The decision has been made. Instead of relying on multiple spreadsheets and string pinned to a map on the wall, you’ll be investing in sales territory mapping software.
During the evaluation of the many options out there, it’s important to ask yourself these eight questions before making a choice. Once you have answered these questions, you’ll have a better understanding of what your organization needs from the software.
1. What are my challenges?
The first thing you need to really know is why you’re investing in territory mapping software. What problem will it solve for you? Knowing your challenges allows you to identify the software solution that fits your needs. It also helps to focus your conversation when dealing with the software sales people. It’s impossible to evaluate a product without having a clear picture of what you want to achieve with it!
2. Do I require hierarchies?
Do you require various levels of visibility to match your sales organization structure? Assuming you do, you should choose a territory mapping software solution that has hierarchal features. These features will allow you to set up multiple hierarchal tiers for a territory map. If you’re able to clearly describe your businesses organizational structure to the sales person you’re dealing with, you’ll find it will speed up your conversation.
3. Can it scale as my business grows?
When working with sales data, your software needs be able to grow and update along with your business. Cloud-based territory mapping software solutions provide the elasticity for businesses to scale up or down, without the need to buy expensive software licenses or install programs.
4. Can I collaborate and delegate to my sales team?
Teams share and collaborate, so when selecting a territory mapping software for your sales team, having the ability collaborate and even delegate some of the work is crucial.
5. Can I layer third-party data?
Do you need to compare your sales data with additional information, like demographics in your territories? If so, you need to be looking for territory mapping software that can supply you with that data.
6. What are my reporting needs?
Performance reporting is essential to key stakeholders in your organization, so it’s likely to be a key factor when you’re reviewing territory mapping software. Understand how you want to report performance, whether it’s a map of your territories on a PowerPoint slide or an interactive map that allows stakeholders to carry out their own analysis.
7. Is it easy to use?
Any software that you’re going to adopt for your organization or sales department needs to be easy. Look for a solution that’s been designed and built by sales territory management experts.
8. Is support available when I need it?
What kind of support will you need? Do you want a dedicated account manager? Do you need instant responses? If so, in-app chat support is a must-have.
Evaluating software that you’ll be rolling out across your sales team can be a difficult job. To help, we’ve created a printable checklist you can use for your evaluation of various territory mapping software options. Download the checklist here.
