How to Optimize Sales Route Planning

Import and Organize Sales Data

Easily import and organize sales data and turn raw information into actionable insights:

• Upload Excel spreadsheets or connect CRM systems to bring in customer, lead, and territory data
• Automatic geocoding maps your data by converting addresses or postcodes into exact map locations
• Categorize and filter data by fields like account type, deal value, priority, or rep assignment
• Interactive visualization of data through pin maps, heat maps, and territory layers
• When integrated with CRM platforms, sales data stays up-to-date

Map Customer and Prospect Locations

Learning how to plan a sales route starts with deep knowledge of your sales territory and geography. This requires solid data on your customers, prospects, and competitor locations. When you optimize field sales route planning to help create a sales strategy, seeing those locations can be transformational.

Your sales data will come alive as you uncover patterns like competitor clusters or customer hotspots. You will also see whitespaces or areas with untapped sales potential, which is important if you want to optimize sales territories.

Prioritize Visits Based on Sales Value

Sales strategy execution is always a priority, but often behaviors misalign with the objectives. For example, your strategy is to sell premium security systems to households with a minimum income of $200,000. But analysis of sales rep calls shows that they are calling on households with average incomes below $100,000. It is a common challenge.

Before you proceed with sales route optimization, be clear on your Sweet Spot Client—a customer with the highest profitable sales potential.

Ask these questions:

• Which industry and or group of organizations should you prioritize?
• What size are they? (revenue, employees, patients, PCs)
• What personas own the benefits?
• What will be their key drivers to enable them to say yes?

Use Mapping Tools to Optimize the Route

By combining territory data, locked appointments, and intelligent sales route optimization, reps work smarter (not harder). Here’s how mapping tools optimize the route:

• Visualize customer locations: Pin and heat maps reveal where high-priority clients, prospects, and competitors are concentrated, helping reps understand territory dynamics at a glance.
• Prioritize and lock in key meetings: Schedule must-attend appointments (like high-value clients or time-sensitive visits) first, then allow the system to generate optimal routes around these fixed points.
• Reduce travel time, boost productivity: Advanced algorithms minimize drive time and mileage, enabling one extra customer visit per day and maximizing selling hours.

Enable Real-time Adjustments

With eSpatial's mapping software for sales, you can re-optimize dynamically on the go. Sales reps can quickly adjust their routes in real time to add calls or reshuffle stops. They can search for replacement calls on a map and select, or hit re-optimize, and be back on schedule in minutes.

Capture Field Data and Sync With CRM

Real-time tracking of rep visits, such as locations checked in, time spent, and meeting outcomes, captures data around field activity. Reps can also log details like meeting notes, next steps, and opportunity status directly in-field through the mobile app.

eSpatial mapping software easily integrates with CRM systems like Salesforce. Sales reps can access and update lead or account information directly through the interface while on the road. CRM data can inform smarter routing decisions based on opportunity size, last contact date, or customer priority, creating a closed loop between the field and the back office.

Analyze and Refine Routes

eSpatial's sales route optimization planner uses advanced algorithms based on schedules, travel modes, and priorities. From here, it creates the best multi-day routes and can quickly re-optimize in real time if plans change.

Advanced visualizations via heat maps, priority filtering, and color-coded itineraries help sales managers understand coverage, identify high-potential areas, and distribute stops evenly across territories.

Relying on Manual Planning

Manual route planning in spreadsheets or basic mapping tools is time-consuming, error-prone, and limits visibility. Without automation, reps waste valuable selling time figuring out where to go next, rather than focusing on customer engagement.

Using Incomplete or Outdated Data

Planning with outdated customer lists or inaccurate location data leads to inefficient routing, missed opportunities, and wasted travel. This is why it’s so important to integrate real-time CRM and territory data to keep routes relevant and productive.

Ignoring Real-world Flexibility

Rigid plans can quickly fall apart due to cancellations, traffic, or last-minute changes. eSpatial allows reps to dynamically re-optimize routes on the go, ensuring they stay productive even when the day doesn’t go as planned.

Overloading Reps With Unrealistic Routes

Packing too many stops into a single day reduces the quality of interactions and increases burnout. eSpatial helps balance routes by factoring in meeting durations, travel time, and priorities, making routes both efficient and realistic.