• Payel Adhikary Ghosh
• Field Sales Management, FSM
• 1 Comment
• 1523 Views

Before the advent of Sales Performance Management tools, CPG companies relied heavily on month-end sales data to measure the productivity of their field sales agents. However, this approach had significant limitations, as the data often arrived too late for meaningful adjustments to be made. Fast forward to the present day, the landscape has evolved, with a plethora of tools available for measuring a field sales team’s attendance and visit data, and CPG companies are increasingly embracing these advancements.

As we enter a new decade marked by rapid change, businesses expect their field sales teams to take ownership of their performance. They are empowered to understand their individual performance, evaluate team dynamics, identify performance gaps, and take proactive measures to optimize their productivity. This is precisely where BreezeFSM Performance Insight steps in, providing field sales agents with a powerful tool to take charge of their performance.

Regardless of the size of the business or the size of the sales team, tracking and measuring sales team performance is crucial and non-negotiable. Field sales agents occupy pivotal roles in the success of any CPG company, directly engaging with customers, promoting products/services, and driving sales revenue. Understanding their roles, significance, and the importance of measuring their performance offers invaluable insights into optimizing sales strategies and achieving business objectives.

What does a field sales agent do?

Field sales agents are primarily tasked with various responsibilities, including identifying prospects, engaging with customers, employing sales methodologies, and ultimately closing deals. They serve as the frontline representatives of a company, directly interacting with consumers to promote and sell products/services. This direct engagement enables them to build relationships with customers, understand their needs, address concerns, and ultimately drive sales, fostering brand loyalty.

Why do you need to measure the performance of field sales agents?

Measuring the performance of field sales agents is imperative for CPG companies for several reasons:

Insights into Sales Strategies Effectiveness

Sales tracking key performance metrics such as sales volume, customer acquisition rates, and conversion rates provides insights into the effectiveness of sales strategies and tactics. This helps in identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, thereby refining sales approaches and optimizing resource allocation.

Setting Realistic Sales Targets

Measuring field sales performance allows companies to set realistic sales targets and quotas, monitor progress, and identify performance gaps. This ensures that field sales agents operate efficiently and effectively, maximizing their contribution to the company’s bottom line.

Evaluation of ROI

Measuring field sales performance enables companies to evaluate the return on investment of their sales efforts. By analyzing sales data and performance metrics, companies can identify market trends, customer preferences, and emerging opportunities, adjusting sales strategies accordingly to capitalize on new business opportunities.

Important metrics to measure Field Sales Performance

To effectively assess the performance of field sales agents, it’s imperative to monitor a range of metrics across different facets of their activities and outcomes. Here’s a breakdown of the key metrics to consider:

In-Person Engagement

For outside sales teams, track the frequency of face-to-face visits conducted by each representative. These interactions are vital for building relationships and closing deals.

Follow-Up Effectiveness

Measure the consistency of follow-up actions initiated by sales reps that includes revisiting the client and documenting the meeting details. 

Revenue Generation

Monitor the total revenue generated by each sales rep to gauge their contribution to the company’s financial goals and overall performance.

Growth Trends

Compare current sales figures with previous periods to identify growth trends and assess the trajectory of the sales team’s performance.

Total Sales in a Given Time Period

Determine the number of sales made monthly, quarterly, or annually. This metric offers management a comprehensive view of overall business performance and sales trends over time.

Sales per Salesperson

Identify which salesperson contributes the most revenue. This metric serves as a performance indicator and motivator for the sales team while providing insights into individual sales effectiveness.

Average Revenue per Customer

Calculate the average revenue generated per customer. This metric aids in refining target audience segmentation and identifying high-value customer segments for focused marketing efforts.

Performance Insights by BreezeFSM – Field Sales Tracking App

Performance Insights is a revolutionary field sales app designed to empower businesses with comprehensive analytics and data-driven insights to foster dynamic, high-performing teams. From attendance analytics to a 360° view of sales performance, here’s how Performance Insights benefits businesses from a strategic standpoint:

Attendance Analytics At Your Fingertips

Performance Insights provides field sales representatives with instant access to their performance reports, enabling them to effectively manage their sales activities and enhance their impact in the field. By offering attendance insights on a month-to-month basis, this feature allows reps to track their progress and identify areas for improvement. Key benefits include:

Streamlined Performance Management

 With just one tap, field sales reps can access their attendance analytics, eliminating the need for manual tracking and cumbersome reporting processes. This streamlined approach enhances productivity and enables reps to focus more on sales activities.

Data-Driven Decision-Making

By viewing metrics such as MTD (Month-to-Date) order value, order count, average order value, and average order count, reps gain valuable insights into their performance trends over time. This data-driven approach enables reps to make informed decisions and prioritize sales efforts effectively.

Comparative Analysis

 Performance Insights offers comparative graphs that showcase performance metrics over the last three months. This allows reps to identify patterns, trends, and areas of improvement, facilitating continuous growth and development.

A 360° View Of Sales Performance Management

Performance Insights serves as a comprehensive platform for gaining insights into the sales performance of field teams. By providing a holistic view of sales activities and client engagement, this feature enables teams to optimize their strategies and maximize sales opportunities. Key benefits include:

Client Engagement Optimization 

Field sales teams can easily identify clients slipping through the blind spots by tracking order inactivity lingering for months. This proactive approach enables reps to prioritize client visits and re-engage dormant accounts, ultimately boosting sales performance.

Strategic Planning With Ageing Analysis

Performance Insights offers aging analysis tools that help teams determine the optimal timing for client visits and payment collection. By tracking days since the last payment collection, reps can strategically plan their interactions with clients, ensuring timely follow-ups and efficient account management.

Product Performance Evaluation

Teams can identify non-active products over the last three months and obtain a complete client-wise sales breakdown. This allows reps to focus on promoting high-performing products and addressing any issues related to product adoption or customer preferences.

Stakeholder’s Strategic Hub

Performance Insights serves as a strategic hub for stakeholders, offering a single source of truth and complete visibility into team performance. This feature equips managers with the data they need to make informed decisions that drive business success and elevate leadership impact. Key benefits include

Comprehensive Performance Reporting

Stakeholders can access comprehensive reports of their team’s performance, with sales metrics available at a glance. This visibility enables managers to track progress, identify areas of improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize sales strategies.

Data Collection For Decision-Making   

Performance Insights allows stakeholders to collect data about sales rep performance for management decision-making purposes. By securely storing this data, businesses can maintain a repository of valuable insights that inform strategic planning and resource allocation.

Enhanced Leadership Impact

Armed with actionable insights from Performance Insights, ASMs (Area Sales Managers) can elevate their leadership impact by making informed decisions that drive business growth and performance improvement. This enables ASMs to effectively coach and support their teams, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

Bottom Line

Tracking field sales productivity is imperative for businesses striving to make every action count. Field sales agents are the frontline force for your product and brand. Understanding, monitoring, and motivating your field sales agents will not only generate revenue but also build brand recall. When tools like Performance Insights come in handy for your field force, you are making them in charge of their daily activities, bringing automation to your sales process. The device-agnostic nature makes it user-friendly for field sales agents. Now, to learn more about BreezeFSM and their innovative solution, click here.

Payel Adhikary Ghosh

author

Payel is a marketing executive and writer for Breeze. With 6 years of experience in content marketing, copywriting, and content strategizing, she is now deeply involved in understanding the SaaS market and building communication for Breeze that resonates in the industry. Beyond content and communication, Payel is a movie buff who enjoys exploring different genres in various languages. From war movies to spine-chilling thrillers, Payel loves them all.