Selling online How to make the most of your digital sales strategy

Selling online How to make the most of your digital sales strategy by Michael Cheary Looking to make more of your sales strategy? It’s time to go digital…As the number of digital tools and online sales platforms continues to grow, constructing a clear digital sales strategy is becoming crucial in helping businesses get ahead â€" not to mention make more money. And whether you’re looking to move up in your digital marketing career, develop your own business, or build an essential skillset to break into the industry, your approach is key.To find out more, we spoke to Nell Campbell of the Learning People, one of the UK’s biggest providers of digital qualifications, who gave us her top tips on how to improve your digital selling:Don’t forget about the messageEven with the best digital tools the market has to offer, your sales strategy will fall apart without a clear and compelling message, especially if they’re lacking the right Calls-To-Action (CTAs).Don’t get us wrong, what you write should always be effectively tailored to the c hannels you’re working with â€" but if you haven’t got your copy right you’re only setting yourself up to fail. No matter what medium you’re using to push it.Build the message first â€" then choose the right tools to help get it out there.Stop ignoring social mediaYour social media channels say a lot about you as a business.Not only are they often the first impression your clients get of your organisation, they’re also a great way to actively start engaging with your audience.Carry out an audit of your current social channels, clean out any unprofessional elements, and start learning how to leverage the features and functionality of platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to directly reach customers and generate leads.And with research suggesting that 82% of prospects can be reached via social media, ignoring them means you could be missing out on a large chunk of your prospective audience.Start listening to your customersSocial media shouldn’t just be about sellin g.There are a vast array of social listening tools out there that can help you find out when your products or services are being spoken about online, and really drill down into what people think about your brand.Keeping tabs on what people are saying will also allow you to engage better with your current customers, monitor complaints, make improvements, and even discover and approach those that are yet to interact with your brand.  Make the most of your CRMUnderstanding your CRM and its capabilities is a huge part of digital selling.And, with the right level of integration with your other channels, you’ll be able to deliver shorter sales cycles, increasing your sales opportunities and helping you build better relationships with your customers as a result.Just make sure you know the operational side of your CRM tools before you start, and how it fits with your current way of reporting. Extracting and acting upon these insights could revolutionise how you operate as a sales person.T rack your progressAnalytics should be at the heart of everything you do on your digital channels.Whatever activity you run, ensuring the right tags (e.g. GA, Webtrends) are put in place will help determine what works and what doesn’t, and help you optimise towards your best performing content.And, never underestimate the importance of proper targeting. Setting clear objectives from the beginning, and using KPIs and other key metrics to monitor success, is the only way you’ll be able to align your digital sales activity towards your business objectives.Get a comms plan in placeFinally, the proof is in the planning.Coming up with an effective content calendar is vital to increasing your digital sales potential. It’s also a great way to make sure all of your channels aren’t working in isolation.Plan everything that’s going out on each channel, include timescales, and ensure the message is consistent throughout. Then plan how you’ll keep engaging with your customers, through out the sales cycle as a whole.Remember: there’s more to effective selling than simply taking people’s money…Keep evolvingStill not sure you’ve got the skills?From digital techniques to industry trends and best practices, a professional diploma in digital selling will give you everything you need to refresh your skills and expand your market reach.Trusted by the experts at Apple, Facebook and IBM, the syllabus covers:Social media researchCommunications planningDigital sales messagingEngagementSocial account managementCRMDigital sales leadershipIntergrationIf you’re ready to take your career to the next level, find out more about a digital marketing diploma now.The Learning People are one of the UK’s leading eLearning providers, specialising in world-class certifications in project management, IT and digital marketing.  To find out more about getting certified, talk to the Learning People today.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the