Settling a territory dispute
Most territory disputes come from boundaries that were never written down precisely, so both reps remember them generously. Resolve by going to the record rather than to the argument, and if no record exists, redraw the boundary explicitly and accept that this one cannot be settled fairly. Prevention is written, visible, current boundaries.
The cause is usually vagueness, not malice
Boundaries described verbally get remembered in each rep's favour, and neither is lying. Treating the dispute as a conflict of character when it is a failure of documentation makes it worse and does not prevent the next one.
Resolving one that already exists
Go to whatever record exists. If none does, say so, redraw the boundary explicitly, and do not attempt to adjudicate who was right, because the information required to do that fairly does not exist.
Splitting the disputed ground is usually better than assigning it to one rep. Nobody is happy and nobody is treated arbitrarily.
Preventing the next one
Boundaries written down, visible in the field, and current. This is the team-tool problem again, and it is one KnockMode does not solve today: there is no shared territory in the product.
Common questions
- How do I settle a territory dispute?
- By the record if one exists. If none does, redraw explicitly and split the disputed ground rather than adjudicating.
- Should the rep who knocked it first keep the sale?
- It is a common rule and it rewards speed over the assignment. Whatever you choose, decide it in advance rather than during the dispute.
- Can software prevent disputes?
- Shared live boundaries prevent most of them. KnockMode does not have that today.
More on territory
Turf: how areas get cut, assigned and worked without two reps hitting the same street.