But keep in mind that it is difficult to stay on this schedule exactly and the rep will need to adjust accordingly. If the rep is in a territory making calls, it is often helpful to create a routing plan that directs the rep through the territory on specific days and weeks. Again, there will be deviations from this plan, but it can help significantly in getting reps out of the office and into the field. Without a plan, sales reps tend to wander aimlessly at times. With a good plan that has some discipline built into it by the rep, the chances for success increase dramatically.
Sales reps are notorious for burning time in the office or in a car or airplane.
Haphazard routing and poor time management contribute to this significantly. As a manager of sales personnel, it is important to instill a level of discipline in their daily rituals that will contribute positively to selling efficiency. Most organizations work a lot on product training, selling techniques and overcoming objections, but tend to ignore or spend little time on instilling a disciplined approach to account, territory and administrative management. Requiring sales reps to develop an annual sales plan that is jointly reviewed and approved by management is a good first step in instilling that discipline. The plan should be revisited at least quarterly and modified as necessary.