Time Management On the Road
As a field salesperson, more time with customers means more sales. Oftentimes, the biggest roadblock that prevents that is wasted time spent on driving to those customers.
Here are some helpful tips as to how you can minimize the time spent on the road.
Lay a Solid Foundation for Your Schedule
How do you guarantee reaching your clients in the most efficient manner? The best place to start is setting your day up before hitting the road. This not only includes knowing what order in which you’ll meet your clients, but also the driving directions between each client. By considering this in advance, you can be aware of annoying obstacles on the road. Let’s face it, no one likes running into construction zones and common traffic trouble spots that they could’ve been aware of in advance. And while your schedule is vulnerable to last-minute changes, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by creating a solid foundation for your schedule.
Leave Yourself Some Wiggle Room
It’s no secret that customers can be unpredictable, which makes for a considerable amount of cancellations or last-minute changes. The more prepared you are for these changes, the better you’ll be able to jump those hurdles and keep running through your day at full speed. This can get tricky if you plan your day on your own, but there are plenty of apps that allow you to flexibly maneuver through last minute changes. Some sales apps with scheduling features allow you to adjust your route on-the-go by adding or removing clients from your schedule. If you’re looking to find a suitable sales app, make sure the app has enough flexibility to fit the flexible nature of your job.
Plan Your Pit Stops
Between clients, don’t forget about some essential pit stops you’ll need to make. We’ve all been there: circling around the block looking for parking, going out of your way to fill up your gas tank, or perhaps the worst, settling for some subpar food for lunch because anything decent is too far away. If you know which clients you’d like to visit for the day, find these stops in advance to make your route as seamless as possible. If you’re using a route optimization app, don’t forget to add these to your route before you leave. Better yet, find yourself a route optimization app that lets you search for these places and see if they are close to your route. Regardless of how you get this done, planning your pit stops can be a huge time-saver and stop you from settling for inconvenient parking, pricey gas or a bad lunch break.