to restructure your sales territories every one to two years. Furthermore,
- entry into new markets
- introduction of new products and distribution lines
- company mergers or
- personnel changes among the sales representatives
may make restructuring or replanning of sales territories necessary.
However, sales territory planning is not as easy as it seems at first glance. A defined market should be optimally served. The critical success factors such as the regional distribution of customers, market and sales potential, frequency of visits, accessibility and travel times all compete with each other and must be balanced as best as possible. Only those who take into account the needs of the employees and especially where they live will succeed. A successful territory restructuring is generally well accepted by the entire sales force.
Such complexity can only be optimally managed using software. The sales planning software creates a suggestion based on your criteria that can also be adjusted manually if necessary.
The result is a well-structured sales territory made up of equivalent units with the workload and market potential being fairly distributed. This helps ensure your team all pulls together. The quality of customer service increases and so do your sales!
5 Reasons Why You Should Always Plan Sales Territories with Geomarketing Software
1. Easily Display Sales Territories on Maps
A map says more than 1,000 data records. The equivalent of a picture says more than 1,000 words in Geomarketing. This is simply due to the way the human brain processes information. So it makes sense to take advantage of this simple fact by displaying data spatially on maps! Instead of confusing tables, we now work with vivid maps that let us immediately recognize the spatial relationships. Maps help you locate the blind spots in your sales territory and let you immediately see where action is needed.
2. Correct Evaluation of Sales Territories
The evaluation
and division of territories is objectively based on hard numbers. Your
company data is analyzed for strengths and weaknesses. By including
industry-specific market potential data, growth opportunities are
revealed allowing goals to be defined realistically. You develop
powerful strategies based on facts and your decisions are widely
accepted due to their transparency and traceability.
3. The algorithm is impartial and fast
No
need to worry about giving up control for the automatic territory
planning! The software simply prepares a suggestion based on the
criteria you specify. Your existing customer relationships remain
untouched if that is what you want. Try different scenarios until you
find a result that meets the specific needs of your company and to which
everyone involved can commit. The success-critical factors such as
sales potential, accessibility, etc. are finely balanced by the
algorithm. This is only possible with software! In any case, you save
time.
4. Make Efficient Use of Your Sales Team through Fair Division of the Sales Territory
Territory planning software calculates equal sales territories based on pre-determined criteria such as topographical availability, frequency of visits, customer density and potential for new customers. The fair division of the territories according to market potential and workload ensures that nobody feels disadvantaged. Satisfied and motivated employees are the result.
5. More Time With the Customers Means More Sales
The sum of
these measures means that your sales force spends the most time there,
where it pays off: the customer! The service quality and customer
satisfaction increase, and if necessary, you can strategically focus on
new customer acquisition. A professional, software-supported sales
territory planning is proven to increase sales!
Sales territory planning: Software or Consulting Services? We help you answer this question free of charge!
Tutorial: Area Expansion Based on Areas from Excel
Do you have your sales areas in an Excel file? These can be easily transferred to WIGeo ATP and used to start an area expansion. You can see how this works in our video tutorial.
Territory Planning - Tips, So Everything Goes Right!
Territory planning requires know-how and tact. The following list should help you make sure everything goes smoothly:
Take enough time for the planning | Be sure to schedule enough time. Territory planning is a work and time intensive process that also involves human and psychological aspects. The software helps to balance complex criteria, however, thorough preparation and follow-up is essential for success. |
Only good data guarantees meaningful results | It is incredibly important to have the right data in good quality. Be sure to get your data in good shape before you start! |
Use current data on your market potential | If you only use your existing company data you will only be mapping the past and previously unused potentials and blind spots will also be left out in the future. To be future-oriented, it is essential to also include current regional market potential data in your analysis. |
Define your goals in advance | What do you want to achieve? For example, is your focus on acquisition of new customers or savings in sales? Clearly defined planning goals are crucial. |
Get your employees involved | It is critical to include your sales representatives in the territory planning. They are the people who will put the new structure into practice. Failure to include them will not only cause discontent, you will also be missing out on their extensive market knowledge and experience. |
Consider the interests of your customers | It usually makes sense to leave certain existing customer relationships untouched. However, if too many exceptions are made, everything ultimately remains the same. |
Set realistic goals | Be certain to set attainable goals. Take travel times and where employee live into account to ensure the territories planned are not too big. |
Get to Know Sales Planning Software Now!
... Or Let Us Be Your Specialist!
Would You Like to Focus on Your Core Business? Then Simply Have Us Take Care of Your Sales Territory Planning
We are happy to take care of it for you!
We come to your company and support you in the planning, moderation & communication as well as the data preparation as part of your territory planning project. Or you can completely outsource the entire project to us.
These Are the Steps of a Typical Territory Planning Project
Step 1: Analyze the Status Quo
We
determine the actual situation and conduct a strength-weakness analysis
of the existing structures. Relevant company data is integrated
together with current market data into a uniform spatial data model.
Step 2: Strategic Planning
Based
on this analysis, you define your goals. For example, would you like to
reduce the number of territories or focus on growth and new customer
acquisition? The potential calculations created in the analysis phase
help you to set realistic growth targets. With the help of our territory
planning software, we will go over different scenarios with you.
Step 3: Moderation & Communication
The
result will be presented to your team and adjustments will be discussed
and fine-tuned in one or more workshops until the new structure is
agreed upon!
Step 4: Operational Implementation
This step is up to you. Of course we will be happy to support you in word and deed.
Our Service - Your Benefit
- 25 years of experience and industry knowledge
- A transparent approach using proven planning tools and methods
- Customized potential data
- Objectivity in the planning process through professional moderation
Consultation or Software? Click here for help making a decision.
Sales territory planning: Quick, easy & straightforward with our service
Would you like to plan your sales territories without buying any software? Then our sales territory planning service is the right choice for you!
- You send us your data in Excel format.
- We display your current territories on the map.
- We optimise with geo-expert knowledge according to your specifications.
- You receive our proposal visualised on the map in the online tool for coordination with colleagues and final fine-tuning. You receive the new structure as an Excel file.
After the Territory is Restructured - The Next Step
Once your sales territory restructure or reorganization is completed and implemented, you have additional valuable geomarketing tools to monitor and report on the ongoing performance of your sales force. Visualize your structure in a WebGIS software and keep an eye on the market to be able to flexibly make adjustments at any time. You can also make the WebGIS available to your service representatives in the field. A mobile WebGIS solution for sales representatives increases transparency and thus acceptance after an territory has been restructured. Even when on the go, every employee has access to relevant market and customer information, an important prerequisite for providing perfect customer service.
Sales territory planning - further case studies and information
Plan Sales Organizations with SalesNet Software
With SalesNet, you can plan your sales organization ad hoc, quickly & easily. This is because changes are automatically transferred to all the other hierarchical levels, including ERP/CRM.
Unicredit Bank Austria: Geomarketing optimises sales structures
Using WIGeoGIS geomarketing software, UniCredit Bank Austria is optimising its sales structures based on physical branches.
VDMA - WebGIS supports tractor manufacturers
VDMA Agricultural Machinery uses WebGIS to support tractor manufacturers with geomarketing analyses for the optimization of sales and service structures.
Sales development in tobacco wholesale
Eduard Rausch, internationally experienced manager for the tobacco industry and managing director of DanCzek AT GmbH, used geographical information systems for the first time in order to reshape sales.
Sales territory planning: Request a free initial consultation
- FREE initial consultation on sales territory planning
- Non-binding, without further obligations
- By telephone or video call
Do you want to plan your areas optimally? I will gladly support you. Please contact me!
FAQ
-
When is a Sales Territory Restructure Useful?
Typical reasons for restructuring an territory are a reduction or expansion of the sales representative force, entry into new markets, the introduction of new product lines and organizational changes such as company mergers or personnel changes. Less obvious, though widespread, are outdated sales structures that have evolved over time and are now inefficient. It is recommended to restructure your sales territories every one to two years.
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How much time should I budget for an territory planning project?
It depends on the individual starting position, especially the size of your company. How many people are involved? In general, the duration of an territory planning project is often underestimated. Calculating the territories with the help of software is only a matter of a few minutes. However, the data must be prepared, the current situation analyzed and the goals well-considered and defined. The initial plan developed should be presented internally with sensitivity and possible further refinements should be worked out with the team. Good territory planning can take a few weeks to months.
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Why should I use software for my territory planning?
The graphic representation of your territory in the form of maps (at the push of a button) gives you an overview right from the start that lets you immediately recognize spatial relationships. Tables and figures and static maps (e.g. on paper) can not begin to compare. Good territory planning should include all the critical success factors such as accessibility, where the sales representatives live, sales potential, etc. These factors compete with each other and need to be fine-tuned, a complex task that the algorithm of an territory planning software handles differently than a human! Another advantage is that you can go over different scenarios with little effort. What happens if you weight factors differently or hire an additional employee? Try it and compare the results!
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What should I pay attention to when starting a territory planning or restructuring?
The most important thing is a complete and correct database, as this is the prerequisite for optimal territory planning. The most elegant solution here is to geocode the addresses of the locations of all your customers, employees, dealers, distributors, etc. This gives you the basis for your planning. The KPIs such as turnover and sales figures, and forecast and target figures are just as important.
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How important is current data for sales territory planning?
The more up-to-date the data, the more realistic the analysis and planning. Therefore, you should update market data regularly and work with current data from your company.
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What are “what-if scenarios” in territory planning?
What-if scenarios are used to determine sales demands when entering new markets or launching new products. In the event of personnel changes among your sales representatives or the reorganization of your service and sales structures, territory planning tools are used to calculate scenarios to help you find the optimal solution.
Are you interested in the advantages of Sales territory planning?