How a call cycle is built
Building one is mostly a matter of sorting accounts and fitting them into days.
- List the accounts in the territory and how often each is visited today.
- Set a frequency for each account from its value, its potential and how often it orders.
- Group nearby accounts into days so travel time stays reasonable.
- Fix the cycle length so every frequency fits evenly: a four-week cycle, for example, holds weekly, fortnightly and four-weekly calls.
- Review the cycle when accounts are won or lost, or when an account’s ordering changes.
Setting visit frequency
Not every account needs the same attention. One common approach ranks accounts by value and potential, then gives the top group the most frequent visits. Accounts that order by phone, through a portal or on a standing order may need fewer rep visits, because their order arrives without one.
Check frequency against what actually happens. If a weekly account only orders every other week, that extra visit may be better spent on an account that is growing.
When calls are missed
A call cycle only works if missed visits are visible. When a rep skips a call, recording the reason (closed, no buyer available, ran out of time) shows whether the cycle is realistic or needs rebalancing.
