| | May 201619CIOReviewDigital Workplace a must in Creating Modern, Successful and Dynamic Sales TeamsDigital technology has completely re-written the rules for entire industries, business functions and workplace roles--perhaps none more so than sales. It has redefined what it means to lead a modern sales force, dictating everything--from how a leader plans his/her overall sales model to how field workers map their day-to-day activities. Digital technology's impact on sales is perhaps best explained when you consider the challenges unique to the profession. According to the Accenture, 2014 Sales Performance Optimization Benchmark (CSO Insights) report, chief sales officers expect an average 19 per-cent annual turnover of their sales force, coupled with the fact that 80 percent be-lieve it takes more than six months for a new sales rep to be fully productive. As a sales leader, I stay up at night trying to figure out how the proliferation of in-formation that makes it into our sellers' hands every single day--emails, search results, internal websites, marketing programs, social media, training sites, the Internet and other mediums--can be digested effectively without information overload. I, too, can get overwhelmed at times at the need to keep a keen eye on managing and growing the sales pipeline, while simultaneously ensur-ing the sales force is focused squarely on opportunities where the selling value proposition is compelling and the prob-ability of winning is high.However, the digitization of sales has been fascinating to watch, and I've learned a lot along the way. If you are a sales leader struggling to get the right tools into the hands of the right people on your team, there is a single key prin-ciple that you need to know: An effective digital sales pro-gram starts with a digital workplace.In today's modern sales era, it is es-sential to be able to work quickly and By Adam Drutz, SVP-Sales & Client Relationship Management, AvanadeAdam DrutzCXO INSIGHTS
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