It may not sound like much fun but if you apply some proven discipline to your sales territory management, you will be very happy with the results. Here are some tips from a compilation of best practices.
Follow these four simple sales territory management “rules” and reap the benefits:
- 65/35. Spend at least 65% of your time with customers. It is all too easy to get sucked into administrative activities, politics or non-productive meetings. If you are responsible for “stretch” numbers, you need to be customer-facing the majority of the time. Get out there and manage your territories.
- Focus. Know your ideal customer. Analyze the profile of your best customers and clarify in your own mind what they “look” like. Know where they live in their organizations, what needs they have, what triggers their needs, how they are measured, and on what basis they make their buying decisions.
- Simplify. Identify key metrics that carry the most weight for your success, the success of your boss, and the success of your company. If you focus on only 1 to 3, you will have a better chance of applying them as you work and doing what it takes to achieve sales territory targets.
- Schedule. Set up a regular “route” or contact plan by day, week and month so that you “touch” your key current and target customers in each and every territory in a way that makes sense.
