Digital sales transformation - you’ve heard of it, you may have tried it, but how do you truly embrace it? I’ve worked with hundreds of businesses at varying sprints of their digital journeys - I know all the hurdles from resources to internal resistance, and I love helping telcos jump them. 

Our industry is a unique one, where products and services are usually highly priced meaning the buyer journey is not a linear one. Consultations, self-research, proposals, pitches -  all different stages where salespeople need to be on hand to provide prospects with efficient, clear, useful information to guide them down the funnel. Those conversations aren’t just taking place in stores or over email; customers want chat boxes, social media, apps, as well as more traditional channels - and they want them to be great. That’s where sales transformation comes in.

Digital sales transformation is a must for companies in the tech and digital infrastructure industry who want to thrive amongst increasingly savvy and discerning buyers. Check out my 5 top tips for implementing a killer transformation strategy. 

1. Unify your sales and marketing
   

People assume digital transformation begins with investing in shiny new sales software. But whilst there’s a huge market of tools available to help digitise sales processes, true transformation cannot begin without thorough internal streamlining. Begin your sales transformation journey by aligning your sales and marketing teams under the same clear, focused objectives - after all, regardless of industry, the common goal of both teams will always be to land more sales.  

Investing in sales technology whilst your departments are working in silos is like throwing money at a broken machine - what’s the point in paying for expensive lead management software if prospects go cold in an inefficient handover process?

In short, don’t put the cart before the horse. Make sure your internal processes are slick and streamlined before you consider investing in new software.

2. Audit your channels
   

Multichannel is a key component of digital sales transformation, as savvy customers require a streamlined integration of multiple digital channels which allow them to transact anywhere. And as with any campaign, a full audit of your channels is imperative for success. Map out where your current channels are and determine which provide your current split of business. Where does most of your business come from? Are there any channels which are not pulling their weight? How can you improve them?

Also consider how you might move customers to new channels without disturbing their buyer journey - whilst attracting new prospects is always the goal, you can’t neglect customers who are already integrated with your brand. After that you can make considerations for more granular sales processes and how they will be affected - such as subscriptions and contracts. 

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3. Work as a team
   

Transformation stagnates when teams work in silos. As we mentioned earlier, bringing teams together and establishing mutual goals is the key to success. It’s also important when facing resistance to sales transformation from higher-ups and senior management. 

To combat this, recruit colleagues from different departments and form a plan together to then pitch to key decision-makers. As sales transformation affects every element of business a champion from each department explaining how change would benefit them would be difficult to disagree with.

Also - beware the ego! Transformation plans are frequently derailed by individuals attempting to bring about change single-handedly. It’s a mammoth task, particularly in businesses at the very beginning of their transformation journey. So keep everyone on the same side and remember it’s mutually beneficial - teamwork makes the dreamwork.

4. Focus on your customer
   

If you focus on people throughout your sales transformation journey it’ll be difficult to fail. Think about your user’s experience with your brand constantly; their needs, their actions, their thoughts - specific to your product. 

Ensure that every digital channel your customers are on is superb. Have a website that rocks (our new Transact Anywhere page is a great example), smooth apps, and accessible social media. Although providing great customer service in physical stores is still important, digital sales channels are fully established and ever-growing - take Instagram’s new marketplace for example. 

If you ensure that all demographics of customers have a channel they can reach you on which offers efficient service, answers their questions, and looks great, you’re onto a winner. Digital sales transformation thrives when enterprises let people do business on their own terms.

5. Don’t be a hero
   

At the end of the day digital sales transformation is a long process, and it can be a difficult one to navigate. Don’t be a hero if you’re struggling with how best to bring about internal change - reach out to a consultant. People often worry that drafting in external advice will make them look bad, or incapable of fulfilling their roles - but it’s the total opposite. Consultants enhance and accelerate campaigns using their extensive knowledge and industry-transcending experience. 

Consultants have worked within multiple countries, companies, and contexts - their experience is the golden ticket to sales victory. Armed with their expertise you can expect a huge ROI and success throughout your digital sales transformation journey.   

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Will Gibson is a telco retail and marketing expert with over 25 years experience in the industry. He is the VP of Sales and Marketing at Maplewave, a provider of premier digital solutions and consulting services for the global telecommunication companies. If you’re a telco retailer looking to digitally transform sales operations, enquire with Will and his team over at maplewave.com/consulting/consulting-service

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