THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT ABOUT 60% OF THE RESPONDENTS ANSWERED THAT THEY ARE NOT MAKING PROGRESS IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONTHEIR OUTSIDE SALES ACTIVITIES!

(HEADQUARTERS: CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO; PRESIDENT AND CEO: RYUSUKE KANEKI) ANNOUNCES THAT IT HAS CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF 106 SALES REPRESENTATIVES WHO CONDUCT OUTSIDE SALES ACTIVITIES.

• ‍Survey Summary

▼ Click here to download the report of this survey. https://www.upward.jp/downloads/field-sales-dx-research

• ‍Survey Summary

SURVEY SUMMARY: SURVEY OF OUTSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVES SURVEY METHOD: INTERNET SURVEY PLANNED BY "LISAPI ®︎," A RESEARCH PR SERVICE PROVIDED BY IDEATECH SURVEY PERIOD: MARCH 25, 2024 - MARCH 26, 2024 VALID RESPONSES: 106 SALES REPRESENTATIVES WHO CONDUCT OUTSIDE SALES *COMPOSITION RATIOS ARE ROUNDED TO TWO DECIMAL PLACES, SO THE TOTAL DOES NOT NECESSARILY EQUAL 100.

• ‍About 60% of respondents said that they are not making progress digital transformationin outside and door-to-door sales (outside sales)

When asked, "Q2. How much progress has been made digital transformationin outside sales and door-to-door sales (outside sales) at your company?" (n=106), 20.7% answered "not at all" and 36.8% answered "not very much.

Not much progress at all: 20.7 Not much progress: 36.8%‍ Slightly advanced: 27.4% ‍ Fairly advanced: 6.6%‍ Fairly advanced: 6.6 Don't know/unable to answer: 8.5%.

• ‍About 60% of respondents said that they feel somehow left behind by the lack of progress in digital transformationoutside and visiting sales (outside sales).

To those who answered "not much progress" or "not at all progress" in Q2, we asked "Q4. Compared to other departments such as human resources and general affairs, do you feel that you are somehow left behind in terms of the lack of progress digital transformationin outside sales and sales visits (outside sales)?" (n=61), 16.5% answered "very much so" and 42.6% answered "somewhat so.

Very much so: 16.5 Somewhat agree: 42.6% (Cf_200D) Not so much: 19.7% ‍ Not at all: 16.4 Not at all: 16.4% ‍ Don't know/not able to answer: 4.5 Don't know/unable to answer: 4.9%.

• ‍65 .5% of respondents would like to see more outside and door-to-door sales (outside sales) digital transformation

To those who answered "not much progress" or "not at all progress" in Q2, we asked "Q5. Would you like your company to promote digital transformationoutside and visiting sales (outside sales) in the future?" (n=61), 19.6% answered "very much so" and 45.9% answered "somewhat so.

Very much agree: 19.6% ‍ Somewhat agree: 45.9 Somewhat agree: 45.9%‍ Not so much: 14.8% ‍ Not at all: 14.8% ‍ Not at all: 14.8% ‍ Don't know/unable to answer: 4.5 Don't know/unable to answer: 4.9%.

■ Summary

In this survey, we conducted a survey of 106 sales representatives who conduct outside sales activities.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIS BEING PROMOTED IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES AND SECTORS DUE TO CALLS FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND OTHER FACTORS. IN THIS SURVEY, ABOUT HALF OF THE RESPONDENTS ANSWERED THAT DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIS BEING PROMOTED THROUGHOUT THE COMPANY, WHILE 57.5% OF SALES REPRESENTATIVES ANSWERED THAT DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIS NOT BEING PROMOTED IN OUTSIDE AND VISITING SALES (OUTSIDE SALES).

IN ADDITION, COMPARED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS HUMAN RESOURCES AND GENERAL AFFAIRS, THE SALES DEPARTMENT DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIS NOT MAKING PROGRESS, WITH 59.1% OF SALES REPRESENTATIVES FEELING THAT THE SALES DEPARTMENT IS BEING "LEFT BEHIND," INDICATING THAT THE SALES DEPARTMENT DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIS NOT MAKING PROGRESS.

FURTHERMORE, 65.5% OF THE SALESPEOPLE WHO RESPONDED THAT THEIR SALES DEPARTMENT'S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIS NOT PROGRESSING INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEIR OWN SALES DEPARTMENT'S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONPROGRESSED.

IN ADDITION, IN OUR SURVEY* CONDUCTED ON THE MANAGERS OF COMPANIES THAT CONDUCT OUTSIDE SALES, "OUTSIDE SALES (OUTSIDE SALES)" WAS SELECTED MOST FREQUENTLY BY ABOUT 40% OF THE MANAGERS AS THE DEPARTMENT IN WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, INDICATING THAT NOT ONLY SALES REPRESENTATIVES BUT ALSO MANAGERS WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIN THEIR SALES DEPARTMENTS.

*Fact-finding survey on digital transformationfor outside sales: https://www.upward.jp/info/20240809-01

THE SURVEY REVEALED THE ACTUAL STATUS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONAMONG SALESPEOPLE WHO CONDUCT OUTSIDE SALES. WHILE INTERNAL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIS BEING PROMOTED TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, MANY COMPANIES ARE LAGGING BEHIND IN PROMOTING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIN THEIR SALES DEPARTMENTS, INDICATING THAT THE DEGREE OF PROMOTION OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONVARIES FROM DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT. PROMOTION OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONIN OUTSIDE SALES DEPARTMENTS, WHICH HAVE MANY POINTS OF CONTACT WITH CUSTOMERS AND ARE DIRECTLY LINKED TO SALES, WILL REDUCE THE BURDEN OF DAILY REPORTING AND ROUTE PLANNING, ALLOWING SALES PERSONNEL TO FOCUS MORE ON THEIR PRIMARY SALES ACTIVITIES. IN ADDITION, THE UTILIZATION OF DATA OBTAINED FROM CUSTOMERS WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF THE SALES ORGANIZATION AND THE COMPANY, WITHOUT RELYING ON THE INTUITION AND EXPERIENCE OF A FEW SALES REPRESENTATIVES CALLED VETERANS OR ACES.

▼ Click here to download the report of this survey.

https://www.upward.jp/downloads/field-sales-dx-research

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