Strategizing is crucial for successful sales performance, and practical sales territory management tools are integral to this process. Territory management involves various factors and decisions that transform large geographic areas into manageable regions. Some brands may divide these territories based on product type, the sales cycle length, or the sales representatives’ experience and expertise.
A key objective in defining a sales territory is to concentrate on a specific market, using a strategic approach that equips your sales team with the necessary resources to close deals successfully. Selecting the right software or tool—a sales territory management tool—is essential. This guide will enhance your understanding of these solutions and help you identify the best software available in 2024.
Prepare to equip your sales force with the tools to enter new markets, improve efficiency, and stimulate revenue growth.
In This Article
ToggleWhat Is Sales Territory Planning Software?
Sales territory planning software is a tool that helps businesses manage and optimize their sales territories. Companies using this software have observed a 7% annual increase in sales after redesigning their territories. Additionally, these businesses have seen a 14% increase in meeting their sales goals compared to others. The software incorporates advanced technology with user-friendly interfaces, enabling sales teams to visualize, organize, and plan their geographic areas effectively. It features interactive maps, allowing users to plot and adjust territories precisely and flexibly.
The software ensures a balanced distribution of work by assigning sales representatives to specific territories. This organization allows sales teams to concentrate on building relationships and increasing revenue within their assigned areas. Furthermore, the software is equipped with robust data analysis and reporting tools. It enables businesses to monitor essential performance indicators, examine sales data, and produce detailed reports for each territory.
This analytical approach facilitates the identification of trends and supports well-informed decisions regarding territory modifications, resource distribution, and strategic planning for sales.
Why It’s Beneficial to Use Sales Territory Management Tools for Sales Mapping?
Using sales territory management tools is essential when expanding into new areas or when your sales team is growing. These tools are valuable in sectors like real estate and delivery services and are necessary for organizing field sales activities. Sales territory management software provides several benefits, allowing you to:
- View each sales rep’s designated area through different visual presentations
- Ensure even distribution of areas among sales reps and teams
- Break down large territories into manageable regions
- Organize routes for face-to-face meetings
- Analyze the profitability of each territory using data presentations
A comprehensive view of your market coverage reduces the risk of missing potential sales. You can strategically assign areas, adjust activities, and record prospect interactions while moving. Without these tools, managing these tasks could be more cumbersome and time-consuming.
Sales territory management tools also enhance operational efficiency and provide more time for prospect engagement. The top tools in this category integrate with other platforms, including video calling and lead generation services, allowing you to handle your entire sales process from one location. Some tools also provide advanced analytics on your team’s sales performance, enabling you to focus on profitable territories and improve underperforming ones.
Cloud-based mapping tools allow sales representatives to access and work on the same map simultaneously from different locations or devices. This capability reduces time spent on repetitive tasks and allows more time for revenue-generating activities.
What Should You Consider When Selecting Sales Mapping Software?
Sales mapping software products differ in both functionality and quality. While many platforms can present your sales data on a map, some do not include essential features that turn a simple tool into a vital business resource. These features are crucial for boosting your sales team’s efficiency.
Effective sales mapping software should make increasing revenue across all territories easier. It goes beyond just managing territories; it should help your team work more efficiently and improve sales performance.
Here are essential features to look for in sales mapping software:
- Sales Territory Management: Optimizing sales territories is crucial for a high-performing sales team. Your software should allow for the creation of territories with geographic boundaries like zip codes and states, and it should offer flexibility for custom boundaries to meet changing business needs.
- Data Filtering Tool: Managing large volumes of customer data can be challenging. A robust filtering tool can quickly access critical data without manual searches. This feature should enable data to be sorted by criteria such as account names, deal sizes, stages, and product types to enhance sales efforts.
- Demographic Tools: Utilizing demographic information from Census data—such as age, income, and education levels—can offer insights into customer demographics and improve marketing strategies.
- Route Optimization Tool: Effectively managing sales routes is key to maximizing sales. Route optimization tools should calculate the shortest routes, estimate travel times, and facilitate planning for multiple stops. This function saves time and boosts the productivity of your sales force.
- Heat Mapping Tool: This tool is crucial for visualizing where sales are strong or weak, helping identify areas needing support and improvement.
Ensure your sales mapping software includes these features to significantly enhance your team’s performance and effectiveness.
Best Sales Territory Management Tools in 2024
1. Badger Maps
Badger Maps is a well-regarded sales mapping software primarily designed for mobile use. It provides sales representatives with a comprehensive application with a live territory map integrated with real-time traffic updates, streamlined administrative functions, and an automatic check-in feature to maintain manager awareness.
However, Badger Maps has received mixed feedback regarding its user-friendliness and feature set. Some users find the software complex to implement, while others believe it lacks certain functionalities. Notably, it does not offer extensive data-driven sales insights, broad strategic perspectives, or significant customization options, which may limit its utility for some organizations.
Why include Badger Maps in your sales territory management toolkit?
- Automatically record calls and other activities, save notes, and update records.
- Receive personalized onboarding and training.
- Use custom check-in features that allow sales leaders to gather data from field sales representatives.
- Designed for both large teams and individual field sales reps.
- Compatible with leading CRMs.
2. Maptive
Maptive is a sales territory mapping platform designed to help field sales teams convert data from Excel and Google Sheets into detailed sales route maps. The platform offers a straightforward, user-friendly interface that does not require any programming skills. It is accessible from various devices and allows customization to match your company’s branding. Users can upload their images, select colors for map pins, and choose their preferred map style.
Maptive facilitates easy route planning and territory management. Sales representatives can adjust their routes by dragging and dropping pins directly on the map. The system supports the creation of routes with up to 70 stops. Additionally, Maptive includes tools such as “Distance Calculation” and “Location Finder” to help sales teams plan their visits and assess distances from their current locations.
Why include Maptive in your sales territory management toolkit?
- Utilizes advanced filtering tools to refine data selection and improve results.
- Employs sales territory mapping and demographics tools for targeted strategic planning.
- Incorporates heat mapping tools to identify high-performance areas visually.
- Optimizes routes to reduce travel time and increase efficiency.
3. Spotio
Spotio provides a suite of tools designed to enhance the management of business sales territories. It allows companies to customize and organize their territories to fit specific requirements, display lead and customer information on an interactive map, and obtain essential data to support expansion. Here’s a closer look at these main features:
Additionally, Spotio’s sophisticated analytics and reporting features offer businesses practical data that can lead to increased growth. By examining sales revenue and conversion rates, companies can spot trends and pinpoint opportunities for enhancement.
Why include Spotio in your sales territory management toolkit?
- Provides transparency on territorial performance.
- Delivers data to generate insights for improving territorial efficiency.Automates routine tasks for increased operational efficiency.
- Streamlines route planning for optimal travel and time management.
- Provides real-time GPS tracking to monitor field activities.
- Generates comprehensive reports for detailed performance analysis.
- Precisely maps customer locations for targeted engagement.
- Enhances lead generation with strategic data utilization.
4. BeatRoute
BeatRoute provides innovative territory management by considering variables like business potential and outlet type, saving time and money. With well-defined territories, sales representatives are less likely to deviate from their routes, skip stops, or feel overwhelmed.
Regarded as one of the top tools for managing territories, BeatRoute assists you in identifying the stores that best align with your product offerings. Based on this information, it helps you design territories and produces precise cost forecasts for the required resources. This process can utilize existing or new data to develop detailed plans for specific sales representatives across specific territories, enhancing overall efficiency.
Furthermore, Beatroute’s features include store prioritization and geo-tagging. The platform enables brands to accurately calculate the necessary number of field representatives and vehicles for complete territory coverage. By effectively allocating resources and capitalizing on every sales opportunity, brands achieve a higher return on investment and reduce or eliminate resource wastage.
Why include BeatRoute in your sales territory management toolkit?
- Streamlines store profiling and prioritization for strategic focus.
- Generates precise cost estimates to optimize budget allocation.
- Facilitates meticulous beat planning for enhanced sales coverage.
- Manages resources efficiently to maximize productivity.
- Offers a modular and scalable solution that functions offline in zero-internet areas.
5. Mapline
Mapline provides businesses with essential tools to manage their sales territories effectively. The software allows businesses to define, organize, and adjust territories to meet their needs. Its intuitive interface supports efficient territory management, helping companies optimize their sales strategies and allocate resources more effectively.
Plus, Mapline includes advanced route optimization features that enable sales representatives to plan their visits more efficiently. Businesses can boost productivity and enhance customer satisfaction by reducing travel time and increasing customer interactions.
Why include Mapline in your sales territory management toolkit?
- Utilizes heatmaps to manage and analyze sales territories visually.
- Offers sales route mapping for efficient travel and client visits.
- Provides competitive analysis tools to identify and capitalize on growth opportunities.
- Includes mapping features for detailed geographic insights.
- Enhances efficiency with route optimization capabilities.
- Features dashboards for a comprehensive overview of sales metrics.
- Generates charts for visual data representation and analysis.
6. Google Maps
Google Maps stands out for its user-friendly interface, no-cost access, Street View feature, and powerful API, making it an accessible choice for route planning. Unsurprisingly, many sales mapping software solutions, such as Maptive, leverage Google Maps as their foundational technology.
However, it’s important to note that Google Maps, without the functionalities of more elaborate services, is ideal for straightforward routes, startups, and teams not yet needing advanced customization for competitive advantages. For instance, Google Maps limits routing to ten stops (expandable to 25 with a workaround) and lacks advanced route optimization features.
Why include Google Maps in your sales territory management toolkit?
- Google Maps optimizes travel routes for sales reps, saving time and fuel.
- Allows for quick adjustments based on real-time traffic and market changes.
- Aids in visualizing and managing sales territories effectively.
- It helps minimize travel expenses by optimizing driving routes .
Conclusion
Choosing the right sales territory management tools is essential for optimizing sales performance and expanding market reach in 2024. Effective territory management involves breaking down large geographic areas into manageable regions based on various criteria such as product type and sales cycle.
By leveraging advanced software solutions, businesses can enhance efficiency, balance workloads, and utilize data-driven insights to make informed decisions. Key features include territory mapping, data filtering, demographic tools, route optimization, and heat mapping. Tools like Badger Maps, Maptive, Spotio, BeatRoute, Mapline, and Google Maps offer diverse functionalities to meet these needs. Implementing these tools can streamline operations, improve sales team productivity, and drive revenue growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Key Features to Look for in Sales Territory Management Tools?
Look for tools offering data integration, route optimization, and territory management features. They should be easy to use, provide mobile accessibility, and deliver robust reporting and analytics. User-friendly interfaces and scalability are also crucial for adapting to business growth.
What Are Some Recommended Sales Territory Management Tools for 2023?
Consider tools like Badger Maps, Maptive, and Spotio. These tools offer advanced scenario modeling, data visualization, and field sales and are flexible and efficient in route planning.
What Are Common Challenges with Sales Territory Management Tools, and How Can They Be Mitigated?
A common challenge is the steep learning curve. Choose tools with solid customer support, comprehensive training materials, and intuitive user interfaces to address this.
How Do Sales Territory Management Tools Integrate with Existing Systems?
Many tools offer integration with existing CRM systems and other business software. A tool, for instance, should seamlessly integrate with Google Maps and various CRM platforms, facilitating efficient data synchronization and workflow automation. This ensures up-to-date customer data and optimized sales routes without switching between systems.