Effective Sales Territory Management and Communication Strategies

Effective Time Management in Sales (8-Hour Day)

• Travel: 144 minutes (30%)
• Waiting: 120 minutes (25%)
• Reports: 96 minutes (20%)
• Casual Conversation: 24 minutes (5%)
• Selling Time: 96 minutes (20%)

Effective Goal Setting in Sales

• Set realistic and attainable goals
• Establish a time frame: short-term, intermediate, or long-term
• Make goals specific and measurable
• Prioritize your goals
• Follow the S.M.A.R.T. framework

Steps to Develop a Routing/Scheduling Plan

• Map out your territory
• Subdivide the territory if necessary
• Develop a routing plan for a specific period
• Schedule according to customers' needs
• Determine call frequency

Components of the Basic Communication Model

• Source: Salesperson
• Encoding: Message development
• Message & Medium: Sales presentation
• Decoding: Buyer interpretation
• Receiver: Buyer

Four Categories of Territorial Spaces

• Intimate: 6-8 inches
• Personal: 1.5 - 4 feet
• Social: 4 - 12 feet
• Public: 12-25 feet

Four Different Communication Styles

• Supportive: Low dominance + high sociability
• Emotive: High dominance + high sociability
• Reflective: Low dominance + low sociability
• Director: High dominance + low sociability

Adapting to an Emotive Communication Style

• Be enthusiastic
• Don't be too formal
• Take time to build the relationship
• Provide support for their opinions, ideas, and dreams
• Be a good listener

Adapting to a Director Communication Style

• Be efficient, time-disciplined, and well-organized
• Identify their primary goal
• Emphasize facts and details
• Be a good listener

Adapting to a Reflective Communication Style

• Don't pressure them to make a quick decision
• Present them with facts and details
• Don't get too emotional
• Be a good listener

Adapting to a Supportive Communication Style

• Take time to discuss personal things
• Present them with facts and details
• Provide support for their opinions
• Don't disagree too openly, as they dislike conflict
• Be patient
• Be a good listener

Time Management: The 80/20 Rule

Classify accounts according to sales volume (A, B, C).

Time Management: Develop a Routing/Scheduling Plan

• Map out the territory
• Subdivide if necessary
• Develop a routing plan for a specific period
• Schedule according to customer needs
• Determine call frequency