... AI CAN TAKE OVER THE EARLIEST STEPS IN THE SALES PROCESS BY INITIATING CONVERSATIONS THAT FEEL GENUINE .
Here are a few tricks to close the productivity gaps in the sales process , so agents can focus their efforts on the next best action .
1 . DITCH THE TEDIOUS STUFF .
Getting rid of the dull admin work is a golden opportunity for automation . For example , when companies can free agents from drafting , organizing , and sending meeting notes , those agents can allocate more time to working directly with current and prospective customers .
Using AI for transcribing and summarizing meeting notes is well underway . As soon as a meeting ends , Generative AI apps can immediately share the notes , as well as a list of key actions . In addition , an AI system will adapt to a business ’ s standard style and processes , making it more valuable and personalized over time .
Some AI assistants can even work out the odds of sealing a deal and offer recommendations for what to do next . When this information is available , sales agents are more likely to hit the bullseye .
Cutting down on admin work is the ticket to a healthy sales funnel : and clearing out the drudgery should be a top priority . When lower-level tasks are being handled by AI , sales agents are not only empowered to foster deeper engagements with their strongest leads , but they ’ re also better positioned to meet their KPIs .
Because most agents are evaluated on how many deals they close , it makes the most strategic sense to offload the dull tasks to AI as fast as possible .
2 . STREAMLINE CUSTOMER OUTREACH .
Another major area for AI to have an impact is in the ability to qualify and form relationships with leads .
Today , AI can take over the earliest steps in the sales process by initiating conversations that feel genuine . It does this by scanning the internet to learn more about future customers based on individual profiles : and using those findings to send personalized messages to guide those leads further down the funnel .
For example , if a company was trying to reach potential buyers at a consumer goods company , it can generate a personal email that says , “ I love product X and your company does a great job in the Y field .” And in a way that can come across as authentic .
By letting AI handle the initial customer connections , agents can devote more time to work that ’ s profitable . Fortunately for businesses , AI technology has finally reached the point where this level of custom communication can be done quickly , easily , and more reliably than ever .
... AI CAN TAKE OVER THE EARLIEST STEPS IN THE SALES PROCESS BY INITIATING CONVERSATIONS THAT FEEL GENUINE .
3 . LET THE BOTS HANDLE THE BASICS .
AI can make ancillary tasks like data entry , research , and prioritizing opportunities faster to accomplish . For example , a chatbot trained on prior customer requests can often answer simple customer questions .
When AI can actually handle more customer issues , then human agents can spend a lot more time offering in-depth , personalized assistance , instead of just solving immediate problems .
Today , chatbots can provide relevant product information , answer commonly asked questions , and guide customers through the first stages of the purchasing process .
While chatbots can provide extra help for service agents , the customers also benefit directly .
Because chatbots are available 24 / 7 , AI can respond immediately , and offer support in several languages and customers can access the information at any time of the day .
When a prospect is able to receive the correct information quickly , they ’ re more likely to have a favorable opinion of the business , which leads to more sales .
SALES PRODUCTIVITY
Last but not least , by letting the bots take care of the routine stuff , businesses can cut costs , which might lead to better prices or a fuller range of products .
4 . IMPROVE LEAD QUALIFICATION AND PROCESS TESTING .
For managers , one of the biggest goals is making sure sales teams have enough relevant information to close deals . One way this can be done is by providing targeted training for each lead qualification step .
No matter which qualification process a company uses , tailored training can help agents understand what they need to do . When agents know the next best thing to do within the chain of events , they become more empowered to move leads down the funnel with less oversight .
Another way managers can get the info they need is with AI-powered sales software . They provide sales professionals with predictions on a deal ' s win probability and recommendations for the next best actions : ultimately increasing the odds of winning deals .
Right now , AI is learning to assess when a critical part of a sales process is going south . For example , if the application is showing high abandonment after the decision-making process , the manager can step in and help their agents refine their approach .
Similar to targeted training , this application and action also results in a team of agents who are more capable of executing deals with less managerial intervention . When the correct information is in front of them , they become more likely to succeed .
CONTINUED ON PAGE 39
FEBRUARY 2024 35