Can AI increase sales? Yes, by as much as 67% in the first 12 months!
Can AI improve productivity and, thereby, profits? Yes, by as much as 200%!
But if this is true, why isn’t everybody trying it already? Well, they are, but they are still searching for results.
Buying AI solutions does not achieve much if those solutions are not aligned with objectives. In the past six months, we have worked with hundreds of companies – both directly and indirectly – and the most common mistake is poor strategy, or, worse, zero strategy. This is a failure from the start.
The first step is not choosing the best AI solution. The first step is determining what you want as a result, and over what timeline.
The second step is to decide whether or not you need a bandage or full-on heart surgery.
There is a reason you are not achieving your goals now, but do you know what it is? Adding new technology may or may not fix the problems; in fact, it’s more likely to exacerbate them.
So, you need a digital diagnosis of your entire customer journey and experience to determine where AI can make the difference you want.
There are many sales-related AI solutions, and there will be many more new ones before you finish reading this. That’s not the problem. Once you have your diagnosis and established your objectives, you can begin to investigate which AI solution will get the job done.
If you have done this effectively, you will find that you need far fewer resources than you thought, and you can focus your talent on the critical steps of your sales process rather than the arduous ones.
Here is a quick list of what you can expect:
- Improved customer experience
- Vastly improved lead generation through enhanced and automated customer data collection
- Recorded customer feedback for analysis
- Real-time sales and leadership training
- Instant team and leadership analysis and reporting
- Instant AI support for all content types
- Providing your inside sales team with qualified customers and prospects
- Providing customers with 24/7 answers to their questions
- Much higher sales results and revenues
- Lower cost of sales
- Happy and productive sales and customer experience teams
These are just a few benefits for both B2B and B2C sales.
Now, what AI experience is suitable for your customers and sales process?
There is no one-size-fits-all. It comes down to your specific customer journey.
Your customers want answers to their questions, but you are too busy cold-calling or cold-emailing uninterested prospects. This has to stop. It’s a waste of time, money, and morale. You are driving more customers and employees away than you will ever gain.
Create a digital sales process that works by actively engaging customers who are actually searching for your solutions.
In the end, AI is not a silver bullet. But, when used as the incredible tool it is, your results can surpass your objectives.
Lastly, I’ll leave you with one question. It is quite likely that your current organizational makeup does not match what is required to effectively use AI and all its promises. Are you prepared to make those changes, or are you simply hoping for another bolt-on solution that will solve all your problems?
If the answer to this question is no, you are not ready to make all the organizational changes necessary, then you are not prepared for AI.
If the answer is yes, here are some initial insights we gather in order to begin your journey You may already have these in your business plans but, by way of example:
Business strategy and growth plans
| What are your objectives in using AI within your organization? | |
| What are your main business goals and growth objectives? | |
| What is your company’s strategy to achieve these growth objectives? | |
| What are your main business opportunities? | |
| What are your main business challenges? | |
| What threats or disruptors have you identified? | |
| What are the main benefits you hope to realize from an AI adoption? |
The answers to these questions represent the beginning of the process of getting real results from your AI implementation.
If you have already implemented AI in some areas of your business, that’s all the more reason to align with all of your goals as soon as possible.
Thomas Ross is director of sales AI at Soar, Inc., as well as founder of Social Sales HQ and Easy Digital HQ. Soar Inc, is dedicated to helping you implement AI solutions that deliver tangible and immediate results. Whether you are a start-up or an enterprise, you can benefit from programs designed to grow your revenues and productivity while creating immediate cost efficiencies.
