
Digitalization and Use of Technology in Sales
Chapter from the book:
Akçadağ,
M.
(ed.)
2025.
Modern Sales Management: A Perspective of Theory, Strategy, and Practice.
Synopsis
As the early period of the technological age, or what we might call the age of artificial intelligence, draws to a close in the first quarter of the 21st century, the new language of marketing communication has become “digitalization.” To understand the importance of the digitalization age today, it is necessary to understand the process of change in marketing. Consumer needs and satisfaction, which form the basis of marketing, have undergone change due to periodic phenomena and reasons. The product-centric first industrial revolution has given way to a consumer-centric marketing approach. In an era where the internet and digitalization have become more prevalent in our lives, the rise of internet-based marketing and digital marketing concepts has ushered in the digital business era. The accessibility of the internet in every home and workplace has simplified and accelerated commercial transactions while fundamentally changing the concept of the market for marketing science. Businesses now view not only the location where they open a store or branch but the entire universe as their market. In other words, with digital marketing, the market is everywhere.
This change in the marketplace has also diversified the channels businesses use to sell their products in line with today's digital understanding. Businesses that view digitalization as the most fundamental sales element are optimizing their business system integration by using various applications. Among these applications, businesses are optimizing business system integration by using CRM systems, artificial intelligence with data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), automation tools, omnichannel and multichannel sales methods, chatbots, virtual assistants, cloud-based solutions, and mobile applications.