Artificial intelligence is shaping up to have a dramatic impact on our lives. With the emergence of this new technology, businesses are looking to understand the impact it will inevitably have on them.
Emerging technologies have always brought with them a certain level of uncertainty. Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to take on an especially ominous tone. AI has the potential to influence any market, leaving many people concerned about which jobs it will impact the most, and which might be replaced.
After all, what job is safe when competing with technology that is faster, never sleeps, and costs less than its human counterpart?
The sales world can rest easy.
The introduction of AI will not only make sales jobs easier, but it will also elevate the sales profession in a number of unprecedented ways. Automation of repetitive tasks, improved coaching, and a better buying experience are just a few of the benefits we see on the horizon.
The Better Personal Assistant
Batman had Alfred, and the future of sales will have AI.
Artificial intelligence will remove many of the administrative tasks that bog down salespeople. McKinsey Global Institute found that 45% of sales activities could be automated with the help of AI. Repetitive tasks such as organizing emails, updating contact information, and scheduling meetings take valuable time out of a seller’s day. With AI, these tasks can be handled automatically and seamlessly.
Sellers will be able to focus more on the actual sale, rather than preparing for the sale. It’s the difference between having all of the building materials ready for you to build a house, as opposed to having to cut down your own trees.
Already, we have meeting help. Listening for nuances, asking the right questions, and taking accurate meeting notes all at the same time is challenging, but it’s vital to tracking key takeaways and accurately recording meetings.
Conversation Intelligence automatically transcribes the conversation and documents the key takeaways from the discussion. This allows salespeople to focus on the conversation and not have to worry about taking detailed notes. It also enhances the sales dialogue by enabling recordings and clips to be shared directly with customers. By sharing these, sellers can get notifications around the specific keywords that their customers are searching for in the transcript. These insights provide a key indicator of engagement and deeper insight into the topics important to buyers.
Improve the Coach, Improve the Seller
Sales coaching will see a drastic improvement with the advent of AI. Instead of having to listen to hours of sales calls to pinpoint what a seller could have done better, or where an upsell opportunity was missed, technology can trim down calls to critical points in the conversation.
Management will be able to efficiently discover improvement opportunities, and where they can best focus their coaching efforts. The ability to better coach sales teams will inevitably lead to increased sales numbers.
Cultivating the Relationship
Personalization is key to building a relationship, and relationship building will lead to increased sales. Buyers have more choices than ever, which means brands need to place a heavier emphasis on the buying experience. After all, the sales experience drives 53% of customer loyalty. By analyzing consumer data, AI can help pair the best possible sales personality with each customer. That more profound connection lends itself to a better customer experience.
AI also has the potential to grow the personal connection by surfacing the right content and insights to specific buyers. By analyzing the behaviors of similar customers, AI can ensure that the content the customer receives aligns with their sales need. It’s a powerful and useful way to align messaging and content with a customer before ever picking up the phone.
The fear that AI will replace the human seller is unwarranted. If anything, the sales relationship will see an improvement thanks to the removal of monotonous tasks and the higher focus on personalization and relationship building. It’s automation without losing the personal touch.
Knowledge is Power, and Power is in the Data
Analyzing data is crucial in the modern sales environment. From understanding the correct sequence of cadences that lead to a deal to a customer’s buying patterns, data is key to understanding how to prioritize a seller’s time best. AI will be able to correctly analyze vast amounts of data in the blink of an eye. It can provide key insights that can help a seller reach their goal.
Research into sales interactions and what approaches work best can improve any seller’s performance. Cracking the code on cadences is key to improving sales performance and figuring out what sales approach works best. With enough data, AI can discern patterns and domain-specific data in an instant.
AI is like having your own personal sales data wizard!
The Future is Here
As artificial intelligence becomes more adept, so too are the benefits that many sellers see when they utilize the technology in their own sales process. Businesses that incorporate AI into their sales process can look forward to reaping the rewards of the changes that lie ahead.
AI is capable of more than we can even imagine today. As the technology advances, we will continue to uncover its benefits.
It’s an exciting time to witness how AI will help shape the future of the sales landscape!