I have big concerns that a lot of the AI inundating sales teams today (some of which I've deployed) is not making teams more successful.
I have big concerns that a lot of the AI inundating sales teams today (some of which I've deployed) is not making teams more successful. In many cases, it's doing the opposite. We're providing unnecessary crutches while our muscles atrophy.
Before this series expands into where we're using AI, let's start with what it's being used for.
Broadly, there are two buckets: Automation/workflows and information. In many cases, it's workflows outputting information.
That information usually comes in the form of documents (account research, call summaries, account history, potential pain points/opportunities, etc.).
But most great salespeople I know are audio and visual learners. The five-paragraph essay was never their thing.
That translates to sales, though. Strategic deals are still won and lost in conversations, times when those crutches aren’t available. In those moments, it's easy to lose deals with one verbal misstep if you don’t know your stuff.
How do we get the team to learn information, not just have it? I don’t think all these documents are it.
I don't have a solution yet, but I get pitched a lot (I have a sickness and pick up every cold call for fun), and this problem is only getting worse.