Choosing the Best Territory Management Platform for RevOps

One of the most important SalesOps activities is territory management. A landmark Harvard study found that when performed well, optimized territories can lead to a 2-7% increase in sales without any change in sales strategy or total resources. However, today most organizations are still conducting territory management in spreadsheets, which is time-consuming and error-prone.

Salesforce is primarily a transactional tool. However, the company also offers a territory management module, Salesforce Enterprise Territory Management (ETM). Fullcast offers another comprehensive territory management platform. ‍

In this article, we’ll compare Salesforce Enterprise Territory Management (ETM) and the Fullcast GTM Planning Platform, two popular territory management tools, to help you choose the best solution for your needs.

Salesforce Enterprise Territory Management (ETM)

Salesforce is primarily a transactional tool, but its Enterprise Territory Management (ETM) module offers basic capabilities for managing territories. Once enabled, Salesforce ETM allows businesses to organize and manage accounts, opportunities, and cases by territory.

First, users create their territories separately using spreadsheets or Salesforce’s Maps module and then import these to ETM. Then they can view and assign territories directly from within a specific account. They can also create assignment rules that automate the assignment of accounts to territories. The ability to organize accounts by any field and create hierarchies makes reporting and analysis more useful.‍

Salesforce ETM also offers plan cloning and modeling capabilities so that users can test the impact of different territory models on the number of assigned accounts.

Here’s how Salesforce ETM works:

1. Create Territories: Users create their territories using spreadsheets or Salesforce’s Maps module, which they can then import into ETM.
2. Assign Territories: Once territories are set, users can assign accounts directly from within the account view in Salesforce.
3. Automation: Salesforce ETM allows the creation of assignment rules to automatically assign accounts to territories, based on fields like region or account type.
4. Reporting & Analysis: ETM supports creating territory hierarchies, which makes reporting and analysis easier by organizing accounts by multiple fields.

Salesforce ETM also offers plan cloning and modeling capabilities, enabling users to test the impact of different territory models on account assignments.

However, Salesforce ETM is more of a transactional tool for territory management, meaning it doesn’t offer the advanced capabilities necessary for complex GTM strategies.

Fullcast GTM Planning Platform

Fullcast offers a comprehensive territory management solution designed specifically to improve RevOps efficiency and sales productivity. Fullcast’s platform enables businesses to plan and manage their entire Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy from lead generation through to renewal.

Here’s what makes Fullcast stand out:

1. End-to-End GTM Operations: Fullcast allows users to create multiple GTM plans for different business areas, like Sales and Customer Success, ensuring that all teams are aligned and using the same strategy.
2. Real-Time Data Sync: Fullcast integrates seamlessly with Salesforce, ensuring that plans are always based on up-to-date, real-time data. All changes made in Fullcast are automatically synced with Salesforce, eliminating the need for manual data imports or spreadsheets.
3. Advanced Planning and Modeling: Fullcast offers robust planning and modeling capabilities that go beyond what Salesforce ETM can offer. With its SmartPlan feature, users can balance territories based on customized criteria—like account value or geography—automatically creating optimal territories faster than traditional methods.
4. Intelligent Automation (Copilot for RevOps): Fullcast’s Copilot feature automates plan execution, ensuring that operations stay aligned with strategy. It adjusts territory allocations automatically as resources change (e.g., staff turnover or new hires) and ensures that sales opportunities are distributed equitably among reps, reducing potential conflicts and increasing sales productivity.
5. Continuous Coverage & Seamless Integration: When roles change or territories drift, Copilot ensures continuous coverage, proper lead routing, and enforcement of holdouts. This helps maintain sales rep motivation and ensures fair distribution of opportunities.

Fullcast also provides a rules-based territory optimizer to automate territory balancing, significantly improving operational efficiency. The system adapts quickly to business changes, which is crucial for large organizations experiencing rapid growth or frequent shifts in resources.

‍Fullcast also offers a rules-based territory optimizer (SmartPlan).  With SmartPlan users set the territory balancing criteria that matter most to their business. Then SmartPlan automatically creates balanced territories, significantly faster than traditional planning.

Salesforce Enterprise Territory Management vs Fullcast

There are many differences between Salesforce and the Fullcast Territory Management Platforms. ETM is often offered inexpensively as an add-on to a Salesforce subscription; however, its ability to successfully execute complex GTM plans is limited. See the chart below for a detailed comparison.

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Choosing the Right Territory Management Platform

Effective territory management is key to driving sales performance, and using the right software can significantly enhance the process. While Salesforce Enterprise Territory Management provides a basic solution for managing territories within the Salesforce ecosystem, it lacks the advanced features needed for executing complex GTM strategies. For businesses looking for a comprehensive, purpose-built platform with real-time data syncing, intelligent automation, and advanced planning capabilities, Fullcast GTM Planning Platform is the better choice.

If your organization needs more than just basic territory management and requires a system that adapts quickly to changes in resources, territories, and strategies, Fullcast’s intelligent automation and advanced territory balancing features will ensure that your sales operations are always aligned with your GTM plan—without relying on manual processes like spreadsheets.

When evaluating alternatives to Salesforce ETM, businesses should assess their specific needs for territory management, GTM planning, and RevOps efficiency. Fullcast offers a comprehensive solution that streamlines operations and maximizes sales productivity, making it the ideal platform for modern businesses looking to scale and succeed in a rapidly evolving market.