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Tag: field sales

  • How to craft winning sales pitches: The ultimate guide (Part 1)

    How to craft winning sales pitches: The ultimate guide (Part 1)

    The first thing that pops up in people’s minds when they hear the term sales pitch is an unwarranted phone call or an awkward email from a pushy and aggressive seller.

    Thanks to these terrible salesmen, people around the world have grown wary of sales pitches and do their best to avoid them. But a good sales pitch is so much more than an intrusive phone call or email.

    In fact, a great pitch should make a buyer’s life better by connecting them with products and solutions that solve their most urgent problems.

    In this guide, we’ll decode the nuances of an effective sales pitch and discuss various strategies that you can use to optimize your outreach efforts. Finally, we’ll explore some exceptional sales pitch templates that will help you nail your conversions!

    Let’s dive right in.

    What is a sales pitch?

    A sales pitch is a well-crafted sales presentation. Typically, a salesperson gets less than two minutes to explain how their business will benefit the prospect. 

    The attention span of people in this tech-driven world is ever shrinking. As such, salespeople no longer have the luxury of an hour-long presentation geared towards selling a specific product or service. 

    A good sales pitch needs to convey the intended message concisely in a compelling manner. If the sales pitch is on point, you are on the right path to making profitable sales. 

    The first few minutes of a business conversation determine the direction your interactions will take. Be sure to use this sales pitch as your attempt to convince the prospect about the superiority of the service you are offering. 

    If you are selling a product, a sales pitch is your chance to dispel a prospect’s belief about the product. This is when you reassure them of the benefits they will enjoy if they buy the product you are selling.

    The anatomy of a successful sales pitch

    Sales pitches can take on many different forms and use different approaches. But when you break them down, they almost always have these five key elements:

    1. The open

    The open is the introduction. It’s as simple as saying hello, introducing yourself, and asking the prospect how they are. It’s also your first opportunity to start building rapport and break the ice with your prospects.

    2. Identification of the problem, pain point, and/or goal

    By asking a few meaningful and well-thought-out questions about their work, you’ll start getting a better understanding of what the prospect’s challenges and goals are. 

    Using active listening you’ll begin to understand how your product can help address the prospect’s issues in order to reach their goals. 

    3. Demonstration of value

    Once you’ve established rapport and begun to understand the scope of their needs, you can begin to address each one using your product as the solution. 

    You should be able to speak to one or more of their pain points with how your product can solve the problem. 

    4. Supporting facts

    If you want to build trust, you should be prepared to support your pitch with facts and figures. Consider using social proof, like positive results that show how you beat customer expectations or prove that your other customers derived value from your product or service.

    5. The close

    By now, you should’ve clearly shown your prospect the value of your product and how it’s going to make their job or life easier. The close is essentially the point where they say yes and the transaction occurs. 

    The best sales pitch templates ever

    Having established the elements of a winning sales pitch, it is time to witness these in action. Here are some sales pitch templates which will supercharge your growth!

    Data dump

    Data is a great way to catch buyer attention, especially if it can help them make the case to their team for your product.

    The bad news: marketing burn is all too real these days. The good news? Help is on the way. New research shows that our platform can deliver:

    • 72% increase in buyer engagement
    • 50% in open-rates
    • 20% decrease in attrition 

    Show that you care

    Highlighting your prospects’ pain points and offering personalized solutions is an excellent way to forge meaningful customer relationships. 

    G2 is one company that pulls this off really well in its pitch:

    “G2 plays a huge role by providing unique, authentic peer advice in real time. We give buyers better guidance than traditional analyst firms, which can take up to 2 years to update and publish technology research. That timeline just can’t keep up with the pace of technology. At G2, we aim to be a trusted source that helps every business professional in the world make better technology decisions.”

    When they discuss how you’re being told by analysts what to do, or people who haven’t used a product, they highlight a clear disconnect in the market between what you need and what you get. 

    The company allows verified users of products to write reviews and becomes an essential resource for their users.

    Make a note of what really annoys your customer and pitch how your service can resolve this grievance. It’s another way of re-framing the customer’s needs, and it works because it’s a powerful way to describe the situation.

    In a nutshell

    We hope you have a clear idea of what an ultra-effective sales pitch looks like by now. An important note to make about these sales pitches is that they are all amazingly optimized for a short conversation.

    Lack of brevity can quite literally break your sales pitch and ruin your chances of converting prospects into customers. So, keep your sales pitch short, clean, and simple! Your customers will thank you.

    In the next article of this two-part series, we’ll list a few more sales templates that you can use and show you how you can craft your own pitches as well. Until then, stay tuned!

  • Top 10 Problems in Sales with Simple Solutions

    Top 10 Problems in Sales with Simple Solutions

    Selling is hard work. In order to achieve your targets, a salesperson has to address a number of issues. In order to achieve your targets, a salesperson has to address a number of problems in sales on a daily basis. Technology has helped buyers become more knowledgeable than ever before – they are able to make informed choices by doing basic research about the company, its products and offerings.

    Salespeople today face multiple problems in sales, especially after the rise of digital-first buyers and remote interactions. Some of the challenges that have risen after the advent of social media and the “new normal” include building trust, being productive, nurturing prospective leads, and more. So, yes, closing deals is more of a challenge these days for sales personnel and in this blog post, we will try to understand 10 common sales challenges that must be addressed to clinch the deal! Can a field service management software help? Let’s find out.

    What are the challenges faced by sales personnel?

    Some of the challenges that have risen after the advent of social media and the “new normal” include building trust, being productive, nurturing prospective leads etc. Let us examine them one by one.

    1. Building Trust:

    The Covid-19 pandemic pushed most sales personnel to rely primarily on email and telephone to communicate with their prospects. Potential clients receive a great deal of emails and phone calls, so standing out as the best vendor may be difficult. Developing credibility online necessitates creative strategies for distinguishing yourself from your competitors. A personalised approach can help achieve this. Making use of field service management software can smoothen this process. It is also vital that sales personnel ensure that their efforts are relevant, timely, and appropriate for the platform being used.

    2. Less Number of Qualified Leads:

    Statistics indicate that sales personnel spend less than 36% of their time selling. It is primarily a matter of not spending enough time developing connections and prospecting. As far as discipline is concerned, making time to prospect every day requires setting aside time and minimising distractions. New opportunities can be generated by combining a territory and account strategy, blocking time, and an insight-based approach.

    3. Goal Setting:

    In order to achieve success, realistic sales targets that are actionable and attainable should be set, rather than focusing too much on just numbers. To meet targets, your sales team may end up pursuing low-quality, ineffective leads. Sales team managers utilise field sales tracking software to assign  and track these goals and targets. 

    4. Closing Deals:

    Economic circumstances are difficult all over the world, and customers do not want to feel compelled to buy in today’s competitive market. That is why closing deals are difficult. It is usually plagued by problems much sooner in the sales cycle. The most efficient way to increase your close rates is to make the buyer’s journey easier and to ensure that all key dialogues occur in the right order. If sales people don’t begin to bargain right away, they will run into a lot of problems. It is beneficial to utilise the entire sales discussion to explain the pricing, triangulating the competitors, and emphasising the amount of effort needed to achieve the client’s goals. In this manner, profits can be maximised. The buying cycle can be documented in the field sales tracking app too to enable easy tracking.

    5. Discussing Pricing:

    Most often, the decision to choose a product or service boils down to the pricing. To weed out the unqualified prospects, it’d make sense to present the pricing on the company website. Knowing your competitors and what the market charges is also essential. Sales personnel need to recognize if they are genuinely meeting their needs with the service or product.

    6. Productivity Issues:

    After the pandemic, many sales organizations moved to a remote sales model. Such firms were faced with inefficiencies and lack of cohesiveness. The pandemic also saw changes in people’s buying patterns. The changing nature of buying patterns presents reps with new challenges, managers with new methods to boost seller productivity, and executives with new challenges to drive development. With field sales tracking software such as Happisales, managers are able to provide clarity and sound advice as and when their team members are found struggling to adjust to prospects’ changing habits and sensitivities.

    7. Nurturing Leads at Right Time:

    Sending emails and making phone calls to a prospect list is simple, but doing this manually will not only take time but it might hamper relations too. Without comprehensive activity monitoring in place, analysing each prospect takes time and leaves gaps. When using a mobile sales app for field service tracking software such as Happisales, sales personnel can set up automated reminders for themselves to analyse a prospect once specific events occur. Automations that send emails to prospects at predetermined intervals can also be triggered by actions.

    8. Wasting Time on Unqualified Leads:

    As mentioned earlier, the amount of time spent on selling is far lesser than the other work done by a sales representative. Erroneous prospect data can lead sales professionals to spend nearly a quarter of their time pursuing unqualified leads. This may severely demotivate your sales staff, resulting in a negative impact on your sales funnel and, eventually, your figures.

    By ensuring accurate data for your sales team to analyse, you can solve this problem. Solutions for field sales tracking such as Happisales ensure that your sales team is spending their time productively nurturing the qualified prospects.

    9. Time Management:

    The majority of your sales team’s time is spent on administrative tasks like data entry and report generation. This can be addressed by automating these simple administrative tasks with mobile sales app for field sales tracking such as Happisales. Having the right tools and technology at their disposal will ensure your sales team has more time on hand to devote to key sales tasks. Meeting scheduling solutions allow prospects to arrange time on your reps’ calendars promptly, avoiding extensive email threads. Email templates also save time.

    10. Poor Teamwork:

    In sales, teamwork is key. You can find creative solutions to problems by working in a group and benefit from the expertise and experience of others. Team members aren’t the only thing that makes a team successful. Team sales can be particularly challenging for sales staff that are used to working alone. Establishing a collaborative atmosphere will help your sales staff be successful. Regular communication will prevent a disconnected selling process.

    Conclusion:

    These are some of the most common problems in sales that field executives encounter in their day-to-day work. By ensuring better teamwork, improved time management, and leveraging technology like field service management software such as Happisales, your business can overcome these issues effectively. To find out more about it, schedule a demo today!

  • Sales Territory Planning and Management for Field Sales

    Sales Territory Planning and Management for Field Sales

      Sales success depends on more than skill, persistence, or knowing how to start a conversation. These qualities matter, but the most important factor comes before meeting a client: your sales territory.

      A well-structured sales territory plan improves productivity, ensures better client coverage, increases revenue, streamlines field sales tracking, and reduces costs. Poorly balanced territories or frequent reshuffling can hurt performance and weaken customer relationships.

      Whether you are creating one from scratch or refining an existing strategy, understanding the importance of sales territory is essential for effective sales management.

      What is a Sales Territory?

      Definition of a Sales Territory

      A sales territory is a specific area, industry, or set of accounts assigned to a salesperson or team. The person in charge works to win new customers and meet targets. How a territory is managed directly shapes sales results.

      Why Sales Territories Matter?

      How well your team understands their territory affects outcomes. Salespeople need to know their accounts and how their territory fits into the larger team strategy. A clear plan helps them work smarter and stay focused.

      How it Affects Sales Performance?

      Poorly defined territories or frequent changes slow teams and can harm client relationships. A well-organized sales territory management system ensures your team covers the right areas efficiently and meets client needs.

      Advantages of Sales Territory

      • Focuses your team on customers and areas that matter most.
      • Assigns reps to territories where their skills can make the biggest impact.
      • Encourages collaboration between teams for smoother operations.
      • Matches the right reps with the right clients, improving experience.
      • Builds long-term relationships with customers and the market, supporting growth.

      Benefits of Sales Territory Planning

      Strategic Targeting of Prospects

      A structured sales territory plan allows your team to focus on the right prospects based on growth potential, industry, company size, and role. Tools like field assist apps simplify the process. Clear territory criteria give reps confidence to pitch clients who can generate real revenue.

      Improved Insights

      A data-driven approach identifies what works and what needs adjustment. Managers can analyze performance, define boundaries for each field sales territory, and ensure salespeople operate efficiently using territory management tools.

      Enhanced Customer Experience

      Assigning reps to accounts that match their skills and location improves client understanding. Consistent field sales territory planning allows long-term relationships, boosting loyalty and retention.

      Proper sales territory planning aligns company goals with resources and client needs. It balances workloads, strengthens relationships, and improves long-term revenue.

      Sales Territory Planning Best Practices

      Focus on the Right Accounts

      Know which accounts matter most. Evaluate territories, group accounts by priority, and plan how often to engage each client. A clear sales territory planning best practices approach keeps the team focused and confident.

      Use Tools to Simplify Territory Management

      Field service and sales management software streamline sales territory management. Reps get access to pipelines, sales targets, forecasts, and progress updates, freeing time for actual selling.

      Balance Existing Clients with New Opportunities

      Sales territory management best practices involve managing current accounts while seeking new opportunities. This grows the territory, strengthens client relationships, and drives long-term results.

      How to Build a Successful Sales Territory Plan?

      Repeating past practices won’t always deliver results. A structured approach to sales territory planning, targets, and incentives is essential.

      Target Prospects Systematically

      Understand your market and company. Stable markets reduce costs, increase revenue, and provide a strong foundation for defining effective field sales territories.

      Evaluate Account Value

      Assess each account’s value based on your products or services. This helps prioritize your sales territory planning efforts and focus on high-impact opportunities.

      Assign the Right Reps to the Right Accounts

      Match reps to accounts where they can deliver the most impact. Strategic assignment strengthens team performance and ensures excellent customer service.

      Review and Finalize Your Plan

      Review costs and potential returns for each territory. Consolidate the plan to balance workload, client growth, and revenue objectives. A strong build up method in sales territory separates efficient sales activity from wasted effort.

      What’s Next?

      With a field force automation system like Happisales, all your data is automatically gathered into easy-to-use reports. This helps develop and refine your sales territory strategy while freeing your team to focus on building stronger, long-term relationships.

      Take control of your sales territories today. Try Happisales to boost productivity, improve client relationships, and grow revenue. Start your 14-day free trial now, no credit card required.

      Click here for Free Trial


      Frequently Asked Questions

      1. What is Sales Territory Management?

      Sales territory management is the process of dividing a market into segments and assigning them to sales reps. It balances workloads, improves coverage, and aligns sales efforts with business goals. Assignments depend on geography, account potential, and product lines.

      2. How Should I Divide Sales Territories?

      Consider customer location, account value, and market potential. Analyze buyer profiles and demographics. Assign territories based on team strengths and expertise to get the best results.

      3. What Role Does Field Force Automation Play in Territory Management?

      Field force automation handles tasks like route planning, order management, and real-time tracking. It reduces errors, provides insights, and supports better decision making.

      4. How Often Should Sales Territories Be Reviewed?

      Review sales territories at least once a year or when major market changes occur. Regular reviews keep territories aligned with goals, uncover new opportunities, and maintain balanced workloads.

      5. What Are the Common Challenges in Sales Territory Management?

      Challenges include balancing territories, managing quotas, and keeping compensation fair. Outdated systems and rigid processes make planning harder. Overcoming these issues requires careful planning, regular reviews, and modern tools.

    • Top 6 sales skills to master in 2022: Understand your buyer, craft meaningful value propositions and earn customer loyalty

      Top 6 sales skills to master in 2022: Understand your buyer, craft meaningful value propositions and earn customer loyalty

      Communication

      Needless to say, effective communication is the lifeblood of a strong sales pitch. Your ultimate goal as a salesperson is to help customers realize that they actually wanted or needed your product all along.

      To achieve such a feat, you need to be a master of communication. You should communicate the features and benefits that your product can offer to customers in a clear and convincing manner, and help them understand how it can improve their lives.

      You also want your buyer to have a personal stake in the sale: using compelling narratives and weaving stories into your presentations is a fantastic way to achieve this purpose. 

      Study existing case studies thoroughly and leverage those stories to help your prospect imagine how they can use your product or service. Ensure you incorporate elements like character, conflict, context, and resolution to enrich your presentations. 

      Buyer Research

      You can’t capture the attention of a buyer if you have no idea who they are, what they do, and what their business needs might be. The average human attention span today is 8 seconds – less than that of a goldfish. 

      Add to that the fact that people are being increasingly bombarded with a flurry of promotional messages on a daily basis via digital media, which makes it even harder to connect with prospective customers. 

      To really understand your prospect, you need to conduct extensive buyer research. Pore through your prospect’s company website and learn everything you can about what their business does.

      Try to find insight into how their organization is performing. Familiarize yourself with its industry, so you can better understand its place in its competitive landscape. See if you can find out which solutions it is currently leveraging.

      Do some research on the specific contact you’ll be speaking with. What’s their background like? What do they do at their company? Can you identify any interests they might have to help you build rapport?

      Put together a holistic picture of your prospect and their business, and customize your conversations to tap into their feelings and needs. Make them feel that you really get them to spark their interest in your product or service and earn their trust.

      Objection Handling

      The reality of sales is not all sunshine and rainbows: most conversations aren’t going to go as planned and you will likely face rejection more often than you think. Your leads are bound to object and you need to know how to handle that to become a competent salesperson.

      One way to deal with objections is to prepare for them in advance by coming up with responses to the most common ones. These include objections like:

      • It is too expensive.
      • How is it any different from your competitor’s offering?
      • We don’t really need what you’re offering. Our current product works just fine.

      While planning responses in advance can empower you to better manage objections, it isn’t a magic pill. Sometimes, you’ll have to think on your toes and concoct a response right on the spot. Although presence of mind comes with experience, it is important that you build this skill as early as possible. 

      Active Listening

      Your buyers know when you’re really listening to them and when you’re simply waiting for your turn to speak. Too many salespeople focus on talking rather than listening, even though the latter is more crucial to making a sale.

      Active listening is the ability to focus on what someone is saying and make them feel understood and valued. It is vital to build rapport with your customer.

      When you’re actively listening, you’re giving your customer your undivided attention and trying to understand their point of view. This helps you understand their pain points better, and it is also a sign of respect.

      Product Knowledge

      You can’t sell a product unless you know what it is. If a customer catches you off guard with a question you don’t understand, they may question your knowledge or abilities—even worse, they may question the integrity of the product. 

      You should know your company’s products inside and out before having your first conversation with any prospect or customer. Take the time to thoroughly study your product or service. Know what makes it an exceptional option and where it might lag behind competitors. Know who stands to gain the most from it. Know what it costs and why it costs that much.

      Once you know all this, you’re in a position to craft more meaningful value propositions that will strike a chord with the customer. Your sales efforts will naturally prove much more effective. 

      Account Management

      Give sufficient attention to account management and maintain existing client relationships well. Many sales representatives are overtly focused on generating new leads and winning new clients at the cost of their existing ones. 

      By implementing regular and ongoing business reviews you can strengthen the overall customer relationship with your existing clients. New sales opportunities will inevitably crop up and prevent unexpected customer churn.

      In a nutshell

      These are just some of the skills you need to become a successful salesperson. The 6 foundational skills listed in this blog can help kickstart your journey towards sales mastery.

      However, keep in mind that sales mastery is a long and arduous journey. It takes years, if not decades of self-improvement and hard work to become a veritable sales master. Be patient, put in the necessary effort, and seize opportunities to improve when you come across them. 

      If you’re looking for a robust field service management software to turbocharge your growth, you’ve come to the right place!

      Happisales is a neat and elegant field force engagement platform that allows you to perform sales, collection, order, and service in a synchronized way. Using Happisales, you can log customer data effectively, avail push notifications based on tasks performed in the field, and track the journey of your field executives in real-time.

      It is a progressive solution that automatically plans the best travel route based on the location of meetings and generates actionable customer insights, enabling your field reps to create meaningful customer experiences. 

      Designed to enhance collaboration between managers and field reps, Happisales allows managers to assess and maximize the performance of field executives. In addition, it simplifies attendance tracking as well as order management enabling you to optimize field force activities. 

      So, what are you waiting for? Talk to our experts and schedule a free demo today!

    • All you need to know about sales management

      All you need to know about sales management

      Without a doubt, sales management is one of the most difficult business domains to master and implement. However, your sales staff will be inspired and motivated if you have a robust sales management system.

      The top field force managers can comprehend the most up-to-date sales strategies and apply their best practices to help their staff close more transactions and increase sales revenue.

      It is sometimes harder to manage sales than make a sale on the field. You must, after all, manage your employees, customers, and processes. The stakes are high. However, the results are satisfying because you can watch your company expand rapidly.

      Therefore, to ace those sales, here’s a coherent explanation of sales management.

      What Is Sales Management?

      The practice of planning, managing, and managing the salesforce to achieve company objectives is known as sales management. It entails putting together a team, allowing the sales team, and inspiring team members to accomplish their responsibilities well.

      While the specific definition of sales management varies by organization, the following duties frequently come under the sales management umbrella:

      Hiring and training new personnel: You can’t manage a sales force if there isn’t one to manage. Development agents, salespeople, business development managers, and other employees work in sales teams. Sales managers are in charge of hiring and training these sales representatives.

      Setting sales targets and limits: The sales manager is in charge of establishing the sales targets that the sales staff aims to meet. These quotas must make sense to each team member and find the right balance between challenging and achievable.

      Controlling and adjusting the sales process: Sales managers must also decide on the sales processes that the sales force will follow. Again, these protocols must be well-planned and empirical support to guide the team in the proper route.

      Motivating co-workers: Sales may be a demanding profession. As a result, Field Sales teams require the correct kind and motivation to succeed. As a result, effective sales management must determine what works and what doesn’t.

      Preparing sales reports: Sales teams must employ a varied, precise range of data to drive their decision-making and attain results. As a result, sales managers must be able to compile reliable reports of their Field Sales Reporting that detail performance and highlight areas for development.

      What are the Objectives of Sales Management?

      Sales managers should ensure that their teams are appropriately engaged. Then your company will be able to meet these key goals.

      Achieve the sales volume that you want

      Salespeople worldwide are working hard to ensure that their companies achieve their sales targets. This concept is crucial since a bigger volume indicates appropriate penetration in a specific market. Therefore, the more clients you have, the more secure your firm will be.

      Contribute to the company’s profits

      Sales managers’ responsibilities should be carried out as efficiently as feasible. Then your sales department will be able to close more deals and increase your company’s turnover rate. In addition, you should sell each product at the correct pricing and employ the necessary tactics to maximize sales.

      Contribute to the growth of the company

      To satisfy shareholders and have a greater impact, businesses must expand. It’s critical for a sales department to contribute to this expansion. Handling the costs involved with sales is critical for the sales manager has to make sure that a business is financially profitable.

      What Is the Process of Sales Management?

      If you aim to succeed as a sales manager, you have to figure out what works and keep improving on it. You can’t switch from one strategy to the next at breakneck speed.

      This predictability will provide your team the confidence to work together and the capacity to iterate your strategy. Then you’ll be able to achieve the best results imaginably.

      A performant sales management process includes the following:

      • Assembling the ideal team
      • Creating a sales funnel
      • Working with marketing to find new leads
      • Improving prospecting skills
      • Making use of precise sales forecasts and reports

      Sales management strategies

      Great sales teams don’t just happen to form without some guidance. Instead, gifted minds purposefully construct them. Here are some techniques for building a high-performing team.

      Invest in your salespeople’s training and growth:

      Because selling behaviors and methods evolve, it’s critical to engage in learning and development programs to keep your staff sharp and current on current sales best practices.

      Create a culture that is both engaging and motivating:

      You want to show your salespeople that their efforts are recognized and appreciated when they pay off. Create a culture where victories are celebrated frequently and publicly.

      To create a positive workplace, use positive reinforcement:

      You have to bring positive vibes & support into your sales organization through upscale reinforcement because sales can be a cutthroat and demanding atmosphere.

      Sales management in the digital age

      The face of sales management is changing rapidly due to technological advancements. Sales managers in the digital age have a precise outline of their sales process. Leading indicators are used to track progress along the path. These modern-day managers make these actions visible to the entire team and encourage them to meet their goals. 

      They make victory visible and foster a winning culture. This new breed of sales managers leverages field force automation technologies and employs data analysis and technology to deliver intelligent coaching in real-time. In addition, they include science in the selling process.

      Final Thoughts:

      Field Sales Mobile App and other Field Force Manager can help you streamline your work, accomplish tasks and duties more quickly, have a greater impact on your team, and become a stronger leader. 
      Happisales is a one-stop solution for managing field force activities in real-time, allowing salespeople to focus on more critical responsibilities by automating sales tracking, reporting, and administration. So do look at what Happisales has to offer & reach out to us!

    • Why is Route Optimization Important in Field Sales Management?

      Why is Route Optimization Important in Field Sales Management?

      Field sales are still relevant in every industry segment and are thought to be the most successful in generating fantastic business opportunities. Managing field trips, tracking salespeople’s routes, measuring the number of time salespeople spend on the road, keeping track of meetings, prioritizing client obligations, and optimizing routes are some of the basic statistics that field force management requires.

      It necessitates using a route planner/sales route management tool to effectively manage the complete sales path. The traditional system involved manually plotting maps and routes, which resulted in longer hours and mismanaged timetables. 

      Now comes the automation of route planning and scheduling visits, thanks to an efficient system that can help field force managers optimize routes to their maximum potential. Sales route planning has proven extremely effective in linking sales reps with significant business possibilities at the proper time and location. 

      Start with explaining sales route optimization and then look at why a key route planner is so important for field sales teams.

      What is Route Optimization?

      Identifying the most efficient route for a given number of waypoints is known as route optimization. It is an extremely sophisticated procedure, and the number of alternative routes grows exponentially as the number of waypoints grows. Building the shortest route for the provided waypoints based on time or distance must also consider other parameters such as the number of intersections.

      Route planning and optimization can help you determine the quickest and most efficient routes, lowering fuel expenses and reducing the amount of time field salespeople spend driving.

      The Significant Impact in Field Sales using Route Optimization:

      People who work in sales need to go from one area to another swiftly and efficiently. Many salespeople have to drive 30 to 45 minutes to and from their sales zone. With this in mind, your sales force must have access to the necessary planning tools to stay productive when on the road. 

      Field Force Automation Tools will assist them in planning routes that they are confident will get them to and from their destinations in the shortest time possible. It can help them cut down on travel time, allowing them to be on time at work and increasing their chances of selling more. Appointments are an important aspect of a company’s sales process. 

      The Sales Representatives must travel to visit clients at various locations, and the number of appointments they can complete is determined by the routes they take. The following are some of the advantages of route optimization for businesses:

      1. To Save Money, Time & Fuel Efficiency:

      The total distance and average miles driven between waypoints are minimized when Sales Reps design and optimize their itineraries. Gasoline efficiency improves as the distance is reduced. When the total money spent on fuel by an organization is added together, route optimization alone saves money.

      1. Improve Client Satisfaction:

      Sales reps can spend more time serving clients and enhance overall customer satisfaction by planning and optimizing their routes ahead of time. Furthermore, addressing spontaneous meetings becomes simple because the route may easily be modified to incorporate extra waypoints.

      1. Aim for a higher On-Time Performance Rate:

      One of the most vital benefits of Route Optimization is that Sales Representatives can boost their on-time performance rate. Because the routes have been adjusted, Sales Representatives may reach customers on time and avoid keeping them waiting. 

      Even if your field sales representatives are unavailable in the office, you can view real-time updates on customer data and the newest deals as a manager with route optimization. In addition, you can see your sales team’s performance by stacking sales reps according to how many check-ins are made, closed sales, and their income with a sales employee tracking app.

      Are Route Planners much needed for Optimizing Field Sales?

      Using route planning software for your sales staff has numerous advantages. First, your salespeople will appreciate the increased efficiency. 

      They will be more effective and in a better mood if they have a route planner that resolves various issues in organizing their journeys. A route planner offers much more than just a list of destinations to visit and the best routes to take to get there. 

      It provides you the optimum period to go, hold back, traffic, and environmental factors. Knowing these elements will enable your sales team to make more accurate and timely judgments, allowing them to achieve more.

      1. Advanced Sales Force Activity Planning:

      A route planner assists field salespeople in arranging their sales activities ahead of time, resulting in a well-organized framework that can be managed and monitored. For example, a route map can be developed to display the distances to be traveled, the client list, and other options available. Sales managers can use this information to optimize and successfully organize the entire schedule.

      1. Complete visibility:

      Implementing a route planning module keeps managers up to date on the most up-to-date real-time data, allowing them to conveniently monitor and manage the field force. In addition, more coordination and interaction between the road teams and the managers provide a complete view of the situation.

      1. Relief from Inefficient Expenditure:

      A strong software solution for route planning and management like Happisales can save the sales force money and time by preventing them from making unnecessary journeys. Furthermore, it aids in the extraction of the finest feasible paths by which sales agents can save money and time.

      Final Words:

      A strong sales force management solution is built upon intelligent and effective route planning. Therefore, a few vital aspects of a Field service management software & must be prioritized from the beginning to the end.
      A comprehensive sales route management module, such as Happisales, can aid salespeople and managers in various ways, including increasing sales and ensuring a seamless operating flow between routes. As a result, when adopting any Field Force Help, good sales route planners are necessary and must be given proper consideration.

    • Best practices to follow when digitizing field sales operations

      Best practices to follow when digitizing field sales operations

      As your company grows, business procedures can become extremely complex. To better understand how to modify how you do your business, you must first define how each of your existing processes work. When purchasing products or services from any business, most people seem to expect the same type of digital experience. Many customers today are looking for businesses that have field force automation integrated and ensured customer-friendly functionalities, continuous availability of products, and customised services. They are also looking for businesses that provide instant satisfaction and wide range of choices and consistency. This is why, in today’s world, modernisation and digitisation of business processes is critical.

      Best practices to reap full benefits

      As of today, a majority of modern software such as field sales tracking is cloud-based. There are no hardware requirements for server installation. Similarly, a mobile app can be downloaded from PlayStore or AppStore and can be used on a smartphone or the laptop/Mac itself, it does not require a specific device. Apart from this, availability of low-cost data, digital transactions are other aspects businesses can leverage upon. Here are some best practices to help you get the most out of digitising your business.

      1. Make decisions based on data

      The key to making good decisions is to use as much data as possible. Collect and analyse data about behaviors, trends, and timelines, so that you can make healthier, more risk-free decisions. Ensure that your team understands their role and how it affects the business as a whole. Despite this, mistakes can still happen, so learn from past mistakes to improve future decisions.

      1. Run a beta test

      Starting with a controlled beta test is always the best approach to transitioning to a more digitised business model. Prior to rolling out new technology to the general population, work out any bugs with the test group of the software implemented, such as the sales employee tracking app. It is considerably easier to manage small group changes than a snowball problem.

      1. Invest in training team members

      With the rapidly changing world of work, organisations need to digitise operations to keep up. Providing effective training is critical. Organisations and individuals who are familiar and knowledgeable about their digital assets will perform better in daily operations. 

      1. Build a logical roadmap

      Implement an integrated roadmap for field force automation such as development, marketing, source and other research, sales, customer interaction, and HR. Focus should also be on what increases creativity, productivity, and collaboration. Do not let confirmation bias cloud your judgement. Ensure you fully comprehend how and why the organisation works from the ground up. Make sure you don’t overlook information from the trenches.

      1. Be proactive

      Thanks to the digitised business model and virtual selling, leaders now have an easier time participating in meetings and observing them. Being able to observe and participate allows them to be much more proactive in coaching, providing feedback and constructively redirecting as necessary.

      Digitising your business is the logical way forward. Happisales is one such technology for field force automation or field sales tracking that you might want to consider investing in, keeping in minds its various features and benefits. Schedule a demo today and breeze through the digitising process!

    • Which Trends are Shaping the Future of Field Service Management?

      Which Trends are Shaping the Future of Field Service Management?

      Managing your staff, whether it is the sales department or the dispatch department, needs organising. Keeping track of their tasks and the progress of each task is an important job for the manager. Gone are the days when these tasks were done manually with pen and paper. Managing targets and performance is generally time-consuming. Field service management as of today can be a breeze if organisations consider incorporating field service software. 

      Companies have begun to manage their on-field personnel with ease and efficiency thanks to cutting-edge field service software. To give you a head start for the trends that will be shaping the industry in the coming year, here are some pointers that we’ve put together on the future of field service management.

      Trends in Field Service Management in 2022

      1. Contactless service

      COVID-19 changed customer and field sales personnel interactions, and many customers are less interested in returning to pre-pandemic service standards. Many businesses also implemented safety protocols, such as contactless capabilities, to keep employees and customers safe during the pandemic. These organisations may find it easier to maintain these changes than to return to previous standards.

      Organisations must assess whether they can do more with contactless options to continue using them. For example: 

      Contactless service appointments- With this, field service personnel can do their jobs while limiting the number of customers they see, thereby lowering contact risks. Customers can be contacted to ensure their information is up to date, CRMs can be tailored to their preferences (such as contactless interactions), and data can be made more predictive for future needs.

      1. Using Data To Offer Superior Customer Experience

      Customer data comes in through a multitude of channels these days, including email, social media, mobile phones, and so on. Businesses must build a holistic analysis of each customer’s data by putting together a complete picture of their experiences across all channels. Customer service will increase rapidly if data is properly examined and marketing, sales, and communications decisions are made based on it. Because today’s customers want individualised communications via mobile sales app and customised experiences, data becomes critical in determining the customer’s activity patterns and tailoring their experience accordingly.

      1. Cashless/Digital payments

      Due to health concerns and constraints, fewer customers have utilised cash throughout the pandemic. The use of money in B2B transactions has declined, while the use of digital payments has soared. Customers prefer mobile payments to cash or physical cards because they are more convenient and secure.

      Mobile payments via mobile sales app can be enabled in different ways for organisations that cannot afford to invest in contactless card readers. Customers could, for example, pay online via a secure portal on the company’s website, a smartphone mobile sales app, or a separate service, or through a third-party payment processor such as PayPal, Square, or Stripe. 

      1. Inventory management 

      Supply chain concerns have caused delays, material and product shortages, and price rises in the trade and construction industries throughout the pandemic. To manage supply chain difficulties and track inventory changes in real-time, many businesses turned to inventory management software. The software may help keep track of inventory and spot price changes for better pricing. In the field service management arena, AI and machine learning-enabled applications incorporated with Field Sales Mobile App aid field service providers improve their efficiencies. Through the appropriate utilisation of data, forecasts of upcoming field service requirements may be made, and service scheduling decisions can be left to the software for better predictions. 

      1. AI-enabled automation

      Organisations in the healthcare and manufacturing industries are aggressively investing in IoT and AI. These technologies may also be beneficial to field service management in the future.

      Field service employees can use IoT sensors and augmented reality glasses to identify where customers need assistance and deliver remote assistance and support. COVID-19 also wreaked havoc on the supply chain. As people leave the workforce, the field service business, in particular, confronts a skills deficit. As a result, many businesses have embraced AI and automation. AI automates procedures and can schedule field service employees using algorithms, allowing enterprises to deliver jobs ahead of schedule and increase profitability. AI also delivers fresh data that firms can make use of to better understand customer experience, its strengths, and areas that need improvement. AI data can assist firms in developing reactive and proactive approaches to meeting service needs.

      Conclusion

      There are a lot of changes that will happen as we progress into the future. Having dealt with a pandemic, it is clear that we will increasingly start deploying technology in all walks of life. Field service management is one space where tech deployment and future advances will be seen progressively and it makes sense to trust those that change with the times too. Platforms such as Happisales are among those that are in touch with the trends and keep up with the advancements. Schedule a demo today and check for yourselves! 

    • The complexity of Field Sales when compared with Online Sales

      The complexity of Field Sales when compared with Online Sales

      Introduction to online and field sales:

      Traditionally, field sales and inside sales have had their distinct domains. Field salespeople conducted most of the heavy labor, meeting with customers in person. Inside salespeople sold via the phone and the Internet and were in charge of simple items, small and remote clients, and simpler sales activities, including lead generation and renewals.

      However, field sales utilize online technologies like automated field sales tracking solutions in today’s digital age. At the same time, inside sales are encroaching on-field sales territory. As a result, businesses must reconsider how they structure, hire, support, manage, and incentivize their field and inside sales staff.

      The digital revolution drives the convergence of field and inside sales in three ways. First, digital enables freemium and subscription sales organizations, which direct clients to digital and inside sales channels rather than costly field personnel.

      Second, as technology improves, digital communication tools have grown more commonplace. Customers and salespeople (both inside and outside) are increasingly using email, live video, online tools, field force automation solutions, and websites to share information, develop and evaluate alternatives, and complete sales transactions.

      Finally, data and analytics influence more salespeople, sales managers, field force managers, and sales leaders in online sales. Companies have always concentrated heavily on field sales, but the sector is changing. Online sales are expanding at a 15x quicker rate than outside sales.

      Key differences between them:

      The primary distinction between inside & outside sales is the salesperson’s interactions with customers. Field sales are conducted in the field via face-to-face talks. Online sales are conducted over the phone or the Internet.

      Other distinguishing criteria include client acquisition expenses, revenue predictability, and the types of talents salespeople must possess to thrive.

      Why choose online sales over field sales?

      According to anecdotal evidence, inside sales teams grow 15 times faster than outside sales teams. Companies are putting their faith in in-house teams. It can be ascribed to causes such as the expansion of software companies and that more businesses are now selling to customers worldwide.

      Another element that helps inside sales is that they spend, on average, 71 percent of their day selling. Due to longer travel times and difficulties coordinating face-to-face meetings, field sales representatives only spend 41 percent of their time. 

      With the rise of digital products and services, scheduling product demos via video calls utilizing Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, or similar applications is possible. Field sales teams can concentrate on less volume and spend more time with enterprise clients with particular demands and long sales cycles.

      As measured solely in dollars and cents, field sales necessitate a higher investment to succeed. Outside sales representatives earn 12-18% more per year than inside sales representatives. Travel costs are undoubtedly higher due to the increased need to visit clients in various geographic locations.

      As businesses look for new ways to sell more for less, harnessing the resources of an efficient and productive online sales staff leads to considerable cost savings while keeping production at the same, if not greater, level than before.

      Final Thoughts:


      Most businesses establish a balance between internal and external sales, as we’ve seen. It is less expensive and more scalable to build an inside sales team. However, if you’re dealing with big clients with lengthy sales cycles, an outside sales force might be a better fit for your company. All you need is a sales tracking software to conduct efficient business!

    • 4 Ways to Measure the Productivity of Field Sales Employees

      4 Ways to Measure the Productivity of Field Sales Employees

      Consistently exceeding sales targets pays everyone’s bills, including commissions and bonuses, and guarantees the company’s bottom line is powerful. The biggest determinant you have for consistently managing and delivering on your goals is measuring and tracking your Field Sales Team’s performance and progress.

      You cannot afford to lose vision of the woods and only see individual trees. The first step towards determining sales team performance is to have clear visibility. It is far more efficacious than piecing together the entire picture from the operations of individual sales reps, which is time-consuming.

      Implementing sales tracking may appear difficult, but it does not have to be. There are only a few practical steps required to develop an effective method for measuring, tracking, and reporting on the performance of your sales team.

      4 Ways to Measure Sales Productivity:

      • Establish key performance indicators – 

      KPI, also known as the Key Performance Indicator, is a value that measures the performance of various aspects of the firm to determine whether or not it has met its targets. Any sales organization must create a real-time dashboard to track the performance of their sales team. 

      Also, a Field Force Automation Solution is equally enabled to track the performance and productivity of your sales reps’ team. 

      • Evaluate forecasted business vs. Targeted business – 

      Forecasting your business is more than just a numbers game. Rather, it is a well-researched estimation that defines an organization’s future tendencies. 

      Accurate prediction reports express how many deals are necessary to fulfill your goal, the most likely buyers, and how much prospecting is required to fill your sales pipeline. field sales reporting apps are perfect for such predictions. The accurate forecast numbers provide a benchmark for salespeople to see if they are on track to meet their goals.

      • Make time for constant follow up – 

      It is also tough to set aside time to check in with each individual. Use this opportunity to debate how their performance compares to the team’s goals and emphasize any key areas for improvement.

      • Measure long and short-term goals – 

      The most impactful performance metrics balance short-term task completion with long-term performance. This combination of objectives and incentives promotes a positive work ethic.

      With the right investigating tools and a field service management software designed to help you track performance in real-time, you can begin working smarter and smacking those team targets regularly! With such intelligent solutions, you can monitor, track, and analyze your revenue-generating activities and ensure maximum productivity every time! Visit us at Happisales to learn more.