One of the most common territory segmentation strategies is based on geography. Especially when your go-to-market (GTM) model requires in-person selling or live demonstrations, sales territory mapping is an essential capability. There are numerous sales territory mapping software tools available on the market today that integrate sales data with geolocation. These tools may be an excellent choice for organizations with a simple, straightforward geography-based GTM plan or who need to plan driving routes to maximize efficiency.
However, many organizations, such as SaaS or technology companies, have more complex GTMs, with more resources, multiple role types (Sales, BDRs, Sales Engineering, Customer Success, etc.), teams, or products. Many companies have adopted hybrid models, combining geographic territory mapping with other criteria, like industry, that matter to their business. In these circumstances, standard territory mapping software generally falls short. And although more complex planning may appear daunting, comprehensive territory management software that includes territory mapping capabilities can make it easy to match the right resources with the right opportunities. Here’s how advanced territory mapping with territory management software, like Fullcast, can improve RevOps efficiency and increase sales productivity.
Easily Carve Geographic Territories on a Map
Fullcast allows you to carve geographic territories and visualize these on a map. You can easily overlay any metrics from your CRM onto the map to balance your territories and instantly view ratios and heat maps. For example, you may decide to optimize your territories by number of accounts, ARR, or propensity to buy. These metrics are easily visualized by territory on the map. When you are satisfied with your plan, you can instantly deploy these territories to your CRM with the push of a button.
Some other ways to carve geographic territories with Fullcast’s territory mapping module include:
- 2-digit postal codes – Grab large areas of a map using the 2-digit level, or use a lasso tool to select multiple postal codes at once.
- Postal code exceptions – What happens when one postal code falls outside a state-based territory? In Fullcast, you can specify a 5-digit postal code exception for account assignments.
- PO boxes – There are thousands of PO boxes and some of the best 3rd-party data providers, like D&B or Zoominfo, only provide PO boxes, which can often cause a headache. Unlike most territory mapping software, Fullcast enables you to segment territories by PO boxes.
- Unassigned postal codes – Fullcast highlights when postal codes have not been assigned to a territory so accounts don’t fall into a black hole and lead to future disputes.
Optimize Territories with AI
Fullcast’s powerful AI-based rules engine (SmartPlan) allows you to instantly balance territories based on the criteria that matter most to your business. SmartPlan works great for hybrid GTM plans built on geography and other metrics.
A common use case is to group territories along time zones and then balance within the territories based on other parameters. For example, in the US, a company might split their Enterprise accounts into East, West, and Central using territory mapping. Then within the West, they use AI to build ten equally balanced territories based on other parameters like number of accounts, account score, or propensity to buy, etc.
This approach eliminates imbalances that might occur for inbound leads between two territories like San Francisco and Arizona. Instead, all the reps in the West have an equal share of inbound leads and a book of business that is virtually identical. This type of territory planning alleviates some of the data challenges around postal codes, minimizes rep disputes, and increases seller productivity. Another important benefit is that reps are happier with their territories and less likely to churn.
Make Better Decisions With What-If Scenario Analysis
Fullcast enables you to model different scenarios so you can make better business decisions. Users may decide to model different geographic plans and compare those to plans to each other or to plans based on other criteria. Users can easily see the current state, the proposed state, and the/impact of the proposed changes by any financial metric – not just number of accounts. Any number of different plans can be saved and then deployed to the CRM when ready.
Create Multiple Territory Plans
Most territory mapping software allows you to create one territory plan. However, it is common for large organizations to have multiple GTM plans. For example, an organization may have different Sales and Customer Success plans with different geographic splits. Or they may have completely different GTM models in different regions. To manage this, organizations often create multiple plans built in different systems or spreadsheets that don’t talk to each other, reinforcing organizational silos.
Territory management software, unlike simple sales territory mapping software, gives organizations the flexibility to create different plans for different revenue functions or regions within one platform. It provides a single record of truth for the entire end-to-end GTM organization, leading to significant organizational efficiencies.
Automate GTM Rules by Geography
Do you treat account families the same in EMEA as you do in North America? Fullcast allows you to set automated rules of engagement (aka policies) by territory hierarchy for common GTM tasks like holdouts, lead and account routing, account families, and more. Automating these tasks ensures that your GTM executes with accuracy, no matter the location.
For example, you may change a region by moving a state from the Central to the East territory or break up EMEA because you hired a new rep in France. In either of these scenarios, lead routing needs to be updated, which can be manual and time consuming. However, with territory management software like Fullcast, these geographic territory changes are seamless and do not disrupt routing. The territory changes are made once in the territory management system, which automatically keeps routing aligned with the new territories.
Align Territories to Quotas by Geography
Territory and quota plans are interconnected. Territory management software goes beyond territory mapping software capabilities and enables you to set different quotas and targets by geographic territory. For example, in North America the goal may be ARR, while in EMEA market share is more important. It also provides a real-time view of quota or target attainment at any level of your hierarchy so you can easily see how one geographic territory is performing vs another.
Collaborate with Field Managers
Territory management software gives you the capability to collaborate with field managers no matter where they are located. Instead of emailing spreadsheets around the globe, Ops can collaborate with the field in real-time directly in the tool so everyone is working off the same record of truth. It is also possible to give each manager the capability to move accounts directly within their assigned geographic territory without requiring any Ops involvement.
Sales territory mapping software has made it possible for many organizations to become more efficient and effective. However, for organizations with more complex sales territory planning needs, more advanced territory management software may be the answer. In addition to robust sales territory mapping capabilities, territory management software offers additional capabilities that ensure the right resources are assigned to the right opportunities, a critical driver of revenue efficiency and growth.
