Sales territories consist of geographic areas or targeted consumer groups assigned to different sales agents. Each contains both present and potential customers, but without effective sales territory management, there isn’t always a good balance between the territories, and customers don’t always get optimum service. Sales managers who are struggling to improve their teams’ performance without an increase in budget or resources may find that establishing sales territories gives them the organizational edge required to meet targets.
This must have sales workshop helps sales managers and their teams figure out how to set up effective territory plans. Anyone who isn’t sure if it’s worth the investment of time and money to attend a training seminar can read on to find out about just a few of the key benefits of effective sales territory management that might change their minds.
More Balanced Workloads
Without a strong territory plan in place, sales agents often wind up with imbalanced workloads. Some go over capacity and are unable to adequately manage all of their accounts while others have too little work. Effective sales territory planning eliminates this issue by assigning each agent to a geographical area or consumer base that’s appropriate for them, which not only maximizes performance but also reduces frustration and employee turnover rates.
Greater Morale and Motivation
Assigning agents to set sales territories gives them a sense of ownership, which builds morale and keeps people motivated. Sales managers can set reasonable goals and track data for each region separately, making it easier to identify and reward top performers, which can improve morale by making salespeople aware that their efforts don’t go unnoticed. Plus, each agent knows that they have a responsibility to a specific consumer segment, creating a level of responsibility that helps to generate extra motivation.
Improved Service
Sales agents who focus on specific geographical areas or consumer groups have an easier time getting to know the unique needs of their leads, which gives them the information required to build more customized solutions. Consistent territories also allow salespeople to build long-term relationships with leads and customers, making it easier to get repeat business. New leads referred to the company by existing loyal customers often prove highly valuable.
More Time Spent Selling
Lining up the right sales agents with particular opportunities helps to maximize the time spent selling. The reasoning here is simple. When agents must travel extensively to land deals in person or constantly research new consumer segments to better understand what drives them to buy, those tasks take time away from the more active pursuit of potential leads and creates unnecessary administrative overhead. Eliminating these concerns increases productivity naturally.
Proven Results
When executed properly, sales territory plans work. There’s plenty of evidence to back up this technique, as long as the plan is executed correctly. While it takes some specialized knowledge to figure out how to manage sales territories effectively, the good news is that there are resources available to help sales managers and teams learn the ropes.
Achieve and Exceed Goals with Better Sales Territory Planning
Sales teams will be better equipped to meet or exceed their targets if each agent gets a balanced workload of consumers that they already know and understand. Sales managers help by implementing and frequently revisiting effective sales territory plans, but remember that the design must be highly intentional.
