Field sales representatives play a crucial role in the success of many businesses. They are responsible for building relationships with customers, generating leads, and closing sales.
However, managing field sales reps can be a challenging task for businesses, especially when it comes to tracking their location and activities. This is where location mapping tools can be incredibly useful.
In this blog post, we will explore how businesses can use location mapping tools to track their on-field sales reps. We will learn about the location mapping tool, how it works, some of the key features to look for when selecting a location mapping tool, and the benefits of the tool for tracking on-field sales reps.
What is a Geolocation Mapping Tool?
A geolocation mapping tool enables businesses to integrate mapping and location intelligence capabilities into their CRM. It allows businesses to visualize and analyze their customer data on a map and gain location-based insights for better decision-making.
A location mapping tool allows businesses to track the location of their field sales reps in real time. It provides businesses with a visual representation of their reps’ movements and activities on a map, making it easier to manage and optimize their operations.
With a location mapping tool, businesses can ensure that their reps are visiting the right customers at the right time, improve their productivity, and enhance the overall customer experience.
Some of the key features of a geolocation mapping tool are:
- Mapping: The mapping feature provides businesses with an easy-to-use interface for visualizing their customer data based on location. Users can easily navigate the map, zoom in or out, and select different data points to get a detailed view of customer locations, sales territories, and more.
- Geocoding: Geocoding is the process of converting customer addresses into geographic coordinates such as latitude and longitude. A geolocation mapping tool uses this technology to assign exact locations to customer data, enabling businesses to map and analyze their data on a map. Geocoding also helps to eliminate errors for on-field sales reps and ensures accuracy in location-based data analysis.
- Route optimization: The route optimization feature enables businesses to optimize their routes, reduce travel time, and minimize costs. The tool uses advanced algorithms to calculate the most efficient route based on multiple factors such as traffic, weather, customer locations, and more. This helps field reps to visit more customers in less time, improving productivity and customer satisfaction.
- Territory management: This feature allows businesses to create and manage territories based on location and assign customer accounts to specific territories. Thus the feature helps to streamline sales operations, ensures that customers are assigned to the right reps, and avoids conflicts between reps. Territory management also enables businesses to optimize their sales territories based on factors such as market size, sales potential, customer demographics, and more.
- Data visualization: The tool provides an easy-to-use interface for visualizing data, allowing users to quickly identify trends and insights. This helps businesses to make data-driven decisions, improve sales strategies, and enhance the overall customer experience.
Why do Sales Managers Prefer a Location Mapping Tool?
Sales Managers lack visibility when it comes to handling so much CRM data and on-field teams. The results depend on the performance of the on-field team. So it is vital to track reps’ performance, and the mapping tool helps managers with all these.
Ways to Use the Mapping Tool in Your Business
There are so many ways to use the mapping tool. For example, you can invest in a standalone app and use it as a separate tool. However, you have to separately integrate the CRM with your tool to access all the CRM data.
But if you already use a CRM, for example, a Dynamics 365 CRM, you can invest in a Dynamics mapping plugin. A Dynamics 365 map plugin will come with all the features of a standalone app. It will integrate with your CRM, and you will have access to all the features within the CRM. So. the ideal way to use a mapping tool for Dynamics 365 CRM is a Dynamics 365 map plugin.
Challenges managers face while handling on-field team
- No current location details of the on-field reps
- No visibility of the on-field agent’s schedule
- Difficulty while contacting the on-field team
- No proof of work (whether they have attended the meeting or not)
- Unable to tap emerging appointments
Geolocation Mapping tool at the rescue
Sales managers are often worried about the output of on-field activities as they have negligible visibility into that. They need a medium or a tool that can help them track all the on-field activities.
- Plan Efficiently and Increase Productivity
A geolocation mapping tool can help them with real-time updates. The tool can also help them plan efficiently. Managers can guide their reps as and when required and inform them about some amazing opportunity that needs to be tapped as soon as possible. This will increase the productivity of the on-field team, and managers can harness the field agent’s abilities to the highest potential.
- Live Tracking from all Devices
A mapping tool allows managers to track the agent’s location on the field. They can also view their current schedule. So, if there is any new opportunity and the reps are present in the neighborhood, managers can easily redirect them.
- Compare Current and Suggested Routes
The tool shows the routes traveled by the reps. They can also see the routes in the past few days for more clarity. So, the tool helps managers track the employees and stay informed about when and where their employees are.
- Live Tracking Status
Moreover, real-time tracking features can improve the accountability of the onfield reps. Managers have full authority to decide which sales agent they want to track. If they enable live tracking, the live location of the agent will be visible to managers on the map. Thus, managers can know where their reps are with a few clicks. Managers can also see the tracking status of the on-field reps, whether their tracking is on or not.
- Mobile App
The real-time tracking feature is available on the mobile app. Thus, it becomes easier to track the on-field agent. Moreover, the tracking data is also available on the app. So the managers can track the team even if they are not in the office.
- Check On-field Agent’s Availability
Managers can know the live location of field reps. But they don’t know whether they are occupied in a meeting or are on a break. If they call the reps when in the meeting, it would disturb them, and the managers have to wait a long time to convey their message.
- Auto Check-in/Check-out
The mapping tool comes with a check-in/check-out feature. If the auto check-in/check-out feature is enabled, when the reps reach the client location, the tool will auto-check the agent for the meeting with the help of an advanced feature called geofencing. Once the agent leaves the premises (or the radius of the client location), the tool will auto check-out. Thus, the managers have visibility of whether the agent is in the meeting or not.
- Manual Check-in/Check-out
But if the manual check-in/check-out is enabled, the reps will manually check in as soon as they reach the client location. Once the meeting is completed, they will check out. As soon as they check out, the tool will ask them to add notes. Reps often prepare notes on all the points discussed in the meeting. The notes added by the reps are visible to the managers as well. Thus, if they want to see what was discussed in the meeting, they don’t have to call. They can simply view it from the mapping tool.
- Late Check-in Approvals
Now, there are chances that the agent forgot to check in or there were network issues at the client location. They will try to check in later on. This request will be pending, and the tool will ask for the reason behind the late check-in. After adding the reason, the request will go to managers for approval. Thus, managers know the reasons behind the late check-ins.
Conclusion
A geolocation mapping tool is a boon for businesses that want to manage their on-field sales team more efficiently. With mapping, geocoding, route optimization, territory management, and data visualization features, businesses can gain valuable insights and optimize their sales operations. Choosing and integrating the right tool into your business process can improve productivity, reduce costs, and enhance the overall customer experience.
