Many marketing and sales leaders know that the next step in their growth journey involves digital sales, but often hit a roadblock when the discussion reaches the management team. Usually, the hesitation isn’t due to resistance, but rather uncertainty about business value, priorities, and impact. This is a common challenge in digital projects.
To understand why, and how to move forward, we spoke with Samuel Akay, a sales representative at Litium, and Victor Stern, Sales Director at our partner Exsitec, who both meet companies undergoing digital transformation every week.
People underestimate the internal time required
According to Samuel, who meets companies embarking on digitalization every day, the hesitation is sometimes, but far from always, about money.
One of the most common reasons is that companies aren’t willing or able to invest the internal time needed to drive the project. They don’t see enough benefit for the investment.
Samuel explains that it’s rarely reluctance that holds things back, but rather a lack of clarity about how the digital initiative will actually impact the business overall. When digital sales are presented as an IT project, management can easily see it as something outside the core business.
The business value must be clear, not the technology
Victor, who works closely with management teams in both B2B and B2C companies, sees the same pattern: uncertainty around business value.
The most common barrier isn’t technology, it’s uncertainty about business value. Many leadership teams wonder what the investment will actually lead to, how quickly the results will show, and how it ties into the overall strategy.
To build trust, digitalization needs to be translated into business goals, not systems or features.
Can we continue as we are and still reach our goals, or do we need to do something new to get there? says Victor. When we can show how digital sales support the growth plan, that’s when things start to move.
Involve more people and build internal alignment
One of the strongest pieces of advice from both Samuel and Victor is to broaden the internal perspective. Digital sales become a business issue only when more than IT and marketing are involved.
Samuel explains that the companies that succeed are the ones that involve more functions such as customer service, inside sales, and product managers. That’s where you often find efficiency and sales gains that make the business value clear.
He describes how Litium often invites different parts of the organization to joint workshops.
When everyone gets to describe their challenges and start seeing how a digital solution can help multiple departments at once, something changes. You go from resistance to engagement.
From discussion to decision, the partner’s role
Victor describes the partner’s role as a translator between business, IT, and management.
We often act as the neutral link that translates between perspectives, from what does this mean technically to how does this affect sales, customer journeys, and margins.
It’s about framing digitalization in commercial terms so management sees that it’s not a technology project, it’s a growth strategy.
Three keys to getting management on board
Based on Samuel’s and Victor’s experiences, three recurring success factors emerge:
- Start from the business, not the technology. Present digital sales as a way to reach company goals faster, not as a separate IT initiative.
- Involve more people early. When several functions see their own benefits in the project, it’s easier to show ROI and build internal engagement.
- Visualize the impact. Make the results concrete with KPIs, customer examples, or time savings, not abstract visions.
Summary
Getting management on board with a digital initiative ultimately comes down to communication and alignment. Digital sales aren’t about technology, they’re about strategy, efficiency, and growth.
The companies that succeed build a shared understanding of why digitalization is necessary, not just to appear modern, but to continue growing.
Want to learn more?
Book a conversation with us about how to take the next step in your digital sales journey.
You can reach Samuel at samuel.akay@litium.com and Victor at victor.stern@exsitec.se, or let us contact you, just click below.
Samuel Akay, Sales team Litium
Victor Stern, Sales Manager Exsitec
