As we launch into another new year, we reflect on 2015 and feverishly plan for the year(s) ahead. Some of us may want to spend more time basking in the success from the past year, but others may be ready for a fresh, new start with new possibilities and new budgets. But what does success in 2016 really look like and how can you create an even more strategic sales and marketing plan?
It’s difficult to keep innovation flowing into your business year after year. We, however, have a few suggestions for you. Here is a list of “musts” for all sales and marketing planners.
Be where your “customers” are & plan events near them.
I’m using the term ‘customers’ lightly but this could also be prospects, contacts, donors, field offices, alumni, associations and the list goes on. So whether it’s a customer appreciation event you’re planning, or you’re looking to target donors or prospects, make sure you can easily map that data geographically. Pulling that data onto a Geopointe map enables you to easily find high-volume areas almost instantly. Find a hot spot to host a successful event with the greatest return. It beats the Pin the Tale on the Donkey method of event planning.
Determine where to focus your efforts.
Have you ever sat in a business meeting where everyone brought loads of their own anecdotal suggestions to the table? I have! But proof is in the pudding, or in this case, it’s on the map! By simply mapping your existing Salesforce data, you can see exactly where to hire your next sales rep or account manager. You can even color code your data according to prospects with the highest annual revenue and prioritize your efforts. You can also use marker clustering to view large data sets as shown in the image below.
Geographically visualize your market share.
Every business carries its own unique set of challenges, but a geographical understanding of your market share and competition is powerful data to leverage. Create maps to visualize your existing market share against competitive intelligence. Look for major metropolitan areas lacking coverage that are ripe for expansion. Finding the gaps in your market will help you strategize months – even years – ahead.
Use maps for reporting and analytics.
Tracking trends month over month analytically exposes rich data and often helps identify change. For example, compare your largest won opportunities of 2015 with new business in 2016. Color code your prospects or new accounts by industry on the map. These steps will help determine what geographies contain the highest numbers of won or lost opportunities, and spot year-over-year market changes instantly. You can even use heat mapping to view concentrations of records in a doppler radar fashion.
The more you know about your business, the more effective your planning and strategy can be for 2016. If any of the suggestions above sound like functionality you need, start your free trial of Geopointe today. You have nothing to lose and so many data points to gain!
