How to cut a territory
Cut territory by door count rather than by area, because density varies enough that equal-looking areas hold very different numbers of addresses. Respect natural boundaries a rep would not cross on foot, such as major roads. Leave each territory small enough to be worked more than once in a season.
Balance on doors, not on the map
Two territories that look identical on a map can differ by multiples in addresses. Cutting by area and calling it fair produces reps who are convinced the split was rigged, and they are half right.
Natural boundaries
A six-lane road is a real boundary for somebody on foot even when it is invisible on a map. Territories that ignore what a rep will actually walk across get worked as two halves with a gap in the middle.
Leave room for the second pass
A territory sized so that one pass fills the season guarantees every address is worked once, at one time of day. Sizing for two passes is usually the higher-yield decision even though it looks like less ground.
Common questions
- Should territories be equal in size or in doors?
- Doors. Equal area with unequal density is the most common cause of reps believing a split was unfair.
- How do I count doors before assigning?
- Map data gives you building counts, which approximates it. Address-level data is thinner in suburbs than most people expect, so treat any count as an estimate.
- Can KnockMode cut territory for a team?
- No. It draws routes and areas for one rep. Team territory is unbuilt.
More on territory
Turf: how areas get cut, assigned and worked without two reps hitting the same street.
- What a territory is, in D2D terms
- Territory mapping without a whiteboard
- Backdooring, and why it kills teams
- Territory, area and route are three things
- How big a territory should be
- When to re-knock a territory
- Handing a territory to another rep
- Planning territory around the season
- Settling a territory dispute