If you have read our CRM guide, you’d know how important a mobile field sales app along with your inside sales team. But what about those unsung heroes who go out in the sun and rain (and sometimes, snow) to sell. Don’t they deserve the same sort of empowering? Don’t they deserve their job to be made a tad bit easier too? They do, right?
That’s why you should consider getting a field sales app for your agents. Plus, it makes sense from the business perspective as well. An organized team means more work done, fewer confusions, and increased productivity.
Why you need a field sales app?
Most of the time, your field agents would go out to meet only sales qualified leads. They usually plan their sales routes manually and would have to remember where and when their follow-ups are. Their work might also require them to collect and verify documents.
Doing all this manually would only lead to confusion and a lot of missed meetings. That is why having a field sales app designed to handle all their woes is the answer.
How to overcome hurdles using field sales mobile app?
Before choosing a field sales app for your team, you should first know your requirements. What is the main goal of your field sales team, what is their typical day like, how big is your team? These questions will help you zero in one tool.
Listed below are some common problems that field agents face, and how you can solve them using a good field sales software.
Problem 1: Unable to plan their route properly
Without an app, field agents might end up planning a really erratic day for themselves. They might start at point A for their first meeting, then travel 10 miles south to point B and then again travel 12 miles north to point C. This is simply a waste of time as he spent most of his day traveling.
Solution: The field sales management app should show the agent what meetings have been scheduled for the day and what their status is. Also, he should be able to figure out what his best route should be.
Problem 2: Miss out on meetings and appointments
When an agent has 50 meetings scheduled for the week, chances are he/she may miss out on some of them. This could be either due to lack of time or simply because he/she forgot. This could lead to a loss of business for the company.
Solution: The field sales management app should send reminders before the meeting so that the chances of them forgetting is low. Also, when a new lead is assigned to them or a new task is created for them, they should receive instant notifications. This way they can follow up with the lead immediately and reduce the callback time.
Problem 3: Manually searching for leads
There are chances that sometimes the agent may be done with his meetings for the day, or his appointment may have been canceled. So, instead of wasting this time, he might want to reach out to other leads in the vicinity. But manually keeping track of a lead’s location is next to impossible.
Solution: Your app should track where your leads are and let you know the leads you can reach out to. This way you will save time and increase the productivity of your agents.
Problem 4: Unable to add leads directly
While on their sales route, your agent may see a potential lead and choose to do a walk-in. Calling cards may be exchanged and the agent has to remember to input the details into your CRM. If he forgets, the lead may be lost. Additionally, the agent may get calls or texts from a potential client, which may also meet the same fate.
Solution: The agent should be able to add leads into the CRM directly through the field sales mobile app. Chances of error will be drastically reduced. Also, the mobile app should be able to capture incoming calls and texts as leads automatically.
Problem 5: Cannot use the mobile app offline
While on their route, they may run out of battery on their phone. Or they may simply be in an area where cell phone reception is not so great. In such cases, using their internet to log their meetings or to enter new leads might not be possible.
Solution: The field sales app should have offline working capabilities. This way even if the user does not have internet, he can still perform his sales functions without any hurdles.
Problem 6: Unable to track field sales agents
In some rare cases, there are chances where the field agent may exaggerate his day or even lie about the meetings he’s had. It might get difficult for the manager to know precisely how productive the agent has been.
Solution: The field sales mobile application should accurately track the route that the agent has traveled, the number of meetings he has had, his check-in and check- out timings as well as the number of miles he’s covered that day. This makes the process transparent and easier to track
Problem 7: No proper analytics of agents’ performance
Unlike the inside sales team, the field sales team is not linked directly to the CRM. Which means that precise attribution in terms of salespeople, revenue and geography may not be possible.
Solution: By having detailed reports for the app usage, the sales manager can accurately check the productivity and efficiency of their field sales team. Additionally, having a CRM which syncs data between both the desktop and mobile applications would simplify the process more.
Now you know how your field agents can become more efficient with a sales app. Consider getting them an app which comes linked to a CRM to make it easier for them and you. This way you don’t have to switch between multiple tools. LeadSquared field sales software (available on Playstore and App store) fits the bill perfectly and is the perfect tool to empower your field agents.
