This is a guest post by Steve Benson from Badger Maps.
For businesses that require field sales teams, integrating route planning and mapping tools with their CRM is a game changer. It allows field sales representatives to access and visualize their customer data using an interactive map. This real-time interactive data access gives them the insights to efficiently plan, optimize, and execute their field sales processes.
Why sales representatives sell more with route planning and mapping
Route planning tools give the fastest route between locations, factoring in real-time traffic congestion, the locations of the best prospects, and pending follow-ups to spend less time on roads and reduce fuel costs.
Generic route planners like Google Maps are useful for simple trips from location A to B. However, field sales teams with long customer lists have more complex routing requirements and require a tool designed specifically for their needs. It should optimize routes based on the prospect or customer information and field sales data, too.
Route planner + CRM = The perfect integration for field sales team
Field sales teams using CRM software to manage leads, contacts, accounts, and sales data can maximize sales productivity, minimize drive time, and ensure seamless customer interactions by leveraging the right route planning tool.
Here's what you need to do to make the most out of this integration.
Assess your needs and choose a compatible tool
The first step is to identify the specific features your team needs. Route planning tools can offer a broad range of capabilities, from basic navigation to advanced functions such as route optimization, mapping, territory management, and lead generation. So, understanding the team's specific requirements is fundamental. Identifying them can help narrow down options and help select a tool that fits seamlessly into your sales operations.
After identification, research route planning tools that meet your criteria. It's important to select a tool that not only is highly functional but also compatible with your CRM. This ensures customer data and route information can flow effortlessly between platforms, reducing manual work and improving efficiency. You should also evaluate your options' features, pricing, user-friendliness, and customer support to ensure they meet both immediate and long-term needs.
Set up the integration
Before setting-up the integration, make sure the necessary accessibility permissions are in place. Following that, use a dedicated CRM specialist to set up and implement your integration.
These experts can create a custom integration tailored to specific needs, ensuring data fields, such as customer addresses, sales appointments, and contact details, sync accurately between both platforms. They can also fine-tune your integration and perform test runs to ensure smooth operations. A professionally managed setup guarantees a customized, scalable solution that fits your requirements, giving you a fast return on your initial investment.
Test the integration
Once your integration is set up, it’s time to get your sales team to rigorously test it in the field. Testing the integration is critical, as it allows you to identify any issues early on while also preparing your team to use the system confidently.
Start by performing a controlled test with a small, manageable dataset from your CRM. This initial testing dataset could include a few different customer records such as different address formats, priority tags, or scheduled appointments. This helps confirm all essential fields are accurately synced.
Monitor and optimize
Once you start actively using the integration, take time to monitor and optimize the integration's usage and performance. This is a critical step for ensuring your sales operations are at their best. Regular tracking can help quantify the value you are receiving from the integration and maximize the benefits.
For example, you can monitor your fuel costs, mileage, customer visits per day, and more, before and after the transition. You can also track and monitor the data flow from your route planning toll to your CRM. In addition to analyzing these performance metrics, actively gather feedback from your sales team. Their insights can be invaluable in uncovering practical issues and helping everybody get the most out of the integration.
Route planners and maps for Zoho CRM
Customize Zoho CRM for your field sales team with an app that enables your representatives to stay efficient. Badger Maps, a routing, mapping, and territory management app, seamlessly integrates with Zoho CRM and enables route optimization, varied mapping, and lead generation. With Badger Maps, leverage and mobilize your Zoho CRM data to easily access your customers' information.
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