Tony Grout
Chief Product Officer
For companies that offer products or services, sales success is central to business success. And across the commercial landscape, competition is fierce and expectations from buyers are higher than ever. This coincides with a significant shift in the business of sales, sparked by recent steps forward in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Forward-thinking companies and their sales teams are already using AI-powered capabilities to their advantage: adding further value to every buyer interaction, while working faster and smarter. Inevitably, such advancements are reshaping the way businesses and their sales professionals engage and connect with buyers and prospects, and ultimately close deals.
However, to truly engage buyers, sellers must show up as credible consultants—tailoring their approach to address the nuances of each and every specific business challenge. But up until now, tools and technology that can offer a genuine advantage either haven’t existed or haven’t been fit for purpose. But today, AI can help sellers in a number of ways, particularly when integrated into sales enablement technology.
Content Sourcing
While sellers were once overwhelmed by a sea of content, AI-powered search reduces the time spent on finding the right documents, instead affording a swift and accurate discovery of the most relevant resources. This reframes the seller experience entirely, allowing them to focus on what truly matters: connecting with their buyers.
It can also help ensure a key resource isn’t missed altogether. As AI streamlines content sourcing, sellers stay informed and well-prepared, ensuring they have the right knowledge at their fingertips to engage in more compelling and informed conversations. This has a real impact—as sellers harness the most relevant content, marketing teams register an increase in their content marketing ROI. According to Statista, more than 80% of marketers worldwide are integrating some form of AI into marketing activities.
Tailored Presentations
By leveraging AI’s strong ability to summarize and distill information, sellers can deliver presentations that resonate deeply with buyers, showcasing their understanding of their unique challenges, and proving that their solutions are the ideal fit. This helps sellers to deliver more bespoke presentations that directly address the specific pain points of each buyer. Through AI-powered assets, key learnings and insights from various content sources are automatically condensed. In turn, sales representatives can quickly identify the most relevant information and insights, enhancing the buyer journey by providing personalized, high-value content up front. Sales enablement technology that incorporates the use of AI increases overall efficiency, permitting sellers to spend more time on revenue-generating activities.
Improving Pitches
AI can even help when it comes to delivering the all important business pitch. Sellers and company representatives can record a business pitch and receive actionable guidance on vital aspects of their performance. AI algorithms can analyze crucial elements such as pacing, tone, and body language, providing invaluable feedback to refine presentations. This feedback loop allows sellers to continuously improve their delivery skills, ensuring that every pitch is executed with maximum impact and persuasion. AI-powered guidance not only enhances the effectiveness of individual pitches, but also helps sellers develop their overall communication and presentation skills, enabling them to excel in their sales roles.
In addition, with AI providing real-time sales performance feedback, there is also reduced training and coaching time for sales managers, thus increasing efficiency.
But the transformative power of AI in sales extends beyond efficiency gains. It empowers sellers to establish genuine connections with buyers, leveraging technology to create meaningful and personalized experiences. By automating time-consuming tasks, AI frees up sellers’ valuable time, allowing them to focus on building relationships, understanding buyer needs, and offering tailored solutions. This human-centric approach, supported by AI, fosters trust, credibility, and—ultimately—successful sales outcomes.
As the sales landscape evolves at pace, the integration of AI capabilities will become increasingly essential for sellers who seek to thrive in a competitive environment. By harnessing the power of AI, sales professionals can elevate their performance, unlock new levels of productivity, and forge stronger connections with buyers. The future of sales is here and it is powered by AI—a transformational force that is propelling sellers toward greater success in deal closures than ever before.
This byline was first published on Global Banking & Finance Review.
