Practical Sales Training™ > How to connect with your buyer > Location Map / Directions
Location Map / Directions
Every time a buyer has to call for directions, get lost, or circle the block looking for parking, their confidence in you drops a little. These are small moments, but they add up. And they are entirely avoidable.
A custom location map or clear set of directions removes that friction entirely. It handles the common problems before they happen, so the buyer arrives on time, relaxed, and with a good first impression already forming.
Most businesses rely on Google Maps and assume that is enough. But a custom map shows something Google Maps cannot: that you anticipated the journey and prepared for it. That signal of care matters more than most people realise.
What Is a Location Map / Directions?
A location map or custom directions guide is a branded, purpose-built resource that tells buyers exactly how to find your premises. Rather than pointing them to a generic map link, you create something that addresses the specific challenges of reaching your location.
That might include the nearest train station and bus stop, the best car park, the walking route from a key landmark, or a photo of the entrance so they know exactly where to go when they arrive. The level of detail depends on how complex the journey is. But even for easy-to-find locations, a well-made map communicates professionalism and care.
It works because it follows the path of least resistance. Buyers will always choose the option that requires the least effort. So the business that makes itself easiest to reach wins the visit, and often the sale that follows.
Why Does a Location Map Work?
It works because it removes a source of friction that most businesses do not even notice. The buyer who arrives stressed after getting lost is not in the best frame of mind to engage, trust, or buy. But the buyer who followed clear directions, found parking immediately, and walked straight to the right entrance arrives with a completely different attitude.
A custom map also works as a trust signal. It shows preparation. It says you have done this before, you know what visitors need, and you thought about their experience before they asked. That kind of attention to detail reassures buyers at a subconscious level, even when they cannot articulate why the business feels more professional than the last one they visited.
Also, a good location map reduces wasted time on both sides. Fewer calls asking for directions, fewer late arrivals, fewer awkward starts to meetings. So the map does not just help the buyer. It helps the business run more smoothly too. That is a small asset with a disproportionate return.
How Can You Use a Location Map In Sales?
The first step is to think through the journey from the buyer’s perspective. How do most people arrive? What are the common mistakes? Where do people park? What does the entrance look like from the street? Answer those questions in the map and you will cover most of what a visitor needs.
Cover Every Mode of Transport
Different buyers arrive in different ways. Some drive, some take public transport, some arrive by taxi from a station or airport. A good location map addresses all of these. Note the nearest train station and bus stops with route numbers. Mark the car park, the walking time from each arrival point, and any road layouts that catch people out. Because the buyer who travels by train needs different information to the one who drives, and a map that covers both shows you have thought about everyone.
Include a Landmark Photo
Words and lines on a map only go so far. A photo of the building entrance, the signage, or a nearby landmark removes the final moment of uncertainty when a buyer is standing on the street trying to work out which door to use. That small addition makes a real difference to how someone feels as they arrive. Confident rather than flustered. And confident buyers are better buyers.
Use It Across Every Touchpoint
Once you have the map, put it everywhere relevant. Add it to your email signature, your website contact page, appointment confirmation emails, and reminder texts. Send it with invoices for businesses where clients visit regularly. The more consistently it appears, the more it reinforces the impression that you run a well-organised, thoughtful operation. Because a resource that sits in a folder and never reaches the buyer does nothing at all.
Brand It Properly
A branded, professionally designed map carries more weight than a screenshot from Google Maps with an arrow drawn on it. Take the time to produce something that looks like it belongs to your business. Use your colours, your logo, and a clean layout. The map is often one of the first physical or visual things a new buyer receives from you. So make sure it reflects the standard of everything else you do.
When a Location Map Works Best
It works best when your premises are genuinely hard to find. Business parks, converted buildings, tucked-away entrances, and locations behind other shops all create real navigation challenges. For those businesses, a custom map is not optional. Every new visitor who gets lost is a problem that a two-hour investment in a map would have solved permanently.
It also works best when first impressions carry high stakes. For a client’s first visit to a consultancy, a clinic, or a professional services firm, the experience of arriving matters. That visit sets the tone for the whole relationship. A smooth arrival starts things well. A stressful one creates doubt before anyone has said a word.
Also, it works well for businesses that host regular events, meetings, or appointments. When different people visit frequently, the map earns its keep every time. So the effort of creating it once pays back repeatedly across every visit it makes easier.
When a Location Map Becomes Dangerous
The main risk is an out-of-date map. Road layouts change, car parks close, entrances move. A map that sends buyers to a car park that no longer exists or a route that no longer works does more damage than no map at all. So treat it as a living document, check it at least once a year, and update it when anything changes.
There is also a risk of overcomplicating it. A map with too much information, too many routes, or too much small text becomes harder to follow than no map. Keep it clear and simple. Cover the key arrival points, mark the entrance, note the parking, and leave out everything else. Because clarity is the whole point.
However, the most common danger is simply never making it. Many businesses acknowledge it would be useful, intend to do it, and never get around to it. So treat it as a priority task rather than a nice-to-have. Block out an hour, create the map, and put it live. The return on that hour will keep coming for years.
Common Location Map Mistakes
Relying Solely on Google Maps
One common mistake is assuming a Google Maps link covers everything. Generic maps do not show parking specifics, entrance photos, common wrong turns, or any of the local knowledge that makes arriving easy. Also, they carry no branding and signal no preparation. So use Google Maps as a supplement if you like, but never as a substitute for a custom guide that addresses the real challenges of reaching your specific location.
Only Sending It on Request
Another mistake is waiting for buyers to ask for directions before sharing the map. Many people will not ask. They will try to find you on their own and either get lost or arrive late. So send the map proactively with every appointment confirmation, booking, or first visit communication. Because a buyer who receives it without asking feels looked after. A buyer who had to ask feels like they had to do extra work just to find you.
Never Updating It
A third mistake is creating the map once and leaving it unchanged for years. Local roads, parking arrangements, and building entrances all change over time. So set a reminder to review the map every six to twelve months. Ask new visitors whether they found everything clearly, and update any details that caused confusion. A current, accurate map does its job every time. An outdated one creates the exact problem it was supposed to prevent.
Location Map / Directions – An Example
A dental clinic notices that new patients often call for directions or arrive late because the building sits behind a row of shops. To fix this, the team creates a custom “How to Find Us” map that covers the nearest bus stop and train station, the best car park and walking route, and a landmark photo of the front door.
The clinic adds the map to email confirmations, the website contact page, and appointment reminder texts. Patients now arrive on time, the reception team takes fewer direction calls, and new patients comment on how professional and organised the practice feels before they have even sat down.
That is a significant improvement in the client experience, and it came from one afternoon of work creating a single asset. The map now does that job every day, for every new patient, without any further effort. That is what a good location map delivers.
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