GPS Tracking for Outside Sales Teams
Tracking outside sales teams sounds like a headache off the bat. I get it. For the most part, companies with outside sales teams, such as pharmaceutical companies, have not adopted GPS tracking software to their operations in order to monitor outside sales reps. There are a number of reasons why, and I’m sure a lot of them are swimming through your head right now. The two main ones that we find are:
- It’s an invasion of privacy
- The hassle of installing & uninstalling devices
This is mainly solved with a PNP device (Plug-N-Play GPS tracking device). The device is for light duty vehicles with an available OBD II port right underneath the dashboard.
Issue 1: Invasion of Privacy
The biggest concerned raised here is the fact that sales reps typically use company vehicles for both work and personal use since the company usually gives them a leased vehicle. The issue becomes the sales rep not wanting to be tracked during off hours and weekends. This is an understandable concern that the sales reps don’t want their employers having insight into what they do with their personal time.
The PNP device can be taken out of the vehicle on evenings and weekends so that the invasion of privacy conversation goes right out of the window.
But I know what you’re thinking, “If it’s so easy to remove, what’s to stop them from taking it out during business hours?” The truth is, not much. However, there are fail safes from an administrative point of view with alerts that can be set up to know when this happens so, if the device is removed during business hours, you are able to take action.
Issue 2: Installation Hassles
As I mentioned before, since companies mostly lease vehicles for their outside sales teams, installing a hard-wired device can become a problem down the road (pun intended). Fleet managers do not want the hassle of messing around with the wiring on a vehicle that they do not own. This also creates an issue of easily moving devices between vehicles as new reps come on board, or as vehicles are traded in.
Again, because the PNP device plugs right underneath the dash into the OBD II port, this solves this issue of complicated installation or even extra costs for installation with a hard-wired device. There’s no need to worry about fumbling around with wiring, paying extra money for installation, etc. The sales reps can plug the device in when they need to, and remove it when the time comes.
How GPS Tracking Benefits Outside Sales Teams
GPS tracking provides not only fleet managers with a myriad of benefits, but it also gives sales managers of outside sales teams the powerful information they didn’t have before. This data will help optimize sales operations in the following ways.
- Improve Territory Planning – See where sales reps have and haven’t been in the last week/month/quarter/etc. Unlimited historical data can be used to maximize penetration in each territory.
- Improve Time Management – Utilize the data to see how much time reps spend at each account vs. looking for new business to coach them on how to be more effective and efficient with their time. The goal is to also increase the bottom line after all.
- ROI – sales reps spending time at certain stops/customers
- Mileage Verification – no more honor system with expense reports. Easily verify miles driven with the GPS software.
Coupling the PNP device with the advanced GPS tracking software gives companies with outside sales teams what they need to take advantage of the many benefits and increase their bottom line.
