Telecom Sales Strategy: Operators in the Face of the Digital Sales Boom

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many of our habits and taught us to carry out tasks in a very different way. It turned out that basically everyone can effectively shop online, even for basic necessities, and can use the Internet to order meals, to study, or to work. The industries that were ready for a digital transformation coped quite well with the new situation. Unfortunately, not all telecoms were ready for 100% digital customer service.

A wake-up call for telecoms

Some CSPs already had some e-commerce and self-service tools, while others were caught napping. Yet both groups understood how important this digital area really is, and that there’s an urgent need for further investments. They also learned that digitization can be not only a way of fulfilling customers wishes, but also a great method of significant cost optimization.

Getting even closer to the customer

Being online and remote doesn’t necessarily mean being detached from the customers. On the contrary, self-service and digital sales channels can allow operators to become even closer to their customers and their needs. In fact, it can lead to a more engaged relationship.

The year of digital vs telecom sales strategy

2021 will therefore be a year of improving the capabilities of digital sales channels. This will impact Internet portals and, to a greater extent than before, applications with exemplary UX that allow users to complete tasks even faster. So, we expect a change in customer service – from very manual, human-based operations to fully automated service, often robotic, including chatbots and the support of AI/ML technologies which will help operators “guess” customer needs, suggest solutions and propose further actions.

Automation and very attentive, careful design of all processes in contact with the customer will finally become an element of building a competitive advantage.

This means that operators unprepared for the digital revolution in 2021 will see their market share start to decline rapidly in favor of competitors who have already carried digital transformation.

Would you like to discover more telecom trends for 2021? Explore them in our free ebook – “The Future is Here: Business 4.0, IoT-driven Healthcare, 5G Services & Other Predictions for the Telecom Industry in 2021”.