Abstract

Sales organizations are actively pursuing digitalization because they see value through greater efficiency and effectiveness. In this paper, we examine the challenges in implementing sales force digitalization and suggest ways in which organizations can overcome these challenges. We present a sales effectiveness framework and discuss how digitalization affects its key components, including customer strategy, organization design, talent management, customer engagement, and the supporting architecture. We propose a conceptual model for digitalization success which considers the digital readiness of the organization, usage and adoption of digital solutions by the sales force, and actions for driving sustained impact. We map three types of digitalization failure to this model, exploring the causes of slow progress, poor adoption, and low impact. Then, we share success factors for overcoming these challenges. These include getting the right team to lead the effort, using an agile approach, and putting the organizational support elements in place to sustain success. We present these success factors in the form of a checklist of critical dimensions that organizations tend to overlook. Finally, we discuss the value for practitioners, share limitations of the work, and propose areas for further research that can enhance our ideas and improve sales digitalization success rates.

摘要

销售组织正在积极追求数字化，因为他们通过更高的效率和有效性看到了价值。在本文中，我们研究了实施销售队伍数字化所面临的挑战，并提出了组织克服这些挑战的方法。我们提出了一个销售效率框架，并讨论了数字化如何影响其关键组成部分，包括客户战略、组织设计、人才管理、客户参与和支持架构。我们提出了一个数字化成功的概念模型，该模型考虑了组织的数字化准备、销售人员对数字解决方案的使用和采用，以及推动持续影响的行动。我们将三种类型的数字化失败映射到该模型，探索进展缓慢、采用率低和影响低的原因。然后，我们分享克服这些挑战的成功因素。其中包括让合适的团队领导工作、使用敏捷方法以及将组织支持元素置于适当的位置以维持成功。我们以组织容易忽视的关键维度清单的形式呈现这些成功因素。最后，我们讨论了对从业者的价值，分享了工作的局限性，并提出了可以增强我们的想法并提高销售数字化成功率的进一步研究领域。我们以组织容易忽视的关键维度清单的形式呈现这些成功因素。最后，我们讨论了对从业者的价值，分享了工作的局限性，并提出了可以增强我们的想法并提高销售数字化成功率的进一步研究领域。我们以组织容易忽视的关键维度清单的形式呈现这些成功因素。最后，我们讨论了对从业者的价值，分享了工作的局限性，并提出了可以增强我们的想法并提高销售数字化成功率的进一步研究领域。