Most people who use CRM systems are like most of us who use Microsoft Excel, in that we usually only use a small portion of its core functionalities. In reality, the application is capable of so much more than what we use it for.  

In many CRM systems there are hidden gems of functionality which, when utilized, can significantly change the way users perceive the software, expanding its value far beyond what we’ve come to accept from our applications. 

One of these hidden gems is called CRM mapping. 

Now, not all CRMs have in-built mapping capabilities. One of our favorite systems here at BrainSell, Infor CRM, is a great example of an application that does have a native mapping feature. Within Infor, this feature is called ‘Contour’ – and it bears digging a little deeper into why it might be an important feature to some users. 

Do You Need CRM Mapping? 

For those salespeople or account executives who are on the road a lot, attend a lot of networking events, or like to conduct on-site visits and demos with clients and prospects, Infor’s Contour might be just what they need.  

Imagine you’re a sales representative on the road most of your time. Before departing on a trip, maybe you’d like to locate the customers and/or prospects you want to visit.  To plan the best route and budget your travel time as efficiently as possible, you can just create a group of records for the accounts you plan to visit, choose your starting location, and let Infor CRM determine the best route and order of visits. That’s pretty neat! 

Or perhaps when you’re out visiting a particular client you arrive only to find that the person or contact you needed to meet with is not on site. Rather than waste the journey there, you pull up your location within Infor CRM’s Contour and discover which other clients and accounts are in the vicinity.  

Suppose you find yourself stuck in traffic while driving to a client appointment, so it looks like you’ll be late. You can simply pull up the client address in the mobile client for Infor CRM on your smartphone, select the directions/navigation feature, and instantly get an alternate route to that location! 

Mapping also works in reverse – rather than starting with an account or contact and looking up their location, you can start with a location and analyze the geographical dispersion of your clients in that area. Simply add a new location – let’s say Chicago – and then select a distance range from Chicago that you want to analyze. Infor CRM’s Contour then produces a map displaying the location dispersion of accounts, leads, and prospects within that range.  

So, Now What? 

While not every user may require mapping functionalities within their CRM solution, these hidden gem features are a great way to locate prospects and clients to nurture – or even create from scratch – sales opportunities in your area.  

Want to capitalize on your existing customer relationships? Let’s talk and map out your CRM needs.