Debunking the Myths of Artificial Intelligence: A Sales Rep’s Guide

Debunking Myths About Artificial Intelligence

The term “artificial intelligence” generates a number of different reactions. Some immediately picture The Terminator. Some get worried machines will take their jobs. As a concept, artificial intelligence or AI just makes people uneasy.

In a sales setting, reps may assume AI is equivalent to a bot taking over full control of their work. But are these fears warranted? When you pull back the curtain and unveil AI for what it truly is, could it be a thing to love?

My answer? Absolutely.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence can be concisely defined as computer systems that receive input from the environment, interpret the input, and output behaviors and actions that help achieve a particular goal or objective. In layman’s terms, AI can mimic human thinking to perform tasks. Contrary to popular belief, AI doesn’t replace humans’ workflows – it enhances them. AI also adds tremendous value and efficiency to overall work experiences and allows sellers to focus on what they do best: building relationships.

AI + Sales = More Deals Closed

Incorporating AI into the sales process can create enormous value for sales organizations. With these capabilities at their disposal, sales reps and managers don’t have to spend their time observing qualitative client behaviors, analyzing previous customer data, and using those insights to determine whether a deal will close. AI automates that work so sellers can focus on the human side of their jobs.

Artificial intelligence can also help resolve A/B tests and detect when new variants will improve engagements. These capabilities can even indicate who to reach out to and how, predict which prospects are most likely to engage and what their buying intent may be, and recommend which touches to execute and when. AI helps to power sales and empower salespeople – not control them – inevitably leading them to close more deals.

Artificial intelligence alters the way salespeople work by speeding up processes and cultivating an unbiased, data-informed way to generate and manage the sales pipeline. It’s revolutionizing what’s possible when it comes to sales, and sellers should embrace the tech to unlock a world of relationship-building and insight opportunities.

How Does It Work?

Here’s an example. When engaging a prospect, a sales rep typically follows a cadence of steps in an effort to connect and build a relationship. AI capabilities like machine learning accumulate the data from these sales cadences, along with prospect interactions and responses, allowing sales teams to observe larger patterns of engagement and identify what works and what doesn’t. These insights are pure gold when it comes to informing larger sales strategies and long-term planning.

A Match Made In Heaven

In conclusion: don’t fear AI. Believe it or not, humans and AI actually complement each other. The combined effect of human ingenuity backed by the power of artificial intelligence means one key thing: better business outcomes.

As people, we bring a lot to the table that AI simply cannot: vision, creativity, and empathy for others. On the flip side, artificial intelligence offers the speed, objectivity, and data that humans aren’t capable of.

The narrative that humans must compete with automation to defend our jobs is a false one. By joining forces and leveraging AI-powered tools, we can do our jobs more efficiently and drive better results.

Author

  • Sydney Sloan

    Sydney Sloan is chief marketing officer of Salesloft, a sales engagement platform that helps B2B sales professionals generate pipeline, manage deals and engage customers.

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