How you prioritize your sales territory management activities depends upon whether you're managing a territory that has existing customers, or whether you're building your customer base from scratch.
If you manage a territory that has existing customers, your first priority should be to introduce yourself to every single one of your customers. This should be a nice, low-key introduction along the lines of:
"I simply needed to introduce myself and see if there's something I will do to help you."
Then, as you're chatting with your customers, you'll ask:
"Would you mind sharing with me how you think my company's relationship with you has been going therefore far? What have we been doing well? Where could we have a tendency to improve?"
Collecting this sort of feedback is a nice approach to start relationships with customers. It additionally helps you draw any festering issues out into the open. If you'll be able to address the problems quickly, it will extremely jump-begin your relationships with the affected customers.
This same approach can conjointly be effective for purchasers that have been reducing their purchases from your company over time, or customers that have stopped ordering completely. It's never a lot of fun to pay attention to individuals complain. However, if you can isolate and solve the problems that are inflicting the dissatisfaction, you'll turn out a rapid and substantial boost in sales.
If you find customers that are really pleased with the service your company has provided, drill down (with a lot of questions) to see simply what has made them therefore happy. Their answers will give you with a template for successfully managing their (and different) accounts. Conjointly, raise these happy customers for referrals...irrespective of whether you have contributed in any means to their happiness! Happy, happy customers are sometimes delighted to share their positive expertise with others.
Once you've got met all your existing customers, the next step is to identify target prospects in your territory. Start by checking together with your manager. If they need been managing your sales team for any amount of time, they must be in a position to recommend some sensible target prospects.
Once you have got compiled an inventory of target prospects, determine that ones you'll pursue first. That target prospects have the greatest potential to buy the biggest amounts of product and services? Which ones are likely to be "fast closes"? If you have both varieties of target prospects on your list, pursue many of each sort at the identical time. Within the words of a well-revered government that I used to figure with:
"Elephant searching is great...but those rabbits positive style good in between the elephants!"
When you're ready to start pursuing your target prospects, start by asking your existing customers whether or not they recognize anyone that works in the target organizations. If they do, ask for referrals. Once you have exhausted out there referrals, proceed with the other activities in your prospecting set up - however tailor these activities to draw in the eye of your target prospects.
Conclusion
Effective sales territory management begins with touching base with every single one among your existing customers. Ask queries to gauge their satisfaction with their relationship with your company. If they establish any problems, work aggressively to unravel these issues as your first priority.
If a customer expresses happiness and satisfaction, raise questions to determine what your company has been doing right. Use this information to make a template for managing all of your accounts. Also be positive to ask for referrals, each generally and to specific target accounts. Exhaust these referrals before you begin the other (less productive) activities in your prospecting plan.
Author Resource:
Howard has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Sales-Management, you can also check out his latest website about:
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