CRM for sector managers: 7 field situations compared to better choose your tool

Every day, as a traveling salesperson or area manager, you face the same reality: new references to sell, departments or sales outlets to manage, promotions to negotiate, orders to follow up... all this, sometimes, with siloed tools, limited sales time and ever higher expectations from your superiors.

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A headache that may seem heavy to bear, but... it doesn't have to be. What would happen if you changed your approach?

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In this article, we compare 7 real-life situations that you experience every week, by contrasting three methods: the "do-it-yourself" system, a generic CRM, and a "business" CRM designed specifically for the field and your needs, to help you identify what you gain (or lose) depending on the tool you're using today, and how a tool designed for your business can transform your daily life.

Organize and optimize your sales tour

Every week, you have dozens of stores to manage in your area. You have to decide which outlets to visit, in which order, and for which priorities: breakage, setting up a promotion, relaunching an order, dealing with a conflict...

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But between the pressure of head office, road time and the reality of the field, it's sometimes difficult to optimize your trips. If you're wasting time on non-strategic visits, or discovering too late that a priority store has slipped through the cracks, you need :

• Prioritize the stores with the highest stakes OR that correspond to your current objectives;
• Reduce unnecessary journeys;
• Don't forget last month's sticking points.

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No tools or dedicated software required

• Plan your tours with Google Maps ;
• You organize your work using Excel or even a paper diary;
• You choose the stores to visit by "feeling" and sort the priorities by hand;
• Appointments, emergencies or reminders are sometimes forgotten, due to a lack of follow-up;
• You have no vision of the stores at risk or those with a high business stake.

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This results in :

• Disorganized sales rounds, unprofitable visits, miles driven with no real impact;
• Time-consuming weekly preparation;
• The feeling and frustration of missing out on something important, without being able to say what.

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With classic CRM

• You can plan your visits, but without geographical logic;
• You can't optimize your routes and are forced to cross-reference your itinerary with Google Maps ;
• You don't have access to any help in prioritizing stores according to your real issues in the field (breakage, promotion, DN...);
• The interface is often cumbersome, designed for the back office rather than the field.

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This has the following consequences:

• You centralize your information in your crm, but still spend too much time organizing rather than acting;
• Decisions are made on instinct, in the absence of indicators or concrete suggestions;
• Your sales tour is not optimized, either in terms of sales impact or logistics organization.

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With a business CRM

• On a map, you can see which stores have priority, which are behind schedule, which are below target, which have an order backlog, and so on;
• Your sales tour for the week is automatically generated according to your sales objectives, zone, field priorities and geographical constraints;
• Your sales tour for the week is automatically optimized according to your point of departure and arrival for each day, geographical and field constraints;
• In just one click, you can access each store's history on your phone: actions taken, reports, photos, orders, reminders, etc.

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It offers you :

• Save time preparing your rounds and on the road;
• Visits aligned with your current business challenges;
• Better coverage of your sector.

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Linear survey

During your visits, you'll need to take precise readings: presence of products, number of facings, out-of-stocks, positioning, prices, state of point-of-sale displays, etc. This is an essential step in identifying the actions to be taken and reporting the state of the department to head office.

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But between taking notes on paper, sending a photo via WhatsApp, and reporting later, you're wasting precious time and running the risk of forgetting or inverting information.

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You therefore need :

• Collect reliable and complete data;
• Save time when taking readings;
• Transmit information quickly ;
• Centralize information (photos, surveys, data, etc.) in one place.

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No tools or dedicated software required

• You can record information by hand, in a notebook, on a mobile notepad or in Excel;
• You take your photos on your phone, which you later send on WhatsApp or by email;
• At the end of the day, you gather all your information in one place;
• No automatic tracking or calculation is in place;
• With a large number of readings, you can get lost.

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This results in :

• Scattered information;
• Frequent risk of error;
• No consolidation or analysis possible without time-consuming manual processing;
• Time wasted on re-keying, sorting and reporting.

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With classic CRM

• You can enter your statements using a generic form, which is often time-consuming to complete;
• You work on a computer, which is not very ergonomic for point-of-sale surveys, or on a tablet;
• You need an Internet connection and don't have access to automatic synchronization;
• Photos are not automatically associated with the point of sale;

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This has the following consequences:

• Centralized data, but still time-consuming to enter;
• No grid adapted to your assortments and signs;
• No standardized data ;
• A cumbersome tool that doesn't meet real needs;
• Low commitment from sales staff.

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With a business CRM

• The survey is integrated into the tour itinerary and is quick to complete;
• Indicators that do not change are already pre-filled;
• Photos are taken directly from the application and automatically linked to the correct point of sale and statement;
• You can scan the products to save time;
• You work by phone or tablet;
• The data is sent instantly to headquarters;
• You don't need an Internet connection.

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It offers you :

• Structured and complete statements in less than 5 minutes;
• Reliable, usable and visible data in real time;
• Save time in store.

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Launch a national promotional campaign

The head office launches a national operation, relayed in leaflets. But there can be a big gap between what they see and what actually happens in store. That's why you need to guarantee that the implementation is done right, on time, with the right merchandising and volumes, in the right place.

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You may be faced with constraints, such as a floor manager who is not informed in advance, a delivery problem, a stock problem... So you need to be able to react quickly to problems in the field, document your actions, and all within the timeframe set by your management.

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You therefore need :

• Identify "problem" or "green" stores on the first visit;
• Monitor implementation progress in your area;
• Feed back information quickly.

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No tools or dedicated software required

• The list of stores will be sent to you by email;
• You record the visits to be made in an Excel file;
• You organize your tour with a system D and Google maps;
• In store, you take pictures with your phone and send them on WhatsApp ;
• You record the information observed by email or on paper;
• You manually consolidate information at the end of the day.

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This results in :

• Scattered photos;
• An inability to know where you stand in real time;
• Difficulty in identifying sticking points during promotion;
• Time wasted compiling information and a lack of visibility;
• Energy spent for nothing.

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With classic CRM

• You can plan your visits, but without any direct link to your promotional campaigns;
• The reporting required is long and standardized, with no promotion-specific customization;
• Photos are added manually;
• Tracking implantations is tedious and may require you to use a third-party tool.

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This has the following consequences:

• Better centralization of information;
• Time wasted in store due to the slowness of the application, which was not designed for the field;
• Difficulty in customizing fields to suit the field;
• Difficulty prioritizing actions.

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With a business CRM

• The stores to be visited are already targeted according to the history, potential or stakes of the promotion;
• The tour plan is automatically optimized and displayed on a map;
• Area managers are automatically reminded of the current promotion as they prepare for their visit;
• The statement is personalized to the promotion for optimized follow-up;
• The statement is automatically linked to the point of sale, the promotional campaign and the brand;
• Information is fed back in real time.

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It offers you :

• Save time on every visit;
• Zero emails or lost photos;
• Instant tracking ;
• A capacity to react from the very first days;
• Better execution in the field and easier reporting;
• No manual labor.

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Take and sign customer orders

During an appointment, you manage to validate an additional order or the testing of a new reference. To convert it, you need to enter the order on the spot, avoid administrative errors and obtain formal validation (signature, agreement, commitment).

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Without a suitable tool, you have to make notes by hand, get a signature on a piece of paper or send a confirmation e-mail... which slows down the process, multiplies the risk of oversights, complicates follow-up and can potentially result in the order being abandoned.

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No tools or dedicated software required

• You write down the order on paper or in an excel spreadsheet;
• You will need to generate a purchase order later;
• You send the order form post appointment for signature (hopefully);
• Once the signature has been received, you send it by email to your sales and logistics department;
• You then put the order form in a file, hoping to remember where it is.

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This results in :

• Significant risk of error, loss or non-tracking;
• A long delay between validation and signature, and the risk of missing the opportunity;
• No proof in case of dispute;
• Problems with logistics and delivery, and missed deadlines;
• Extra work and mental workload;
• A risk of being perceived as unprofessional by your customer.

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With classic CRM

• You create an opportunity or deal by hand in your CRM ;
• You fill in the products and quantities line by line;
• You copy and paste references from a catalog;
• You manually export and email the purchase order after the appointment so that it can be signed (hopefully);
• Once the signature has been received, you email it to your sales and logistics team.

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Which means:

• A digital season, but without automation or reliability;
• It's impossible to get signatures directly during appointments (unless you have a portable printer);
• A tool ill-suited to the rapid sales cycle in supermarkets and hypermarkets.

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With a business CRM

• Select the point of sale in your mobile app.
• You choose products from a pre-configured catalog based on the network, point of sale, brand (if supermarket), assortment, etc. ;
• Enter quantities and conditions (3+1, TG...) ;
• Have your contact sign directly on the screen during the appointment;
• The signed purchase order is automatically sent in PDF format to your sales, logistics and customer departments;
• Archiving is automatic and linked to the sales outlet concerned.

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It offers you :

• A secure order, validated and dispatched in less than 3 minutes.
• No re-typing, no paper, no ambiguity.
• Clear, professional proof of the agreement.
• Better monitoring of order volumes vs. targets.

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Track objectives and use them to optimize sales and marketing actions

You have precise objectives to meet: volume to be sold, DN to be reached, rate of prominence, rate of promotional presence, and so on. To meet them, you need to be able to track your progress in real time and adapt your priorities accordingly.

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But in reality, the data is often disconnected from your day-to-day life, not easy to read, or too global. You don't always have the right indicators to adjust your priorities.

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No tools or dedicated software required

• You will receive your objectives by Excel or email, once a week;
• You compare your performance by hand;
• You cross-reference your figures without automatic consolidation.

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This results in :

• Data of limited use;
• A mismatch between your actions and priorities;
• Difficulty knowing where to focus your efforts.

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With classic CRM

• You have access to a global dashboard of your performance;
• Your tool doesn't make the link between your visits and the impact on sales;
• You need to export the data for further processing in Excel.

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This means that :

• You don't have any concrete help to manage your objectives by sales outlet;
• You have a view that's reassuring for head office, but doesn't really help you prioritize your day-to-day work in the field;
• A vision that's too macro for you to use.

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With a business CRM

• In just one click, you can see your progress on each indicator: DN, volume, promotion, breakage, etc. ;
• You receive alerts: "DN late", "no order for 30 days", "promo not implemented" ;
• You can adjust your rounds according to the stores in difficulty.

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It offers you :

• Active, results-oriented management;
• More strategic, better-targeted visits;
• Better anticipation of risks, and smoother communication with head office.

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Get an overview of your customer base

As an Area Manager, you manage between 100 and 200 stores. And yet, they're not all the same: some are driving forces, others have potential, and still others pose problems. To manage your sector effectively, you need to be able to see at a glance the state of your stock, identify priorities, and adapt your actions to the profile of each outlet.

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Without this clear vision, you run the risk of treating all stores in the same way, and therefore missing growth opportunities or overlooking weak signals.

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So you need :

• Monitor activity, history, past actions for each sales outlet;
• Have a clear segmentation of your customer base: top stores, potential stores, at-risk stores, etc. ;
• Adapt the relationship to the specific needs of each outlet.

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No tools or dedicated software required

• You have information scattered in several places: in a notebook, an excel, your head, etc. ;
• You have trouble finding the information you need;
• You forget certain follow-ups, reminders or commitments you made in the field.

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This results in :

• Steering by instinct, not based on data;
• Time-consuming retrieval of information;
• No prioritization or anticipation.

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With classic CRM

• You can consult your customer files with generic information;
• You have to go to the comments to get the trade-specific information;
• It can be difficult to filter sales outlets according to business criteria.

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Which means:

• A slightly more structured organization, but not very useful in action;
• Difficulty in developing a truly differentiated store-by-store strategy;
• Decision-making still based on habit or feeling.

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With a business CRM

• For each point of sale, you can display a complete and dynamic file: past visits, anomalies, sales, out-of-stocks, facings, photos, etc. ;
• Directly on your card, you can filter the stores according to the criteria of your choice;
• You can save dynamic views to make it easier to find stores that are on alert or underperforming;

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It offers you :

• Proactive management of your store assets;
• Decisions based on concrete field data;
• A structured, targeted action plan, store by store.

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Retrieving information and notes

You arrive at a store you haven't visited for several weeks. Even before greeting the floor manager, a question crosses your mind: What was I doing here last time? Did you run a promotion? Made an order? Picked up a shortage? Taken a picture of a piece of furniture?

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If you have to rummage through e-mails, notebooks or souvenirs, you'll lose time and credibility. To remain efficient and professional, you need to instantly retrieve the history of the point of sale.

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You therefore need :

• Find out quickly what you had done or promised.
• See previous photos, latest orders or problems reported.
• Save time without searching through 5 apps.

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No tools or dedicated software required

• You search your notes, e-mails or WhatsApp to find out what happened on your last visit;
• Find a lost photo among 300 in your gallery;
• You cross your fingers that the floor manager remembers better than you.

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This results in :

• A history that is difficult to access or incomplete;
• The risk of forgetting a promise or missing a recurring problem;
• The impression of improvising, of starting from scratch at every turn;
• An overloaded memory and a waste of time.

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With classic CRM

• Contact information is easy to find;
• You have to dig through your notes to find the visit history;
• Information is not necessarily linked to the point of sale.

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This means that :

• You have access to information, but it's not necessarily in the right place;
• Navigation can be slow;
• You need internet access to get the information, which is not very suitable for the field.

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With a business CRM

• Open the store card on the mobile application;
• The first step in your visit (before filling in the statement) is to get a summary of your last visit. One click gives you access to the complete history: last visits, anomalies, orders, photos, comments, etc;
• Thanks to AI, the software can give you only the information that is important for the purpose of the new visit;
• You save time with every visit;
• You arrive better prepared, you don't ask the same questions twice, and you show that you're following through on your commitments. So you strengthen the commercial relationship with your store contacts.

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