Hey there! You’ve probably heard all the buzz about AI transforming sales, making everything faster and wiser, and magically solving all our problems. As much as I love the enthusiasm, let’s hit the brakes for a second and talk about what’s really happening.

What’s AI Doing in Sales, Anyway?

AI in sales isn’t about replacing people with robots who make cold calls and send emails. It’s more like having a super-smart assistant who can predict which customers are ready to buy, help keep track of your deals, and even tell you the best time to reach prospects. Sounds cool, right? But here’s the catch: AI is just a tool, much like a high-powered sports car. And what good is a sports car if you don’t know how to drive it?

The Human Touch

No matter how smart AI gets, it can’t replace the understanding and connection real people bring to the table. AI can help you better research and understand your buyer’s deepest needs, fears, and desires, but it can’t do it independently. You still need to give it unique insights only your business offering provides. AI will most likely not replace sales but can certainly provide sales-related task support so salespeople can spend more time doing what they do best: building trust, understanding needs, and effective communication that leads to more sales.  

The Need for a Strong Sales Foundation

Imagine buying a Lamborghini before you’ve even learned to drive. It looks flashy in your driveway, but it’s not going anywhere fast without some driving skills. The same goes for AI in sales. Even the fanciest AI tools won’t get you far without a solid sales foundation. You still need clear goals, a deep understanding of your buyer’s journey, and how your sales team supports that journey.  AI is there to help your process and not be your process.  AI is not yet skilled enough to engage deeply with your customers to see why they buy from you or what they want to achieve.  You must still take that step and use that knowledge to equip your AI tools.  

How to put AI to work for your sales team

The introduction of AI can be scary, and for good reason.  Research from Gartner finds that about one-third of sales tech investments don’t deliver the expected ROI due to poor planning, implementation, and ongoing support needed to generate the desired results.  

So, how do you ensure your shiny new AI tools don’t just sit in the garage collecting dust?   

Here are 10 essential questions to ask before you dive into AI for sales:

1. What specific sales challenges are you hoping to address with AI?

Identify the pain points in your sales process that AI could alleviate. Is it lead scoring, customer segmentation, predictive analytics, messaging, repetitive tasks, or something else?

2. Do you clearly understand your buyer personas?

The more you know about your buyers—their pain points, challenges, priorities, solutions they’ve tried, and the results they expect—the better. This is information only humans can extract. Once you have it, it’s important to share it with the AI tools you’re using to prepare all that data for a deeper analysis and human interpretation within the context of
your business.

3. How will AI integrate with your existing sales process?

Consider how AI tools can fit seamlessly into your current sales operations without causing disruption. Which tasks can be automated or enhanced by AI, and how will this change the roles within the sales team?

4. Is your sales team prepared for AI?

Evaluate whether your sales team has the necessary skills and willingness to adapt to AI tools. Consider what training or support they need to maximize AI-enhanced processes. Without a carefully designed enablement plan, AI will fail like every other sales technology implemented without the proper plan or resources to support its effective use.

5. What data do you have available, and is it ready for AI?

AI thrives on data. Review the quality and quantity of your sales and messaging data. Is it organized, accessible, and current enough to accurately and sufficiently train AI models?

6. How will you measure the success of AI in your sales process?

Define clear metrics and KPIs to evaluate the impact of AI on your sales performance. These could include increases in lead conversion rates, decreases in sales cycle length, or improvements in customer
satisfaction scores.

7. What ethical considerations do you need to keep in mind when implementing AI in sales?

Consider the implications of using AI, including privacy concerns, data security, and the potential for bias in AI algorithms. How will your AI tools uphold your company’s values and ethics?

8. Who will maintain and update the AI systems?

AI systems require ongoing maintenance and tuning to stay effective. Determine who on your team will be responsible for this or if you need to partner with external support services.

9. How will AI impact the customer experience?

Think about how AI-enhanced processes will affect your interactions with customers. Will it enable more personalized, timely, and effective engagements or provide a confusing experience? How will you measure and monitor the client experience?

10. What’s your long-term strategy for AI in sales?

Beyond immediate gains, consider how AI fits into your sales strategy in the long run. How will you evolve and adapt as AI technology and customer expectations change?

The Road Ahead

The truth is that AI in sales isn’t just coming; it’s already here. It will keep evolving, becoming more innovative, and integrating into our daily lives. The trick is to keep up with the technology and the strategies that make it work for you.  

Remember, AI in sales is a powerful tool, but it’s not a magic wand. It enhances the hard work, strategy, and human connection that sales are all about. So, let’s get excited about the possibilities but stay focused on the driving. After all, what’s the point of having a Lamborghini if you don’t know how to drive?  So, before you jump into your new fancy car called AI, ask yourself the above questions and make sure you have all the answers to guide and support you in enabling AI for your sales teams.

Want to learn more about how to use AI for your sales team? Let’s keep the conversation going. Drive safe!

TeamRevenue, empowers businesses to drive sustainable growth. We provide our clients with the revenue enablement experts, best practices, and an accountability framework to optimize revenue teams, systems, and processes to drive results.  We’ve worked with hundreds of B2B companies worldwide, breaking the cycle of underperformance. Helping them grow faster, communicate better and bring new energy to their organizations.