OPTIMIZING SALES TERRITORY MANAGEMENT
Here are some of the main questions businesses need answers to in order to optimize sales territory management.

• What is the rationale for defining territories?

• How does the territory rationale fit with the company's strategic and operational strategies?

• What is the territory potential by client, product and/or service?

• Is the territory growing or declining?  Why?

• Are there important strategic account and/or geographic issues that complicate territory management and must be provided for?

• How well is the territory served?

• How should the territory be segmented for profitable sales success?

• What is the competitive situation?

SWOT ANALYSIS FOR EACH TERRITORY
i.e.  What are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats tied to each factor below?

• Which competitors dominate which accounts?

• What are each competitor's strengths and weaknesses in the territory and by account?

• How strong are the personal relationships between the incumbent competitors and the most important accounts?

• Are incumbent relationships a barrier to entry for the territory?

CLIENT KNOWLEDGE
How well do you know your customers and their businesses?

• Does the company have a deep understanding of account needs and buying processes in each account segment?

• Is the account information available in detail from a current database?

• Does the sales staff know how the clients' industries are changing, and so can offer the latest ideas, products, and services?

SALES FORCE STABILITY AND STRENGTHS

• How stable is the sales force?

• How long have various sales representatives been assigned to their current territories?

• What do the sales representatives consider the main priorities to enhance territory management?

• How deep into an organization are the representative's contacts?

• How many customer relationships can a representative reasonably manage?

• What technology tools are available to leverage the sales process in each territory?

• What does the sales funnel analysis look like for each territory?

• What are the business goals and action plans for each account within each territory and in total?

• Do your current customers open doors for your sales staff with new prospects?

PERFORMANCE, INCENTIVES, AND COMPENSATION

• How will sales performance be tracked and measured?

• Are margins, inventory control, and selling more to current customers considered in compensation?

• Are quotas fair, encouraging or discouraging?

• Are your representatives competing against each other, or against the competition?

• Are your sales representatives respected by their customers?

• Are your sales representatives respected within your organization?

There are dozens
of answers, both good and bad, for each question. What's most important is to ask the questions, so you know where improvements are needed.

"No-one knows your customers as well as your sales reps. One discussion-filled lunch with a good customer  beats thousands of dollars of focus groups."

"Without being respected within your organization, your reps won't be respected outside."