I am in the manufacturing of the Industrial Chemicals and Lubricants with a team of 7 people. We have 10-12 very good products. We are lacking in the Sales / marketing and therefore not able to achieve the desired growth. We have hired experienced sales people, retained them for a year but sales not picked up. How can i tackle it? Is Digital Marketing can help to grow ?

Ans: The different sales channels include traditional and modern marketplaces, retail and wholesale, and your own online store. All of these channels have their own pros and cons to take into account when choosing the right channels for your business.
Ecommerce
Ecommerce is any transaction that is completed online. For example, when you buy clothes from your favorite online store, that is ecommerce. Every time you order food from a delivery app like Doordash or Postmates, that is also e-commerce. Ecommerce is a huge market, worth over $5 trillion, and it’s expected to make up 24.5% of global sales by 2025.
Pros:
Lower startup costs, since you won’t have to pay for a physical storefront.
Can sell internationally and 24/7, as long as your website is active.
You can collect customer data to help you figure out what your target market wants.
Cons:
Problems in your distribution channel may cause the end of customer relationships.
Might have higher return rates because customers can’t try before buying products.
Direct sales in brick-and-mortar stores is still more popular despite ecommerce’s rising popularity.
Traditional marketplaces
Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Walmart Marketplace, and Google Shopping are examples of traditional marketplaces. These channels feature a wide range of product offerings and, for the most part, customers search by the product they’d like to buy rather than the brand they’d like to purchase it from.
While traditional marketplaces come with a preexisting customer base, these platforms require you to give up control of customer service and fulfillment speeds, and to compete on margins.
Pros:
You get your products in front of the existing customer base of those marketplaces.
You can use their distributors and marketing channels already in place.
Being part of a traditional marketplace can give you legitimacy in the eyes of your target market.
Cons:
Indirect sales mean you have to pay a commission for every sale made using a traditional marketplace, and those commissions can change.
Marketplaces can have really strict terms and conditions for how you communicate and represent yourself in their stores.
There might be a lot of different brands selling similar products in these stores, so it may be hard to find a way to stand out.
Modern marketplaces
Modern marketplaces are content-driven platforms that enable commerce. This includes social media channels like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest. It also includes places like Spotify. One of the reasons these modern marketplaces are so successful as sales channels is because buyers are already there. Adding a Buy button allows you to meet buyers where they are.
Pros:
There are apps that can help you track various metrics on your social media platforms to help you optimize your posts and reach.
You can collaborate with other brands and influencers to cross-sell and cross promote.
Most social media platforms have useful templates you can use for your ads and store.
Customer support can be instantaneous on social media.
Cons:
You constantly need to create content to stay visible.
You need to be vigilant against any negative feedback or trolls.
If a social media site goes down or your account is hacked that could really affect your business.
Retail
The retail channel includes both permanent and pop-up shops, like a short-term rental in a mall, a booth at a craft fair, or a stall at a local farmers market. Retail channels provide the opportunity for you to build relationships with your customers in person and get real-time feedback. Retail is a powerful piece of the modern commerce playbook.
Pros:
You get face-to-face contact with your customers
Cut out the middlemen and get products straight into the hands of your customers.
The sales process is direct and ends with you having payment in hand at the end of the sale.
Cons:
May have added cost of hiring sales team (sales reps, sales manager, customer support team).
Can be expensive paying for overhead on brick-and-mortar shop.
Dealing with interpersonal issues with staff and customers.
Wholesale
Wholesale involves selling your products to other businesses who then retail them. Some businesses choose to make wholesale their only sales channel; others use wholesaling as one leg of an omnichannel sales strategy. Wholesale is a great way to move a lot of inventory at once.

Ans: Ask yourself why do you want to switch fields?

Digital marketing offers a promising future, but success depends on your dedication, willingness to learn, and adaptability

Transitioning to a new field may take time and effort.

Given your interest in transitioning, consider pursuing a digital marketing course or certification. This will help you gain the necessary knowledge and skills in areas such as SEO, social media marketing, content marketing, PPC advertising, and analytics.

You may also leverage your existing network and experience to enter the digital marketing field. Offer to manage the company's social media or assist in online marketing activities. Volunteer for tasks related to digital marketing to gain hands-on experience.

Ans: This is a tough one to answer in brief but I am going to try

Each of these channels- B2B B2C D2C - require different kinds of skills. The customer segments too could be different, perhaps the products/ SKUs too. It is my belief that the founder himself should be a salesperson esp in the initial days(years!). The first key thing is to understand the buyer's key problems and how your product is better at solving it than others in the market including alternatives. While doing this, it is important to understand who exactly is your buyer- in B2B, the buyer may be a hotel or restaurant or an office etc. Which sort of B2B segment are you targeting, how are they currently buying, from who, why, what terms do they purchase, how long is the sales cycle time, typical order value, purchase frequency etc? When it comes to B2C, the game is quite different. Are you selling both offline and online? The methods can change.

It would be useful for you to get a co-founder who has deep sales and marketing experience in this sector or B2C online/ offline. Alternatively, get a consultant who can advise you on the phase wise approach to follow, what metrics to use to track effectiveness, the kind of spend required, and so on.

Pl also reach out to others in the D2C community and understand what is working/ not working for them, the kind of structure they have, the outsourced agencies they use.

It is a process of learning. It would be good for you to get a grasp of it; simultaneously, in order to save on time, energy and money, pl consider a co-founder and /or a suitable consultant to guide you through the process. The appropriate hires can be made as required.

Ans: Please provide following details for a meaningful reply:
What food you are manufacturing?
How much capital is invested? (Initially/ Monthly exp.)

Then only I'll be able to answer you better.

Thanks
What is your location?
Who is your partner? (Friend/Family/Business/Newly Known)
The ratio of capital investment by you and your partner?
How long have you been in this business?
What is your buyer doing who wants you to Join him?
And why does he want you to join him?
Did you experience of this business?