Sales Strategies in a Digital Perspective

Introduction

Sales is basically about creating values for firms and customers. Instead of asking what to sell, current questions often deal with how companies earn money. Sales activities and processes that leads to revenues have changed dramatically due to competition and digital opportunities. Sales is a consequence of well-thought strategies that must be combined with understanding business models. Modern sellers are often business consultants with strategy and management as special fields. The digital age also demands competences that sellers must take into account. The traditional seller therefore becomes one of many promotors working with channel choices and marketing mix decisions, and competences in customer communication, both analog and digital, are a challenging and critical success factor.  In addition, today’s sellers must create revenues by finding and using strategic information of value to firms. How can the company adapt its sales- and negotiation strategies to each individual customer? How can sales managers plan the sales effort, lead technology and business consultants to achieve competitive advantages and win the contract?

This course is for you that have experience as a seller in b2b/b2c situations, but want new challenges. The goal of the course is that you are able to develop a sales strategy – a sales strategy that reflects the overall business strategy. In addition, you are able to organize, manage, budget, and evaluate a sales force. The course reflects companies’ digital realities, uses the customers’ digital decision journeys as a starting point, and shows how digital customer tools can be used in developing the sales strategy.

Course content

Meeting 1: Sales strategy and digitalization

Day 1:

·         Digitalization and sales – a general overview and an introduction

·         What is strategy and sales strategy?

·         The business model as a premise for success

·         Sales processes and customer journeys – offline and online

·         Different parts of a sales strategy

Day 2:

·         From sales strategy to sales activities

·         Customer relations

·         Digital CRM strategy and practical use of tools

·         Different topics connected with customer relation management: Artificial intelligence (AI), algorithms, apps and automatization

Meeting 2: Business communication and sales negotiations

Day 1:

·         Online and offline business communication

·         Insight-based communication

·         Questions and tools for the modern seller

·         Social media and content marketing

Day 2:

·         Negotiations: different forms of negotiations, preparation, procedures, and techniques

·         Negotiation exercises with cases

Meeting 3: Sales Management

Day 1:

·         Introduction to sales management

·         Motivation and leadership

·         Sales organization

·         Recruiting and employment

·         Sales training

 Day 2:

·         Salary, compensation and incentives

·         Sales planning and sales quota

·         Sales volume and profitability

·         Evaluation of sales performance

·         Ethics

·         Summarizing the course