The current pandemic is putting companies in an unprecedented situation. Today innovation is more necessary than ever. It is urgent to incorporate new processes that allow to reverse the trend and turn the crisis into opportunity . Despite resistance to change, the digital transformation of business and team management has no turning back.
Are companies adapted to the digital environment? Do they have a defined strategy, as well as the necessary tools and preparation? Are they ready to sell their products and services in hybrid, face-to-face and online environments?
The study offers a current photo of the state of digitization in the commercial area. The most revealing data is that more than 60% of companies have initiated or accelerated the digital transformation since COVID-19. There is still a large sector of companies that has not consolidated the digital transformation, which leaves them at a clear competitive disadvantage in a market that is changing very quickly.
Keys
To successfully address digitalization in sales, the experts from CeGe and Optimun Ventas provide some keys:
1. The current situation puts companies in a totally new context. It is an opportunity to break the natural resistance to change and promote the digital transformation of teams.
2. Digital transformation must be a strategy , it cannot be based only on the implementation of new technologies or digital tools. There can be no commercial transformation without prior or parallel commercial transformation.
3. For commercial transformation, it is essential to have a very well structured sales process, with a well-defined Customer Journey (something that only 55% of companies admit to having ) as well as specific KPIs for each phase. Thus, managers will have control of the entire process, and teams will increase their efficiency and productivity.
4. Understand digitization and automation as a strategy that directly impacts efficiency: 3 out of 4 managers consider that salespeople spend less than 60% of their time on productive sales tasks . Each percentage point gained in this data increases sales and margin for the company.
5. To adapt to this new context, teams must relearn the way they sell and communicate with customers, complementing face-to-face sales with digital sales in the different phases of the process. More than 50% of those surveyed consider that the sales team is not trained to manage the sales process with the support of digital channels .
6. Closing that digital skills gap is a priority to be competitive. Hence, concepts such as reskilling or upskilling (relearning of equipment) come into force. Only 1 in 4 companies use the new digital tools on a regular basis . They are the ones that in these difficult times are leading the digital change, managing to distance themselves from their competitors both in terms of image and market share.
7. Although the Sales Enablement platforms do not reach 20% penetration today , they are perceived as the best allies for team empowerment and business process improvement. These new digital tools are perfectly suited to emerging needs: improve customer communications throughout the sales process (both remotely and in person), measure their effectiveness, streamline collaboration between marketing and sales, and leverage learnings and best practices. that are created in the organization. As a consequence, companies gain in efficiency (increase in effective time spent selling by 30%), accelerate entry into new customers and improve business with current ones. Only 28% of managers have had the opportunity to test its functionalities , and they acknowledge that they improve both internal aspects and customer relations in a comprehensive manner.
