While the days of the traveling salesman (as seen in such great American classics as Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman) are almost entirely gone, the fact remains that some salespeople still do need to hit the road in order to make their sales. The only difference is that these days, rather than going door to door to make pitches, many sales meetings involve travel and are set up weeks in advance over the phone, from conferences, or via email. As such, the life of a “traveling” salesperson is much more technological than salespeople were in the 1950s and 1960s. Here are just a few of the different types of tools a sales manager may leverage while traveling across the United States to close a deal.
For complex sales, CPQ may need to get used
If you sell a product with a lot of variations or customizations, it may make sense to harness the power of a CPQ interface or CPQ software in order to help buyers understand what it is that they’re getting. CPQ stands for configuration, price, and quote, and is a system that clearly illustrates how certain additions or options ultimately affect the price of the product that the consumer or business is purchasing. For example, if you sell customizable bicycles or offer companies the ability to build their own computers, a CPQ interface can help your buyers get a better picture of what they’re getting, and how it’ll affect their bottom line. If you work for a larger business, it may make sense to use a Salesforce CPQ platform, since it will be able to integrate with other departmental information such as marketing campaigns and historical data about your customers. This allows you to personalize your sales, and increase the likelihood that you’ll make a bigger sale.
Car insurance is still important
Even if some of your time is spent traveling across the U.S. by plane, there’s still a likelihood that some sales meetings will need to be reached by car. In these situations, you’ll want to make sure that you have the right car insurance, since getting in a car accident or facing road trouble while traveling for business can be a major drag. That being said, there are probably some aspects of car insurance coverage that you may not need, so it’s a good idea to compare different auto insurance policies to ensure that you get peace of mind and a lower premium for the sorts of collision coverage you’d like.
Mobile hotspots keep you working wherever you are
Everyone’s been there; unreliable WiFi connection ruins what should’ve been a straightforward, remote, working day. When you’re spending so much time out of the office, traveling to sales presentations in different cities, this can be a major setback, and could potentially cost you the sale. As such, having a mobile hotspot can be crucial to keeping your workday productive, whether you’re in a hotel that charges for WiFi access, or set up in a conference room with thick walls. Many mobile hotspots can be billed as part of your phone service, so if you only use it for work make sure to talk to your mobile company about covering the cost on your phone bill.
A credit card with travel rewards isn’t a bad idea
If you’re frequently on the road for business, you may already have a company credit card. That being said, not every business gives out those sorts of perks, in which case you may not even have a per diem, or will need to go through several hoops to get purchases reimbursed. In these sorts of situations, having a credit card that offers travel rewards could be a major boon. These sorts of perks can help you earn points back on your business expenses, for whilst you wait for them to route through accounting and get reimbursed, so that you aren’t out much money while you wait. If you work as an independent contractor, having a separate card can also help you keep track of all of your business expenses in one place, which makes filing your taxes much easier.
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