Distribution insights
Plan Trade Visits Around the Work That Matters
Published · Updated · 3 min read
Give each authorised visit a clear purpose. Build the route around buyer preferences and actual travel conditions, then record what was discussed and the agreed next step.
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Start with the purpose and permission
For each proposed visit, identify the business reference, reason for contact, agreed channel or visit arrangement and any open product question. Keep accounts that have not agreed to contact separate from the visit plan. A general directory entry or territory application is not consent to follow-up.
Group the work using actual conditions
Consider locations, travel conditions, buyer availability and the time needed for the intended discussion or delivery. Test a practical route and record actual timings before expanding it. Do not prescribe a fixed number of accounts, visit frequency or maximum journey time for every urban or rural area.
A route worksheet can include planned sequence, business reference, agreed purpose, estimated travel, actual visit outcome, reason for a missed visit and next step actually agreed. Record estimates as estimates.
Keep visits and transactions distinct
A visit log records contact and observations. An order record identifies a transaction. A visit without an order is not automatically a failed call, a dormant account or evidence of competitor loss. Record the buyer's response and leave the cause unknown when you do not have evidence.
Likewise, a completed visit does not establish a bill, a qualifying scheme sale or an entitlement to payment. Use secondary-sales records for transactions and scheme-claim records for the applicable written conditions.
Review exceptions in context
Compare the plan with what occurred. Was the buyer unavailable, the purpose already resolved or the timing unsuitable? Adjust the route with the relevant permission. Assign follow-up according to the issue and capacity; product-quality concerns need the authorized escalation process, not a generic sales deadline.
How often should an account be visited?
Agree an appropriate contact arrangement for the actual purpose and buyer. This guide does not set weekly, fortnightly or monthly defaults.
What should I conclude when an account does not order?
Review its stated requirements, contact preferences and actual history before agreeing a next step. Do not infer the cause from the absence of an order alone.
Does a route plan measure staff performance?
It describes planned activity. Review staff assignments and feedback separately from buyer outcomes; see the field-team planning guide.
For a proposed distribution area, use the distributor application. It does not authorize visits, outreach or an appointment.