AI is becoming a larger part of the sales process for a lot of sellers, but not everyone’s utilizing it the same way or feeling they’re getting the same results. But AI’s technology and capabilities are advancing basically every single day, and the possibilities of its use cases are increasing.
So, here are two questions I am interested in seller feedback on when it comes to virtual AI tech improving your sales process and performance:
What specific tasks would you want to delegate to an AI conversational agent?
What kinds of future opportunities do you see for AI to be more than “faster horses”?
Tasks
CRM updates from meetings
Research and financial analysis
Account Mapping
I think AI Coaching for sales transformation would be a great opportunity. Using AI to move beyond showing insights and coaching sellers through analysis or to practice value selling messaging.
Even before AI was what it is today, I use to love having the Salesforce IQ/Guru (forget their product name) of just noting, “it’s been 13 days since you connected with Jane Doe, do you want to connect now”
I would like an executive AI assistant I have ChatGPT write cold emails or recap notes for me all the time which has been awesome.
Having AI give me a debrief of “everything you missed since last call” or a summary of key events at the company since I last spoke to a given executive would be very helpful.
In an ideal world I’d like AI to make specific suggestions to me based on my accounts related to any relevant activity in their business, the market in general, and who I am in touch with (or trying to connect with.) Piggybacking on @jared.jacobovitz’s “everything you missed since last call,” it would give me a summary as well as a set of actionable suggestions that would help progress the deal or keep a prospect warm, etc. (things like ChatGPT-like email drafts or prospecting notes for new connections to try and contact.)
Tracking action items discussed/agreed to during a client call and providing a follow up email summarizing next steps and responsibilities.
Automating meeting coordination internally and externally. Would require AI on both sides, but “find 30 minutes for us to have a follow up next week”. Other tasks like this that are typically a part of every email thread / client engagement, where personalization and contextual awareness are less important.
Automatically add new contacts to salesforce after meetings with summary of meetings notes and action items. Reminders to engage based on a timeline discussed.
Forecast updates: summary of every meeting held since last forecast call and all new meetings scheduled for following week + major updates pulled from meeting minutes and email threads. "Received intro to procurement… sent MSA on Monday. etc.
To build off @jared.jacobovitz 's ask for “everything that happened since last call”, would also be nice to ask: “summarize past engagements at this account” (who have we met with + notes from those conversations, did the messaging resonate and it was poor timing, are the same stakeholders there, etc.). Could be super useful for BDRs, AEs, and Sales Leaders if accounts shift between reps
Meeting and account notes, research and analysis, and news alerts.
I see a lot of opportunity in AI crawling for information on different prospects and centralizing it. There’s already a few of these doing LinkedIn profile summarization, but it’d be really cool to have a deeper view of the work people have done and any events they gone to or led. It gives more opportunities for personalization. Like the AI says, “John led a webinar on retail supply chain with Anne and Mark. Here’s a summary and the link to a YouTube video.”
Faster account research to build a relevant POV: how do they make money, what are the executive priorities, cost drivers vs revenue/profit, what are the risks to their business, how are my solutions relevant to these…
It’s either in long annual reports and/or press releases, blog posts.
I have ChatGPT write cold emails or recap notes for me all the time which has been awesome.