In B2B sales, change is guaranteed. Customer expectations, habits, and preferences are always in flux. That means the sales strategies and methods that worked for you in the past may no longer cut it.
Successful organizations tap into digital tools and data to streamline sales processes and improve customer experiences. In other words, they’re embarking on a path towards digital transformation.
But digital transformation in sales doesn’t just mean adopting a new technology. It also requires a shift in mindset and strategy.
Read on to explore digital transformation, what role sales plays, and how you can set yourself up for success on your path toward data-driven sales transformation.
What is digital transformation?
You see the term “digital transformation” everywhere, but what does it actually mean? Organizations committed to digital transformation adopt and integrate new technologies that reshape business, process, and culture models, automate specific processes, and, as a result, improve buyer experiences. Spreadsheets and paper documents no longer support complex buying cycles — technology is necessary in today’s business environment.
IDC estimates that global spending on digital transformation is expected to hit $3.4 trillion by 2026.
According to IDC, global spending on digital transformation will hit
Orgs are investing in projects to modernize their infrastructures with AI, machine learning, and customer experience technologies. Digital transformation initiatives are often led by the CEO, CIO, and other senior leadership, but for them to work successfully, it requires involvement across departments.
What role does sales play in digital transformation?
Digital transformation impacts all functions of the business, but none more than sales. Sales teams have historically been a buyer’s first impression of your company. Now, buyers are doing plenty of research before ever speaking to a salesperson: visiting your website, viewing your content, and browsing your products (as well as those of your competitors).
According to Gartner, 78% of buyers prefer a rep-free sales experience, so sellers must have the technology and tools to maximize their impact during that time. It’s also critical for them to make the most of these tools.
Still, salespeople have the most insight into the customer journey and should play a pivotal role in digital transformation efforts. They understand your products and services’ unique value and the best ways to communicate that to buyers. They also understand your company’s strengths and weaknesses and its daily operations. Finally, they understand how technology is essential to helping employees do their jobs and creating a far more pleasant experience for potential and existing customers.
Gartner reports that customers are 40% more likely to buy from sellers who tailor content to their needs — but sellers can only do this if their organization’s digital transformation has armed them with the tools and insights needed to personalize engagement.
Transforming your sales team with tech
Successful digital sales transformation fuels growth across the organization and goes beyond the blanket deployment of new technologies. A focus on automation, measurability, and how to make your sellers’ lives easier is what should guide your transformation efforts.
Data & insights
Data is at the heart of any digital transformation. The right technology provides insights into rep performance, from training engagement to content usage and time to close. These sales metrics help leadership personnel easily recognize where sellers are having success and where there are opportunities to improve.
Individualized training
Leveraging these insights, you can develop individualized learning activities for every seller. But leaders still struggle to identify gaps. According to our 2024-2025 Chief Revenue Officer + Sales Leader Outlook Report, only 40% of leaders can identify rep strengths and weaknesses for customized sales rep training.
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Digitally transformed sales enablement teams leverage tools that allow for customized training and hands-on learning activities automatically assigned to reps based on performance metrics — and add a level of competition with scored learning and leaderboards.
Follow up with field insights
Digitally transformed sales organizations also leverage technology that helps them ensure sellers are applying what they’ve learned during real customer interactions. Conversation intelligence goes beyond high-level performance metrics for sales leaders to gain visibility into real-world rep behaviors. From recordings and transcripts to AI-powered insights like sentiment, questions asked and answered, and more, you can pinpoint where every rep succeeds and where they fall flat when speaking to buyers — and you can arm sellers with tools to further the sales cycle.
For example, in analyzing our customer data, we found that, on average, sellers using Mindtickle share seven calls externally monthly. This is an example of how sellers in a digitally transformed salesforce can leverage conversation intelligence to elevate a prospect’s buying experiences: it enables the seller to share the transcript and recording of the call with their champion, who, in turn, is armed with the resources they need to socialize the information with their own internal stakeholders. It also makes sellers less focused on note-taking during sales conversations and more present and focused on what the prospect says.
Tailor coaching
Based on the strengths and weaknesses you’ve identified through data, conversation intelligence, and training, you’ll be armed with the information you need to design unique coaching experiences for every seller on your team. While over 80% of sellers report being coached on open deals, only 24% report being coached on long-term skills. But to effectively sell in a digital world, reps must be coached on skills ranging from systems and processes to written communications.
If individualized coaching seems like a lot of work, that’s because it can be — if you do it manually. Fortunately, leading revenue enablement platforms deliver the coaching tools front-line leaders need to automatically schedule and launch coaching and provide analytics to maximize the impact of coaching over the long term.
Critical skills for digital transformation
For your digital transformation to be successful, leadership must demonstrate certain skills, including the following:
Be transparent with employees throughout the entire planning and implementation process.
Gather input from various employees and work together to determine the best solutions for your business needs.
Create a transformation plan you feel passionate about and will dedicate yourself to over the weeks and months ahead.
Recognize that the process won’t go as planned and that you’ll have to adapt as circumstances change.
Ensure you take proper steps toward your goals regularly — daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
What are the benefits of sales transformation?
Sales transformation isn’t easy. But it’s well worth the effort. With the right sales transformation initiatives, your sellers will be properly equipped to build relationships with prospects and close more deals, faster.
Let’s take a close look at some of the top benefits of sales transformation.
Increased sales efficiency
Sellers only have so many hours in the day. By optimizing processes and strategically leveraging technology, sellers can spend more time on activities that drive revenue, like engaging with prospects and closing deals. This leads to a more productive sales process.
Better buyer experiences
One-size-fits-all buyer experiences won’t cut it. Sales transformation equips sellers with the data and tools they need to understand their prospects’ needs and deliver experiences that meet those needs. When a buyer has a great experience, they’re more likely to become a long-term customer.
Data-driven decision making
Making decisions based on gut feelings isn’t effective. Sales transformation equips sales teams with the data and analytics they need to make better decisions and pivot quickly in the face of inevitable change.
A competitive advantage
In many B2B industries, competition is fierce. And often, competitive offerings are largely similar. However, embracing sales transformation can give you a significant edge against competitors who are still using outdated sales strategies. With the right sales transformation initiatives, you can outpace competitors and increase market share.
Improved team collaboration
The right digital tools can improve communication and collaboration across the entire go-to-market team. Teams can more effectively share knowledge, insights, and best practices, which can drive better overall performance.
Embrace data-driven sales transformation with Mindtickle
The business world is constantly evolving. If you don’t adapt – and quickly – you’ll get left behind.
With data-driven sales transformation, you can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your entire sales team and ensure each seller is equipped to deliver experiences that align with customers’ needs and expectations.
Every organization needs the right tools and technology to power their digital transformation initiatives. Today, some of the world’s leading go-to-market teams turn to Mindtickle to aid in their sales transformation.
Drive digital transformation with Mindtickle
Mindtickle is an all-in-one revenue enablement platform that equips sellers with the training, tools, and insights they need to deliver outstanding buyer experiences. Ready to see it in action?
Request Your DemoThis post was originally published in April 2022, updated in March 2024, and again in February 2025.
By Rahul Mathew
