What does digital sales transformation mean?
Digital sales transformation, or DST, uses digital tools in every part of a business’s sales process. In a broader sense, digital transformation (DX) changes how businesses work.
The digital transformation of sales includes automating jobs that are done repeatedly and using data analytics to learn more about customers and market trends. The goal of digital sales change is to make the sales process faster and better so that companies can make more money. Businesses must spend money on the right digital platforms and tools to reach this goal. They also need to plan how to use these technologies to boost sales and help the business grow.
Changing from paper to digital sales can be challenging, but companies must do it to stay competitive today. Businesses that can successfully transition to digital sales will be in an excellent position to make more money, build better customer relationships, and make more sales.
Like words
- The switch to digital sales time (DST)
- Changing how sales work
What is changing the way digital sales work?
What’s causing internet sales to change? To sum it up, information. Businesses can now access vast amounts of data, which has changed how sales work. Businesses know much more about their customers and what they want and need. This, in turn, lets companies make sales strategies that are more targeted and efficient.
Another significant change in sales that is being driven by data is the shift from focusing on products to focusing on buyers. It used to be that businesses would make a product and then look for people to buy it. The process is now backward. First, companies figure out who their dream customer is. Then, they make a product that appeals to that person.
Statista said that by 2020, 37% of businesses would digitize more parts of the customer experience. This focus on the customer is possible thanks to a data-driven understanding of their needs and wants. With this knowledge, businesses can make products that are perfect for their target market, making it much easier to close sales.
Forrester says that sales leaders must digitally change their companies because of three main trends.
Buyers in the business world are doing more and more shopping online and want a smooth shopping experience.
The economy, based on subscriptions, is increasing. People and businesses who buy things want to try them out, pay for them monthly or yearly, and cancel their subscriptions if they don’t get the desired return.
Lastly, data is easy to get, which means that buyers expect salespeople to connect with them in a very personalized way.
The Good Things About Going Digital for Sales Leaders
Changes to digital are not a magic bullet, but they can be accommodating for sales leaders who want to get their teams to work better. Some of the perks of going digital are:
- They are making sales teams more effective and efficient. Sales teams can spend less time on administrative chores and more time selling when they automate tasks and processes.
- They are making it easier for sales teams to understand their customers better. Sales teams can find trends and patterns in data and analytics, which helps them make more focused marketing and selling plans.
- We are giving sales teams tools to get along better with customers.
Why do companies that do business-to-business sales need to put digital first?
More and more businesses are using digital-first strategies to stay ahead of the competition. Technology can help businesses reach new areas and connect with new types of customers. This is especially true when it comes to sales. Going digital is essential for sales teams for several reasons.
- Platforms that help businesses change their sales to digital can help them reach more customers and leads. Businesses can talk to customers and potential customers in many different ways, such as through social media, email, and even robots, if they have the right tools.
- Putting digital first can help sales teams automate processes and jobs that they do over and over again. This gives salespeople more time to work on essential jobs, like getting to know customers and finding new business opportunities.
- Digital technologies and tools can help sales teams get information and data that will help them do their jobs better. Businesses can monitor critical sales measures, learn how customers act, and find growth opportunities with the correct data.
8 Ways that digital sales transformation can help you make more money
In today’s market, going digital is essential for making more money and staying competitive. Your business can reach new customers, make more sales, and close more deals by using digital sales tools, implementing data-driven strategies, and becoming more visible online. It won’t be possible for digital sales to take over overnight. The process is slow and needs to be carefully planned and carried out. It is necessary for companies that want to stay ahead of the market. These five steps will help you digitally change your sales team.
1. Learn how your customers buy things online.
The move to digital is changing how companies work and customers interact. Businesses must know how to best use their internet presence based on how their customers buy things. People who do business with a company online expect a smooth and unique experience. To make more money, you should ensure customers have a smooth experience.
There are a few main things that affect how Internet customers buy things:
Where do they get their news online?
Regarding digital platforms, customers now have more choices than ever before. They can buy things online, on social media, and even through robots. Companies need to figure out which digital outlets the people they want to sell to use the most and concentrate their efforts there.
How well do they know how to use modern tools?
Some people are better at using technology than others. This might change how they look for and buy goods and services. One example is that customers who aren’t as good with technology might use search engines like Google to find what they need, while customers who are better with technology might use social media or robots.
Their process of buying
Every customer buys things differently. Someone might like to study online before buying something, while someone else might buy something as soon as they see it. The way people buy things is constantly changing, so companies need to keep up with the latest trends to give their customers the best digital experience possible.
2. Get your marketing and sales teams to work together
To digitally change your sales organization, you must ensure your marketing and sales teams work together. It’s easy for customers to switch between stations. When they’re ready to buy, they might start their study on a business’s website and then move on to social media or even offline sources like word of mouth.
The marketing and sales teams must work together to ensure the customer process goes smoothly. You can connect your teams so everyone is on the same page and works toward the same goals.
3. Change the roles and resources for sales
As going digital becomes more important for businesses, they are looking for ways to change the jobs and resources of their salespeople to support this change better. Many sales teams are already starting to spend money on new digital skills, like digital marketing and social selling. But these projects can only work if they have the right people and tools to back them up.
To make sure that your sales team can help with digital transformation, here are some things to think about:
How skilled and experienced your sales team is; the kinds of people you sell to; the goods and services you offer; and the ways you promote your business.
After thinking about these things, you can determine which sales resources and jobs will most help with the digital transformation process.
Also, businesses invest more money into sales enablement, an integral part of digital change. It is the job of sales enablement roles to ensure sales teams have the skills and information they need to sell online.
4. Put money into technology
Getting the right technology is the second step to changing sales to digital ones. The best sales tools should be with your sales team. To do this, you must buy customer relationship management (CRM) software, sales intelligence software, digital sales rooms, tools that automate price quotes and sales proposals, and software that checks social media. With the right tools, your sales team will always be one step ahead of the competition.
5. Make sales processes automatic
Sales teams have always been quick to use new tools that can help them make more sales and grow their business. In the past few years, however, the sales process has become more digital, with new tools and apps to automate different sales routines.
As a deal moves from the first contact to a closed sale, salespeople use a sales cycle process. A business can be more productive and close deals by automating its sales processes. Automation of sales processes can be done in several ways. A CRM (customer relationship management) system is one way that many people do it. Many sales jobs, like finding new leads, keeping track of contacts, and tracking deals, can be done automatically by CRM systems.
A sales automation tool is another way to make sales tasks run more smoothly. Sales automation tools are made to help salespeople keep track of their deals and contracts. They can also do administrative work for you, like emailing leads and sending reminders.
6. Set up a deal desk or make approvals happen automatically
Setting up methods and workflows for deal approvals is the next step in going digital with sales. For your sales process and the steps needed to close a deal to work, you must be clear on what to do. Many businesses are putting together a deal desk team within their Sales Operations or Revenue Operations group to do this. A deal desk is a group within a company that is in charge of looking over and okaying all sales deals. The deal desk ensures that all sales deals follow the rules and policies of the company, as well as any laws and rules that apply.
You could also use rules and logic built into a CPQ tool to start the review process automatically. When you automate reviews, you ensure that all deals created in the CPQ have price limits.
7. Teach and guide your team
Training and teaching your team are integral to digitally changing your sales organization. Your team needs to know the newest steps and methods for online sales.
Software for sales coaching lets sales managers help their salespeople do a better job. According to the program, sales teams can keep track of their sales, set goals, and get feedback on how they’re doing. Some sales coaching software also looks at how sales reps connect with customers to help sales teams make decisions based on data that will help them do their jobs better and close more deals.
8. Get information and Check Out the Results
The last step in going digital with your sales is to collect data, measure your results, and then use this information to improve things.
Information about the customer: In data-driven sales processes, information about customers is used to make profiles of those customers. These profiles help sales teams find and talk to suitable leads. When businesses know their best customers, they can make their sales processes more effective.
KPIs for sales: Some sales metrics are the average deal size, the number of deals finished, the win rate, and the time it takes to respond to a lead. You can make sure you’re making the changes you need to make to reach your goals by keeping track of your progress.
How to Make the Change to Digital Sales Work
Businesses are changing the way they work because of digital transformation. Sales Operations must keep up with the new technology and methods used across the company and by other companies in the same industry.
Here are some ways to do well:
Describe what going digital means for your company. Is it about making things better for customers? Is it about making things run automatically? Is it about each? You can start making a plan once you know what going digital means for your business.
Make sure that everyone agrees with you. If not everyone is on board, the move to digital sales won’t work. Get everyone involved in the planning process, and make sure you listen to what they say.
Be honest with yourself about what you can do. Going digital is a big job, so set attainable goals. You will fail and get frustrated if you try to do too much at once.
Changes should be made slowly. When you have a plan, you can start making changes slowly. Changes don’t always have to happen right away.
Talk to the people on your team. The move to digital can be upsetting, so keep your team updated on changes. Ensure they know what’s happening and how the changes will help them.
Watch the outcomes and make changes as needed. Plan, but be ready to change things as you go. The move to digital is a constant process, so be ready to change as needed.
DST for shoppers today
The buyers of today are more intelligent and more tech-savvy than ever before. They can get a lot of information and tools, and the companies they work with should give them better service and be more involved. Because of this, sales teams need to go digital to stay ahead of the competition.
