Navigating the Field: A Former Field Rep Finds a Solution to Operational Efficiency

I always wanted to be in the field. From my start in the automotive industry, I was drawn by the allure of driving from dealership to dealership and working with dealers on how to grow their business.

When a field sales role eventually became available, I jumped at the opportunity. During the interview process, my future boss stated that being in the field was a “lifestyle” and asked if I was up for it. Naturally, I said yes. Although now in hindsight, I admittedly did not fully understand what he meant.

The Monthly Sales Cycle

The monthly sales cycle started with the launch of new programs and communication of monthly priorities from our corporate office. I would compile month-end reports from a variety of sources and review dealer KPIs. I would coordinate my dealer visit schedule for the month via email or phone with the leadership at each of my stores. As new data became available throughout the month, I would manually update my reports for each upcoming visit. At the end of the month, the goal was to hit your forecast. The next day, the monthly cycle began again.

A Week-At-A-Glance

During the week, Mondays were typically home office days and when I prepped for my dealer visits that week. I accessed multiple systems, reviewed various reports, consolidated email requests from home office, printed any necessary documents, and assembled whatever other ad hoc requests I had received. Saturday and Sunday evenings were for obtaining weekend traffic reports from each dealer and submitting your revised monthly forecast.

My travel days started early to ensure with drive time I reached the store after their morning sales meeting. I would then spend the day at the dealership meeting with the leadership team to review performance, strategize for the current month, review corporate initiatives, and review any action plans. The day’s schedule was fluid to ensure dealer management was accessible for any customers needing attention. During the times in which I was not meeting with leadership, I would complete any in-dealer tasks or surveys assigned by headquarters. I would depart the dealership late in the afternoon and either hit the road to my next city or check into the hotel. I would then be on my laptop later that night documenting any necessary dealer visit discussion topics, emailing survey results or pictures, and finalizing preparations for my visit the following day.

A Field Rep’s Frustration

The days were long with drivetime, and time spent with dealers. But that was not what frustrated me or fellow field colleagues. It was the amount of time we would spend on purely administrative tasks! Tasks such as needing to access multiple systems and reports to prepare for a visit, being inundated by emails and texts from home office for tasks “next time you visit” XYZ dealer, having to complete surveys via varying platforms or excel files, etc. We would often say “there must be a better way.”

Corporate Frustration

Eventually, I was promoted to a leadership role in our headquarters. Even though I was no longer in the field, I still encountered challenges with field operations. I was now the one who needed the field team to complete surveys with vital dealer information I could not obtain otherwise. My team would try to utilize a platform that was the least-intrusive for the field team, usually an online survey platform or an excel file with a number of macros. I would also need periodic compliance checks with dealers participating in select programs. This was all done through email.

Unfortunately, we also learned the hard way that with high turnover in both corporate and field roles, we lost any record of dealer discussions which were usually transmitted via email or stored on someone’s laptop.

Once again, my colleagues and I were stating “there must be a better way.” It turns out there is.

A Solution…Finally!

My career eventually introduced me to Optimum Info and its IKON solution. IKON is a dealer contact management solution which streamlines many of the inefficient processes I have personally encountered in both field and corporate roles. I recall seeing my first IKON demo and thinking “Wow, this is a game changer.”

Here is why I am such an IKON advocate:

While technology has advanced since my time in the field, many manufacturers with field teams still do not have a centralized field contact solution. Unfortunately, budget constraints are likely to be blamed in many cases. However, if there was a way to accurately quantify the cost of inefficient field operations that can be reduced or eliminated through IKON, I firmly believe that an investment in IKON would deliver a positive return through increased organizational productivity.

Closing Thoughts

Being in the field is indeed a lifestyle. The days are long. However, life in the field doesn’t need to be as administrative and inefficient as it is. With IKON, manufacturers can transform field operations so less time is spent on tasks of little value, and more is spent on those which actually move the needle forward.