Every business in the world wants to find ways to be more efficient and increase their revenues. They use many tactics to try and achieve these goals, but one of the best might be using a mapping software. In any sales focused business, you want to make sure that your sales team is spending as much time as possible on doing sales. They also deserve to have the best data possible to help them make those sales. With mapping software, you can get the best of all worlds. 

Map Out Your Customers

For one, having a map of your customers can be a powerful tool for sales teams. Have there been times when someone on your sales team stopped in on a prospect, only to find that someone else had already been there? Or, has it happened that a sales team member pitched a prospect when there was another one right next door that they missed? With mapping software, you can make sure that no potential customers are missed. Not only that, but when pitching sales, they can use the proximity of existing customers to help. It can be effective to tell a prospect that their neighbor already uses your product or service. Referrals can be powerful sales tactics. 

Territory Distribution

Sales managers used to spend a lot of time going through maps online and creating sales territories manually. With a good mapping software, you can do that work in a flash. If you know how to create a google map with excel data, then you can easily delineate territories based on city, zip code automatically, or use whatever separation you want. Using Google Maps on its own will not allow you to color code areas, map out prospects and existing customers, or help you make sure that the territories are balanced. Mapping software will analyze your territories and balance them for you, saving you precious time and energy. 

Optimize Sales Routes

Do you find that your sales reps are often left with nothing to do when they are in between meetings? Too much idle time between meetings can be a thing of the past with mapping software. It can automatically set optimal routes for your team, so they can spend more time selling and less time driving and waiting. It will assess all of your data, from locations, to driving time, and even meeting times, to make sure that there is very little time on a sales trip. It will also make sure that it leaves enough time in its calculations for your reps to make it meetings on time. 

Easier Data Entry

Field reps are often moving quickly from one spot to the next, so they may have difficulty keeping track of important lead and prospect information. Things like how productive a meeting was, for instance, need to be tracked quickly and accurately. Mapping software allows this information to be inputted on the go and can be stored in the software. They can use their phones to quickly get the data into a CRM, which can then be exported into a map to track that information and compare it to other sales leads. 

This will also help to prevent leads from getting missed or falling through the cracks. If a lead is mapped out on a route, then a rep can easily make a stop. With the information they may have already collected, this becomes even more powerful. For instance, if a sales rep has spoken with a lead, and they had some interest but did not purchase at the time, that can be noted in the software. Then, the rep can be alerted the next time they are in the area so they can re-engage with that lead and continue the relationship. Since it’s all coded on the map, the reps won’t miss a beat and no opportunities will be lost. 

You can Transition Seamlessly With Your Existing Tools

A good mapping software will work with any tools that you are already using. That could be Excel, or a CRM product. It’s important that your data from those sources can be transitioned easily to your mapping software. That way you and your sales team can have everything at hand whenever it is needed. It should also be able to integrate with common tools, like calendars, documents, and file sharing apps. 

As a sales manager, you need to find ways to make your sales force more efficient and more productive. With mapping software, you can make sure that your reps have the best routes in a flash. Your data will always be up-to-date, and you will always be able to adapt on the fly. Leads that in the past might have slipped through your fingers will now be opportunities that will not be missed. Your sales force will be happier with the data you’ve given them to succeed, and your bottom line will thank you for it, too. 

Every business in the world wants to find ways to be more efficient and increase their revenues, such as application portfolio management. They use many tactics to try and achieve these goals, but one of the best might be using a mapping software. In any sales focused business, you want to make sure that your sales team is spending as much time as possible on doing sales. They also deserve to have the best data possible to help them make those sales. With mapping software, you can get the best of all worlds. 

Map Out Your Customers

For one, having a map of your customers can be a powerful tool for sales teams. Have there been times when someone on your sales team stopped in on a prospect, only to find that someone else had already been there? Or, has it happened that a sales team member pitched a prospect when there was another one right next door that they missed? With mapping software, you can make sure that no potential customers are missed. Not only that, but when pitching sales, they can use the proximity of existing customers to help. It can be effective to tell a prospect that their neighbor already uses your product or service. Referrals can be powerful sales tactics. 

Territory Distribution

Sales managers used to spend a lot of time going through maps online and creating sales territories manually. With a good mapping software, you can do that work in a flash. If you know how to create a google map with excel data, then you can easily delineate territories based on city, zip code automatically, or use whatever separation you want. Using Google Maps on its own will not allow you to color code areas, map out prospects and existing customers, or help you make sure that the territories are balanced. Mapping software will analyze your territories and balance them for you, saving you precious time and energy. 

Optimize Sales Routes

Do you find that your sales reps are often left with nothing to do when they are in between meetings? Too much idle time between meetings can be a thing of the past with mapping software. It can automatically set optimal routes for your team, so they can spend more time selling and less time driving and waiting. It will assess all of your data, from locations, to driving time, and even meeting times, to make sure that there is very little time on a sales trip. It will also make sure that it leaves enough time in its calculations for your reps to make it meetings on time. 

Easier Data Entry

Field reps are often moving quickly from one spot to the next, so they may have difficulty keeping track of important lead and prospect information. Things like how productive a meeting was, for instance, need to be tracked quickly and accurately. Mapping software allows this information to be inputted on the go and can be stored in the software. They can use their phones to quickly get the data into a CRM, which can then be exported into a map to track that information and compare it to other sales leads. 

This will also help to prevent leads from getting missed or falling through the cracks. If a lead is mapped out on a route, then a rep can easily make a stop. With the information they may have already collected, this becomes even more powerful. For instance, if a sales rep has spoken with a lead, and they had some interest but did not purchase at the time, that can be noted in the software. Then, the rep can be alerted the next time they are in the area so they can re-engage with that lead and continue the relationship. Since it’s all coded on the map, the reps won’t miss a beat and no opportunities will be lost. 

You can Transition Seamlessly With Your Existing Tools

A good mapping software will work with any tools that you are already using. That could be Excel, or a CRM product. It’s important that your data from those sources can be transitioned easily to your mapping software. That way you and your sales team can have everything at hand whenever it is needed. It should also be able to integrate with common tools, like calendars, documents, and file sharing apps. 

As a sales manager, you need to find ways to make your sales force more efficient and more productive. With mapping software, you can make sure that your reps have the best routes in a flash. Your data will always be up-to-date, and you will always be able to adapt on the fly. Leads that in the past might have slipped through your fingers will now be opportunities that will not be missed. Your sales force will be happier with the data you’ve given them to succeed, and your bottom line will thank you for it, too. 

I bet you never thought the word “cool” and “Excel” would ever appear in the same sentence. Well, we’re about to prove to you why these Excel tips can make your life a whole lot cooler!

Whether you believe us or not, you’ll agree that Excel can make your day to day tasks and projects super easy once you know these three Excel features.

Are you taking full advantage of everything Excel has to offer? Here are three cool Excel features you will wish you would have known about sooner.

  1. Pivot Table

If your boss is looking for some helpful information based on your data in a pinch or you’re just curious, pivot tables can be a lot of fun. Playing around with pivot tables can help you find out where the majority of your demographic is located, age ranges, or average sales per day.

You may discover a trend in your data that you didn’t know was there! Maybe you find that one product is more popular than another or a particular email was more successful. Pivot tables may seem overwhelming at first but they can be insightful once you get the hang of it.

To create a pivot table, you will need to click Insert and then Pivot Table. Next, you will highlight all the columns and rows you want to include. You can hit the corner arrow to instantly highlight the entire table.

Your Pivot Table will appear in a separate table where you can select, drag, and drop the different fields you want to compare. Graduate to even more Excel action, learn more here.

  1. Conditional Formatting

When you have a huge spreadsheet full of data, it can be difficult to mine through all of that content. Luckily Excel will do it for you with Conditional Formatting. This can be used in a number of ways.

For example, you can find any duplicate content such as phone numbers or last names by highlighting a column of data. Then click on Conditional Formatting and select duplicate values. This option also has a dropdown that will highlight unique values as well.

Another great feature used often with Conditional Formatting as the “Text that Contains” feature. This allows you to highlight cells that contain certain words or you can replace them with alternative words or symbols.

Once you highlight the content you’re looking for, you can then use it to sort and search for them.

  1. Absolute References

Did you know you don’t have to copy-paste each cell in order to fill in your spreadsheet? An easy trick to building your spreadsheet is referencing other cells. You can also do this when using complex formulas where you want to extend the formulas in one row to the rows beneath it.

All you need to do is add a dollar sign in front to let Excel know you want to fix the information in the cell. A dollar sign in front of the letter fixes the column, and the dollar sign in front of the number will fix the rows.

Excel Features Just Got Cooler

Excel might seem complicated at first, but before you know it, you’ll be using these three Excel features to improve your work and save time!

If you enjoyed these tips, then you’ll love our other articles. Check them out on our site!