Marketing & Sales Transformation: How Technology is Reshaping Business Engagement - Essay Sample

Introduction

The manner in which organizations engage and participate in selling in the current business environment, compared to a few years ago, has definitely transformed in many fronts, and in particular, through the use of technology. Indeed, technological advancement has significantly impacted the field of sales and marketing, and many other sectors in business alike. As consumers continue to use online platforms and channels, for example, to interact with businesses, many forward-looking organizations have also adopted various digital channels as they see significant opportunities for sales and marketing functions that come along with them. Businesses are now dealing with more sales options than ever before, and the market is more integrated with information about sales than it has ever experienced before. From negotiations, prospecting, to closing deals, both parties have greatly benefited from technological integration in the sales process. For this reason, many organizations' managements often try to encourage their salespersons to adopt advancing technologies in their everyday activities. Even so, many have failed to keep up, making such companies relatively less competitive compared to other organizations in a similar sector. Overall, integrating the use of technology in sales and marketing functions is critical for businesses, therefore, organizations should find ways to encourage their sales force to adopt new technologies, as well as other methods to improve sales.

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Salesforce automation, which usually involves both the hardware and software technologies, does not necessarily mean automating the jobs of salespersons, but rather focuses on enhancing the sales process (Johnston & Marshall, 2013). In today's markets, many organizations are trying to automate certain routines occurring during the sales process but continue to fail as they lack the required techniques to ensure that their sales forces buy in the new automation system.

Generally, in making such a transition, companies need to identify the appropriate steps among which include building the technology into the culture of the organization. Ideally, for the Salesforce to buy in a company's automation system, the management team need to consult various sales representatives in different regions before the launch of the system to be able to determine their requirements, gather data about their preferences and best practices, provide effective training, as well as gain relevant feedback (Johnston & Marshall, 2013). Additionally, the company's management should make it clear to all the members of the sales team that the use of technologies will be integrated into their day-to-day activities, and actively communicate with the same about the overall plan and the perceived obstacles lying ahead. Essentially, this will help the organization to understand where to start and to fuel the transition effectively and in a smooth way.

Secondly, to ensure that individuals put more effort, a company's management should make the use of the automation system mandatory. On many occasions, organizations tend to make the use of the automation system optional, and as a result, only a few individuals care to learn, leaving the majority of the sales force stuck with the former system (Cascio, Mariadoss, & Mouri, 2010). To avoid such an occurrence, the management should send a clear message to the sales force that every individual involved in the sales process must use the system, failure to which may result in consequences. For example, the company can make it clear that if any member of the sales team does not gain an opportunity through the system, then they may fail to get compensation. Thirdly, the company should ensure that the transition is as easy as possible. In many instances, employees tend to reject changes they are unfamiliar with, and especially those that are relatively difficult to understand. To overcome this, the management should do everything that they can to support the company's sales force as they transition from the manual system to an automated one. For example, companies can employ individuals who will assist their sales force to execute tasks while they are getting up to speed.

Along with emerging technologies, many companies significantly rely on the knowledge and expertise of their senior salespersons. However, getting such employees more comfortable with technological changes around them may prove quite challenging (Zwick, 2011). Therefore, to overcome these obstacles, companies should develop easy but impactful training programs for their senior salespersons. Unlike employees in their 20s and 30s who grew up in the digital era, many senior employees are still struggling to grasp the concept of technology in business. Although a few are already exposed to various digital platforms, they still need to feel comfortable enough to use them on a daily basis. Therefore, management should adopt easy training to encourage them to learn more. For example, companies should assign their senior salespersons to flexible online classes to help them through their learning process. Similarly, the company should make the training process more fun for senior salespeople to improve their interest (Zwick, 2011). Generally, older employees tend to avoid learning new things, particularly thing they are less interested in. Making the learning process more fun can attract older employees, and as a result, can speed up the process altogether. For example, companies can offer incentives to show older salespersons that they are valued and that their efforts are appreciated.

Alongside the use of the automation system, the top sales management needs to equip its salespersons to ensure that they remain competitive in their respective industries. For instance, companies can offer regular training and opportunities for their sales individuals to share best practices (Johnston & Marshall, 2013). When companies organize such opportunities, top performances can share best practices with poor performers which may shift their overall view and as a result, improve their overall performances. For example, businesses can organize annual meetings where all sales representatives meet with the management to share new strategies. Similarly, companies should track individual performances of their sales representatives to suggest areas of improvement. The best way to equip the sales force and to help improve their overall performance is to identify what they are currently capable of, then make a plan for improvement.

Adding value to a customer's business is a win for any company, therefore, salespersons need to adopt proper strategies to ensure that they are of value to their clients. One such strategy involves understanding the industry, as well as the trends that impact buyers (Johnston & Marshall, 2013). Salespeople need to understand the primary concerns of their customers and find the best ways to fulfill the wants of their buyers. Secondly, to add value to customers' business, salespersons need to be experts on the products and services they are marketing. When a salesperson shows deep knowledge about the products and services a company offers, he can attract more customers and finally position himself as a valuable resource in their eyes.

References

Cascio, R., Mariadoss, B. J., & Mouri, N. (2010). The impact of management commitment alignment on salespersons' adoption of sales force automation technologies: An empirical investigation. Industrial Marketing Management, 39(7), 1088-1096. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019850109002090

Johnston, M. W., & Marshall, G. W. (2013). Sales force management: Leadership, innovation, technology. (12th ed.). NY: Routledge

Zwick, T. (2011). Why training older employees is less effective. ZEW-Centre for European Economic Research Discussion Paper, (11-046). Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1886428