We often get this question through phone calls and emails, “Is your business mapping product easy-to-use?”
This is a reasonable question that is somewhat difficult to answer. One could approach the answer from a variety of perspectives.
The easy answer for me is, “Yes. Of course it is. That’s why we’ve been so successful growing the user base and replacing MapPoint.” But, I’m a sales guy and who can really trust a sales guy to answer that question honestly?
One reason the question can be problematic is that I am not familiar with every caller’s technical abilities. There a variety people with a variety of skills and capabilities who could ask that easy-to-use question. Here are a few examples of how it might go:
• Techno-Wizard – this person is great with technology. Technical challenges are usually easy for her to solve. She enjoys them. The chances are excellent she will find Map Business Online very easy to use.
• Competent Organized Business Dude – This guy is confident, in control of his day. He has administrative help to help him get things done. He made his goal and bonus last year. Map Business Online will be easy for him too.
• Ms. Hathaway – Administrative Assistant to Mr. Drysdale – Always competent, Ms. Hathaway finds Map Business Online quite easy-to-use and has used it to help her boss visualize the bank branches where profitability can be most improved. However, when Jethro Bodine walks by while she’s retail mapping, her symbols have been difficult to manage. Ms. Hathaway realizes she needs to make sure distractions are at a minimum before she maps.
• Admin to a Demanding Boss – Many administrative assistants call to learn about Map Business Online in terms of what their boss wants. I always prepare for trouble here because no matter how much the admin prepares her map, her boss is going to have a more complex vision of what the map should do. So I often suggest that admins be prepared to explain to their boss, “Maps are designed to communicate. Trying to solve all problems with one map often creates map clutter and defeats the purpose of a shared business map. At times a boss with a vision thing can make easy mapping difficult.
• My Dad & Lt. Colombo – My father is really good with technology for an eighty two year old, but anything new takes time and he’s going to ask hundreds of questions. Does that mean the program is not easy? Not really. It means he does pretty well for a Parkinson’s patient. He behaves a lot like Lt. Colombo; pretty much convincing you he’s ready for lock-down and then asks a brilliant question that solves the murder, or mapping challenge.
• Mr. Intimidated by Technology – Many people are intimidated or overwhelmed by technology. I can’t blame them. It happens to me regularly. Ask my wife about our broken remote pile. For those intimidated by technology Map Business Online can be a mystery on a bad day or a God send on a good day. My suggestion for those of us who’s brains can freeze when overwhelmed – take a walk, take a nap, take something, get a cup of coffee and take your time. Make mapping fun. If you can do those things your business mapping and other technical work will be easier.
• Health Care Manager – Usually Map Business Online can help to simplify the lives of health care managers. They are often using maps to manage or visualize a mobile staff. Applying territories and coverage area maps to their work can be illuminating. But I’ve learned these people are extremely busy. And usually technology isn’t their number one priority. Savings lives or keeping patients comfortable is at the top on their priority list. This presents constant conflict in their lives as they struggle between emergencies and organizing chaos in preparation for future emergencies. For them Map Business Online can be easy-to-use and then, during an emergency just logging in can feel like planning an Apollo moon shot. Practices and preparation for the big game is key to keeping things easy under fire.
• Large Business Users – Especially with the demise of MapPoint, people who work in larger companies need new mapping tools for their work. Sales and marketing pros usually use maps to visualize or analyze a situation. They recognize fairly quickly that Map Business Online is easy-to-use. Their challenge is more focused on their company’s restrictions, especially around cloud services. It’s important to realize that privacy and security are top priorities for Map Business Online (see this previous blog.) We’ll work with you procurement process and your IT department to make sure your business is as protected as it can be. So they feel comfortable allowing use to access an easy-to-use business mapping software. Read more here.
• Territory Managers – This is actually a fairly common role in North American medium to large size businesses. And of all features in Map Business Online, we really do make the sales territory mapping process much easier. The tools ability to import customer data sets in Excel, pre-assigned territory regions in Excel, and the ability to create and manage territories on the fly, is unsurpassed at our affordable prices point. Try the application for free to see for yourself.
In general, people who are comfortable with basic technology – spread sheets, word processing, web browsers, do just fine with www.MapBusinessOnline.com. People who crush an occasional remote should be sedated. And people who are intimidated by technology should consider learning Map Business Online for their own personal achievement, for they will find themselves business mapping or creating territories or building customer maps in short order.
Find out why over 25,000 business users log into MapBusinessOnline.com
Contact: Geoffrey Ives geoffives@spatialteq.com (800) 425-9035, (207) 939-6866
MapPoint users – please consider www.MapBusinessOnline.com as your MapPoint Replacement.
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