The benefits of geolocation for your CRM
Geolocation means locating a player on a map. Multi-media (computers, tablets, smartphones), this map is now a must for CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software. Read all our CRM reviews.
Geolocation as operational support
For any mobile profession, geolocation is of prime importance.
Optimised routes
The aim is to make the most of your salespeople's journeys. If you visit a customer 200 km away, who else are you going to see? Your database is longer than your arm... You don't have in mind all the potential prospects, customers or partners in the region. And you don't necessarily know that the average village is right next door to the big city you're visiting. That's why you need a geolocation function: you enter your destination, and the software suggests the various contacts nearby or on the way.
A single entry for contact details
The software helps you to work out the most sensible route, and makes it easy for you to prepare. There's no longer any need to draw up your route map manually, write down the details of your contacts or "do a Mappy" of your journey: Oryanoo does it all for you. It connects directly to a Web Map Services (WMS) editor such as Google Maps or to your own WMS. It exports and returns both the itinerary and useful information: contact details, contact sheets, etc.
The benefits?
- Clearly time-saving: data is only entered once and can be used over and over again.
- Reduced margin for error: when you enter your address, the geolocation system validates it. If there's a typing error or an approximation, you'll realise it straight away... and not at the last moment, when you're looking for the way with your GPS.
Greater organisational flexibility
Geolocation allows you to bounce back with greater flexibility. Let's say an appointment lasts less time than planned. The sales rep hadn't scheduled another visit, but if he's on the move, he can locate nearby contacts and improvise a meeting. Some CRM software packages, such as Oryanoo, include calendar sharing. This is a useful gateway for optimising your own actions and adapting them to those of your colleagues. For example, if a sales rep has to make a last-minute appointment, he can ensure that his team has the information they need to avoid any duplication.
Better lead management
A high-performance CRM tool enables sales staff to cover their sector more effectively. Using queries, they segment the data according to their criteria. As a result, dots - or push pins - appear on the map in distinct colours: one colour to identify prospects from current customers, or a symbol to represent the time elapsed since the last contact was made. This is a good way of adapting your actions to the phase your lead is in: maturing phase, thinking phase, etc. Customer relationship management (CRM) is made easier and the sales person has a better chance of succeeding.
Geolocation as an analytical tool
Geolocation for marketing: geomarketing
Geolocation is also invaluable to the marketing department. It enables actions to be targeted more effectively. For an event, to select your geographically close contacts, you enter a radius of X km around a point and obtain a list. You can then send your invitation only to people who are likely to be interested. This better-qualified segmentation means that you don't need to contact your entire address book all the time with unsuitable messages.
Geolocation: an interesting indicator to analyse
While geolocation is of obvious operational use, it also has a real role to play in terms of analysis. The geographical coordinates of your DB provide a concrete overview of your area of influence. This is known as a territorial network. Represented in the form of datavisualisations, they shed light on your assessment of the situation. When you send out an email, for example, cross-referencing the geographical coordinates of those who opened it can reveal areas where your impact is greater.
Similarly, when you're organising an event, knowing where your guests come from is a relevant indicator for assessing your geographical coverage. These are all clues you can use to guide your marketing actions: organise your next event in a particular area, adapt your message to the type of activity that is most prevalent in a particular region, etc.
For both large companies and the self-employed, such as sales reps or multi-brand companies, geolocation represents an undeniable time and efficiency saver. Whether you're looking to optimise your sales approach or refine your analysis, combining CRM and mapping has become a must.
Article translated from French