Artificial intelligence is a hot topic these days. From voice-controlled home systems that learn your behavior to applications in health care, engineering and more, AI is everywhere – even in B2B sales.
Basically, AI in B2B sales helps sales teams automate repetitive, boring, or simple tasks. According to HBR, as much as 85 percent of a sales rep’s tasks could be automated. While AI-powered robots won’t be sealing deals directly anytime soon, AI can significantly change how sales teams find leads, analyze data, and more.
A better understanding of the data
There is a lot of data about your prospects out there on the public web. And while you might have a system in place to capture some of it, AI can be the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding what it all means.
A smart AI can trawl the public web for information about your prospects – blog posts they’ve read and shared, accounts they are connected to, the needs and frustrations they’ve publicly expressed – and deliver this information to your team for a better contextual understanding of who your prospect is. This information can be used in any number of ways, from developing a deeper understanding of each prospect to allowing you to cast a wider, yet more targeted, net when attracting new prospects.
Better identification of key accounts
Which accounts are most likely to buy? Which ones are comparing you to your competitors? AI can shed some light on the stage of the buyer’s journey that key decision-makers at your accounts are in, and help you identify those accounts that are the best fit for your product and close to making a purchase. This can help your team act more efficiently, focusing their energy on the most promising accounts.
Better personalization
A personal touch has always been key to a successful sales process. Knowing your prospect and speaking to her pain points will often be a tipping point between a sale and a missed opportunity. And AI can make this process even more effective.
The better, smarter, faster AI becomes at digging through relevant data about your prospects, the better you will be able to personalize your messaging to each of them. AI enables sales teams to scale personalization as their prospect list grows. From emails that speak exactly to the problems she has been having this month with her current software, to support from marketing via targeted and relevant ads or social posts, AI can empower personalization on a nearly infinite scale.
While you may not be using AI in your day-to-day sales life just yet, it’s something that’s on the horizon. It can help you deliver better service to your clients, close more deals, and be more effective in your sale efforts across the board.