A wake up call for Sales Directors

Fuel costs in the UK are rising fast, and for Sales Directors and Managing Directors it should be a wake up call and not just a frustration.

In the past twelve years we have interviewed hundreds of account managers whose territory management has been driven by geography and mileage rather than by strategy. Account managers who visit customers that fit neatly into today’s route and get me home on time, or who are proud to boast about driving 40,000 miles a year. Account Management is about retention, risk management, and structured growth.

It horrifies us how many Account Managers still prioritise visits based on convenience instead of customer value, contract risk, or opportunity potential. The same issue exists in new business. Too many BDMs are still taking a scattergun approach and covering hundreds of miles each month on speculative, hit and hope, visits with little strategic targeting. To the salesperson that might feel productive, but it is rarely effective and the expense claims, at today's fuel costs, will be racking up quickly.

Territory management should be built around clear segmentation of accounts and prospects, defined growth and retention priorities, and robust planning that is aligned to revenue objectives. The best Account Managers we meet are not the ones who travel the most miles, they are the ones who create the most value from the miles they choose to travel. Fuel costs may be the catalyst to looking more closely at your team's expenses, but better territory management is the real opportunity.