3 Ways to Stay Organized When Your Car is Your Office

One of a brand's most important assets is its road warriors. Brand ambassadors, sales reps, merchandisers -- they all spend a huge part of their workday in the car, hopping from store to store or repping their brand at events and promotions across their territory. 

While tons of brand reps love the freedom they get form leaving the office behind, there's no doubt it can be a struggle to make your car the most productive mobile office. 

In this post, we'll share a few of the best tips we've learned over the years, from physical storage hacks to tech tools to help make the job easier on the go. 

1. Get Creative With Small-Space Storage Hacks

Whether you're visiting stores to give out samples or make sure your shelf looks perfect, you've got to arrive prepared. That's easier said than done though -- especially when you're running late for your fourth visit of the day and left hunting around for that extra stack of fliers you're sure you put in the trunk before you left. Getting creative with your storage in the car can help streamline your visits by making sure you're always prepared. 

Use Clear Plastic Bins

If there are documents, samples, or other items that you need, make sure that they are stored neatly and are easily accessible. Consider using clear plastic storage bins (so you can quickly see what’s inside) that can be stored in your car.

Make Room for Mobile Printers and Chargers

Nearly every device you’d find in a stationary office has a mobile version these days. If you need to print out a physical copy of a document, consider getting a battery-operated mobile printer that can connect to your mobile device or laptop via Bluetooth. External battery-packs are a must-have as well, especially if you don't have a car charger for your phone or laptop. Watch out, though, as electronics and their cables can quickly get out of hand if you let them. There are plenty of purpose-built cable organizers out there (like the one pictured below), but one cheap alternative is to use velcro ties to keep everything organized and out of sight.

Get Creative With Coolers 

If your products are best enjoyed cold, don't get stuck scrambling to find an ice bin when you get to the store. Sure, keeping a stocked cooler in your trunk is a great option, but when you've got a marathon day lined up you certainly don't want to be left picking product out of a bucket of water. 

One alternative is to pick up a portable freezer or refrigerator that plugs into the 12v power supply (or cigarette lighter on older models). These are about the size of a backpack and can keep your products cold between stops. 

2. Keep Yourself on the Road With an Emergency Kit 

True road warriors might cover a couple hundreds of miles in any given day -- which means if anything goes wrong there's a good chance they'll be a ways from home. When the unexpected strikes, having a well-stocked emergency kit will keep you on track so you don't have to end your day early. 

Here are our picks for what to include: 

• A change of clothes (always stock something branded just in case) 
• Fliers, signs, and branded swag
• Extra glasses or contact supplies
• Paper towels
• Portable battery charger
• Mints
• Band-Aids
• A few on-the-go snacks

3. Make Smarter Store Visits With a Mobile CRM

Using CRMs on your phone or other digital device can make it lot easier to stay organized when using your car as your office. Calendars can help you keep all of your appointments and deadlines as close as your fingertips. By syncing the calendar with your boss, colleagues, or subordinates, you can receive real-time updates when a meeting has been rescheduled or cancelled, saving you time and gas money.

Mobile CRMs can also help you stay in touch with the home office or colleagues out in the field, using messages and comments. Poor collaboration is often cited as a reason for workplace failure, especially within remote teams. However, with targeted, necessary information, as opposed to a litany of generic emails, you won’t have to spend as much time pulling over to check messages. 

It’s always important to know specifics about clients, and mobile CRMs can help you keep detailed records to review their purchasing history, preferences, and personal notes to establish or maintain a connection (such as the customer’s birthday, name of the son who plays baseball in high school or the daughter who attends your alma mater).

(The most effective mobile CRM apps can pull in an account's sales history so you can start data-driven conversations with each retailer based on previous product performance.)  

CRMs also allow you to input the necessary data to place orders while on site. Order management, especially when it allows for customizable fields for notes, can help to increase efficiency and increase customer satisfaction rates.

Mileage is an important factor in determining productivity levels. Driving 60 miles to meet with a customer who isn’t available - or interested - is a serious hindrance. However, the ability to receive real time accessibility or viability data can help you spend your time more efficiently. Mobile CRMs can help you keep track of your mileage between meetings, eliminating the need for you to have to remember and calculate travel information. Sync this information directly with your company’s payroll or human resources software to keep accurate records that you can then use when filing your taxes.

When your car is your office, staying organized requires a different approach. However, with a little planning and the help of mobile CRMs, it’s easier than you might think.

Terri Williams is a writer for TechnologyAdvice.com. She has covered business and tech topics for a variety of clients, including The Economist Careers Network, Intuit Small Business Blog, Investopedia, The Houston Chronicle, Daily News Energy, and Homeland Preparedness News. Follow her on Twitter @Territoryone.