Managing large and geographically dispersed field sales teams can be challenging. The bigger the organization, the more complex its field operations. Businesses that rely on legacy systems lack real time end-to-end view into their field operations and overall sales performance. Sales representatives struggle with ineffective lead assignment, poorly planned sales beat plans, and tedious admin tasks that affect their overall sales productivity.
Such challenges call for feature rich AI/ML-powered software to streamline field sales orchestration. A robust field sales software empowers business leaders, sales managers, and sales officers to gain actionable insights to meet and exceed business goals and achieve better field sales efficiency. They need to improve top-line performance taking into account lead assignment, engagement, and actioning to close deals, faster.
Here are the top features to consider before investing in a robust field sales management software.
1. Sales Territory Planning
A poorly mapped sales region may become difficult to cover with limited field sales reps. Alternatively, multiple reps might get assigned to the same leads in a smaller region. Such territory planning inefficiencies delay lead engagement and, thereby, its actioning.
A sales territory management software helps business leaders design, scale, and manage new territories. It analyzes geospatial data to provide key insights into consumer spread and demographics, POI locations, existing competition, etc. on multiple layers of maps. Using AI/ML-enabled algorithms, sales execs can uncover meaningful trends for improving coverage and make smarter decisions to drive top-line.
The software also provides a visual map of sales territories. Sales managers can assess coverage gaps, identify total leads to available reps in the region, and rebalance territories. Territory rebalancing evaluates factors like uneven distribution of customers and travel distance covered by reps. Managers can leverage the insights to rebalance reps and prospects for equitable distribution of workload.
2. Intelligent Lead Allocation
A heavy reliance on manual lead management processes or using legacy systems to manage bulk leads results in ineffective allocation. Ineffective lead assignment delays lead actioning and results in fewer sales visits.
A field sales management software provides end-to-end visibility of the lead lifecycle and optimizes lead management. An AI-powered location intelligence platform like Dista Sales tracks nearest field sales reps in a mapped territory to assign leads. It takes into account 100+ business constraints for lead allocation and smart beat planning.
The software analyzes sales reps’ proximity, availability, capacity, and experience to assign identified leads equitably within the territory. Auto allocation improves workload balancing within the mapped territories. Managers can also manually assign leads to inactive reps in that sales territory to improve engagement.
3. Smart Beat Planning
A beat plan defines the daily schedule and route map for outside sales representatives to help complete their tasks effectively. Beat planning improves time management, increases sales territory coverage, and enhances overall sales productivity.
An AI-powered location intelligence platform helps create an efficient beat plan by analyzing critical spatial data along with predefined business priorities. The software automates lead allocation workflows, avoids territory overlap, and combines sales visits by location to optimize field operations.
A smart sales beat plan empowers sales reps to spend less time traveling and more time engaging with leads. Efficient beat plans also improve cost efficiency by minimizing travel expenses and reducing sales rep travel time.
4. Scheduling and Route Planning
Scheduling is important to manage workload and balance staffing needs to engage with more prospects in a day. It also reduces the risk of lead leakage by streamlining sales visit frequency.
An AI-powered field sales management software determines the most effective frequency for planning sales meetings and follow-ups. It automates scheduling using predefined business constraints and sales criteria. The software dynamically tweaks schedules to accommodate customer availability and appointment cancellations in real time.
Further, route planning enables reps to take the fastest and shortest routes to improve lead engagement. Efficient scheduling and route planning empowers your workforce, improves sales productivity, and reduces operational costs.
5. Sales Performance Assessment
Tracking sales deals in its various stages allows managers to assess field sales reps’ productivity and efficiency. A field sales management software provides comprehensive tools to track sales engagement and monitor reps’ overall performance.
Implementing gamification in your sales strategy boosts reps’ morale by introducing a competitive element focused on achieving sales KPIs. Reps can check their targets vs achievements in real time and review sales performance metrics of team members.
A leaderboard displays the top sales performers’ rankings. Reps can monitor their peers’ performance and review overall team achievements. Keeping score helps boost their morale and keeps them motivated in the field.
6. Mobile Office for Sales Reps
Outside sales reps have a busy day with multiple sales visits planned, managing documentation, and tracking sales targets. A dedicated mobile field sales app empowers them to multitask on the go. Using Dista Sales, they can access their sales beat plan, view optimized routes, get contextual nudges for leads, and communicate with customers or managers in real-time.
The app also empowers sales teams with tools and collateral for training. Reps can refer to selling tips, recommendations, relevant product information, and a dedicated knowledge base. Using the Smart-Pitch feature, they can upsell and cross-sell and pitch the right products. Instant information sharing helps outside sales reps improve customer engagement.
7. Sales Rep Monitoring
Tracking a large field sales team can be challenging for managers. A field sales management software like Dista Sales improves visibility into end-to-end sales operations. Managers can track outside sales reps, sales visits, lead stages, and other task updates in real-time.
Take geofencing for instance; it creates virtual fences around newly mapped sales territories to define a field sales rep’s area of operations. The software provides managers with real time updates of unauthorized or unplanned deviations from the scheduled routes. It also digitizes sales activity capturing to record attendance, turnaround time, deal progression, and lead dispositions.
Final Thoughts
Businesses benefit from using a robust field sales management software that combines AI/ML algorithms with location intelligence. Smart territory management maximizes sales coverage and intelligent auto lead allocation improves lead actioning.
You can empower your sales reps with effective beat planning and scheduling to enhance field sales efficiency. Assess your organization’s sales goals and select a comprehensive software to improve your topline.
Are you seeking a robust field sales management software to supercharge your sales pipeline? Dista Sales leverages location intelligence using AI/ML-enabled tools to improve sales productivity, boost field reps efficiency, and increase your revenue.
Book a demo today!
