Sales territory mapping is the process of determining the geographical areas to be assigned to the sales representatives. The territory could also be an account type or an industry. Territory mapping helps in creating a strategy, laying out the targets, and sharing resources. Effective mapping is not only an essential sales strategy but also reduces costs, improves customer coverage, and enhances overall sales. Below we explore four things to keep in mind during the sales territory mapping.
Size of the Region
The size of an area is one of the most important aspects to consider during the mapping process. This helps determine whether the area is too large in that there are too many customers to be served by only one rep or if the area is still too big but underserved. In sparsely populated areas, a sales rep could be occupying a very large area with very few customers. In this scenario, you end up with missed opportunities and dissatisfied customers.
These dynamics need to be considered during the sales territory mapping process with the SalesRabbit to determine which areas deserve more sales reps. A small area with many reps also means fewer opportunities and wastage of resources. In this case, it’s the sales rep who will be frustrated since they cannot reach their targets.
Target Demographic
This is the specific group of people targeted by the product or service that you offer. You need to identify your business uniqueness and the demographic that mainly uses your products and services. The reps can determine the best approach to sell to the clients depending on the demographic. Some customers, for instance, prefer to be denied while others need a general presentation. Children may need physical samples if you sell edible products, while high-end clients may require an organized meeting in a hotel setting.
Geography in Sales Territory Mapping
This looks at the geographical area from different facets. It could be urban versus rural, dense versus sparsely populated, and religious versus cultural biases regarding certain regions, among other factors. Consumption of most products and services is very high in towns compared to rural areas. The use of some products may be low due to cultural biases. An instance is selling pork products in a geographical location dominated by Muslims. Understanding this helps in the allocation of both resources and staffing. Several reps may be allocated to towns depending on consumption. A great tool to use here is the sales potential forecast, which forecasts the number of prospects and their buying power.
Sales Team Member’s Strengths
Depending on the geographical location, a sales rep can make or break the sales process. If you are dealing with a specific religious group, especially the minority, it’s more beneficial to assign one of them. They easily understand their cultures and will most likely bond easily. Some sales reps are better at dealing with some locations due to their natural disposition, such as personality and exemplary selling and people skills. You want to send those in areas where you expect high returns. You may also send them to difficult areas since they are more likely to know how to deal with different kinds of people, breaking the barrier once and for all. Identify the different strengths, then assign diverse regions based on these skills. Some reps are also very good at closing deals; these are the people you want to strategically assign key markets. You can hire sales agents for commission only to help you and your team out from Closify.
The sales mapping process needs to be well thought out since constant changes have a negative impact. It dampens the sales rep’s productivity with frequent account manager changes leading to unstable relationships between the reps and customers. Whichever strategy you use, ensure you get it right the first time.