Define the digital sales goals and develop a digital sales strategy
When I plan a sailing trip with a sailing ship, I need an appropriately equipped ship, a good team with an experienced skipper and a plan with a goal and the corresponding course. Otherwise, I may not reach the port of destination at all or much later than planned.
The same applies to a digital distribution strategy. So, let’s first plan the equipment of the ship – here the following important questions (selection) arise in advance:
- Inventory: How digital is my sales department/company at the moment?
- Which channels are currently used for sales? Which digital channels do I want to/ can I use? And which channels can be mapped digitally?
- Which parts of the customer journey make sense to be digitised in parts or completely?
- How does my company compare with the digital competition?
- Which strategic and which operational digital sales goals do I want to achieve?
- Which KPIs do I want to define to compare my company with the competition and to achieve my goals?
- Will I also achieve an optimisation of business management key figures with digital sales?
- Do I have an efficient online marketing system that supports digital sales?
- Are areas such as product development or quality management/sales service already digitalised where it makes sense?
- Do marketing and product development already use online market research?
- Which tools are already in use or when is their use planned?
This list can be continued, as I will elaborate in a separate blog topic.
After answering all these questions, the digital sales goals need to be defined.
These are laid down in a digital sales strategy and an implementation plan with milestones – the sailing trip, so to speak.
Time plays a decisive role in the implementation plan. Especially in the area of digitalisation, the speed of implementation is much faster.
Many good digital sales strategies have already failed because implementation was too slow.
Without a sail and, if necessary, an engine, no sailing ship can reach the destination port according to plan.
And the equipment has to be right. You can cross the ocean with a rowing boat, but it is much more dangerous and takes longer. Those who save on tools and crew will almost always regret it later (see above).
We have already talked about the important role of a good team (the sales team) and the captain/skipper. An often-underestimated point is the impact on the team (sales team) and the company when rolling out a new digital sales strategy. Change management and well composed teams are only two basic requirements here. Good monitoring of the individual steps is also important for the overall success.
EXCURSUS: Example of a digital sales strategy of an online marketing agency in the e-health sector
- status quo
- success factors
- Analysis (market, competitors, product, processes/organisation)
- target groups
- customers, inbound leads, potential customers, ABC classification
- products/ solutions → existing/ new ones
- processes/ organisation → sales funnel analysis & optimisation, patient journey
- B2B marketing → increase awareness & reputation and generate leads
- implementation → considered, timely
- market
- market – potential customers
- analysis of the market for websites and online marketing campaigns for medical practices, MVZs and clinics
- Positioning in the market: Where does company XY stand today?
- Where is the market heading?
- identification of competitors (direct/ indirect) (selection)
- Agencies that offer homepage creation and online marketing in addition to practice marketing/consulting.
- Agencies offering online marketing/ homepages for doctors/ clinics (selection)
- Companies/ agencies offering online marketing/ homepages for doctors/ clinics in addition to their own business field
- Local, smaller agencies that create homepages for clients
- Inexpensive homepage construction kits from Strato & Co. (selection)
- customers
- Customer structure of your own company
- What does the customer want/need?
- Which leads are already available?
- Current customer journey
- Approaches to acquiring new customers
- Measures to acquire new customers:
- acquiring new customers through digital networking in groups on Xing
- acquiring new customers at digital events
- acquiring new customers through partner management
- acquiring new customers by optimising inbound conversion
- acquiring new customers through online marketing
- acquiring new customers through recommendations from our customers
- acquiring new customers through cold calling
- product
- Prices and conditions
- Product development
- processes/ organisation/ strategy
- Sales Funnel
- Customer Journey
- Sales Team
- Review/ optimisation of organisational structures
- definition of the sales strategy
-
sales level, planning and organisation
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