Sales Route Planning: Complete Guide for 2024

Sales route planning plays a key role in building a strong sales strategy. When done well, it helps your sales reps connect with the right opportunities at the perfect time.

It can feel tricky to manage. But with good planning and the right tools, your team can make the most of every workday. Here’s a simple guide to help you get started.

What Is Sales Route Planning?

Sales route planning is about finding the best way for sales reps to travel between prospects. But it’s not just about the route. It also means choosing which prospects to visit first, based on their potential value for sales or business growth.

What Are the Benefits of Sales Route Planning?

Sales reps across industries face similar challenges. One of the biggest is making the most of their time since they spend only 28% of it on actual selling, according to our State of Sales report. Sales route planning helps by cutting down travel time so reps can spend more time with prospects.

Technology plays a key role here. Good sales route planning tools use your customer data to map the most efficient routes, maximizing your time. Without these tools, route planning can be slow, manual, and more prone to mistakes.

How Do I Create and Optimize My Route?

The first step in building your sales route is using the right technology. While tools like Google spreadsheets and maps can handle simple routes from point A to point B, they rely on manual input and limited data. Instead of relying on manual tools like spreadsheets, advanced solutions such as eLogii help you handle the most complex routes with automated inputs and dynamic data insights.

Even more so, here’s how you can optimize your route using advanced route planning software:

1. Use Sales Route Mapping Software

Sales route mapping tools help visualize and plan sales visits, but pairing them with route optimization solutions like eLogii ensures those plans are executed most efficiently. eLogii automates route adjustments in real-time, reducing travel time while keeping reps focused on top-priority customers.

These tools also give you real-time insights, helping you find new opportunities and avoid potential problems along the way.

2. Map Your Customer Locations

Once you have the right software, start mapping your high-priority accounts. Seeing the locations of your customers, prospects, and competitors will reveal useful patterns—like clusters of customers, areas where competitors are active, and places with untapped potential. This can also highlight upgrade opportunities for existing customers.

3. Focus on Your Best Opportunities First

Ideally, you’d sell to every interested prospect, but time is limited. That’s why it’s important to target your top opportunities first. AI-powered insights from Sales AI can help you prioritize deals based on the criteria you set—like potential deal value or customer engagement.

4. Prepare for Schedule Changes and New Routes

Even with your priorities set, it’s smart to leave some flexibility in your schedule. This way, you can quickly adjust if something unexpected happens, like a cancellation. For instance, if a morning meeting gets rescheduled, your routing software can instantly update your plan. Or, if a rep sees that spending more time with a certain customer could open a big opportunity, the rest of the day’s schedule can be adjusted on the fly.

5. Log Notes in Your CRM After Each Visit

Make sure to log notes in your CRM right after meeting with clients or prospects. This keeps your records up to date and saves time later. It also helps your whole team stay aligned and spot trends that can guide future routes.

What Sales Route Planning Software Features Do I Need?

The best route-planning software depends on your business needs. Start by listing your team’s biggest challenges, then build a wish list of features to solve them.

Here are some key features to look for:

Route Mapping by Capacity, Priority, and Geography

Sales mapping software should integrate with your CRM to show your customers on a map. But it should do more than that. It needs to help you allocate resources so the right reps are in the right place at the right time.

For example, imagine two reps are assigned routes with similar driving times. But each one specializes in a different industry. Smart route-planning software can match reps to the right clients based on their expertise, leading to better service and more revenue.

Real-Time Updates

Good software not only finds the best route between multiple stops but also adapts on the go. It should update routes and schedules in real time to handle longer client meetings, new stops, or unexpected issues like traffic. Namely, eLogii’s real-time optimization capabilities ensure your team stays on track even when plans change. It offers instant route adjustments to maximize productivity on the go.

Manager Reports

Smart routing software gives managers a clear view of field performance, helping with decisions and keeping reps on track. Managers can see how visits impact the sales pipeline and business goals, automate mileage tracking, and monitor field activities. This way, they get all the insights they need without spending too much time creating reports.

Automated Logging

To spend more time with prospects, use a tool that automates manual updates, like mileage tracking and call-prep checklists. Over time, this adds up to more hours for client interactions, leading to better customer experiences and more closed deals, which directly boosts your bottom line.

When paired with territory mapping, this software also helps distribute workloads fairly among reps. This creates balanced schedules, keeps your top talent engaged, and ensures your team makes the most of their time in the field.

What Are the Benefits of Route Planning Software?

Intelligent route planning software helps field teams tackle their challenges by letting them find, understand, and act on their most important opportunities.

• Adaptability: This software allows reps and managers to create smart visit plans for complicated routes. It takes into account many stops, fixed meeting times, heavy traffic, and even weather delays. At the same time, it suggests the best routes to avoid gaps in the schedule. It cuts down on unexpected downtime and helps reps quickly adjust to changing driving conditions.
• Increased Productivity: Efficient route planning software boosts productivity and sales revenue while lowering transportation costs. With a clear view of territories and market trends, reps can focus on finding opportunities in high-value areas and aligning their efforts with marketing campaigns. It also automates call and note logging, allowing reps to concentrate on selling.
• Alignment: With real-time data updates, everyone—from executives to managers—can see field sales performance and quickly adjust strategies as needed.

Concluding Thoughts

Sales route planning is a powerful way to boost productivity, reduce travel time, and help your sales reps focus on high-value opportunities. By using advanced tools, prioritizing top prospects, and staying flexible with schedules, your team can achieve more with less effort. With well-planned routes, you’ll improve customer interactions, increase revenue, and create a more efficient workflow for your sales team.

eLogii takes sales route planning to the next level with real-time optimization, automated adjustments, and deep insights. Its dynamic features ensure your team is always on the most efficient route, making it easy to stay on top of opportunities and adapt to changes on the go.