When AI sales tools are used alongside proven sales best practices, they can dramatically boost productivity and success. These advanced technologies allow sellers to focus more on having valuable conversations with the right people.

This ensures their efforts are more impactful and efficient.

What best practices benefit from AI sales tools?

As Amanda Van Nuys points out for LinkedIn, top-​notch AI technologies are valuable on their own. But their true impact comes when sellers integrate them into their daily activities and proven sales best practices.

She highlights specific best practices that not only drive success but also can be supported by AI.

Van Nuys first discusses the power of AI to identify and engage with the “right” people. As sellers report, prospecting is difficult. And it’s getting harder as buying groups grow in size.

Specifically, 74% of reps say the number of buyers in the decision-​making process has increased over the past two years. And they likely will continue that growth. Sales pros encourage reps to engage in multithreading to prevent missed opportunities.

“Multi-​threading focuses on building relationships with as many stakeholders within a target account as possible,” explains Sailee Sarangdhar.

“A multi-​threaded sales approach is essential, but an often underutilized framework for modern sales organizations.”

Here’s where AI can help. Faced with a sea of prospects and buyer groups, sellers can tap into this tech to connect with decision-​makers. AI improves multithreading by helping sales teams identify decision-​makers and buying group members more efficiently.

Van Nuys reports that currently, only one-​third of sellers use AI for this. Half of sales teams believe they can manage without it in the next couple years. However, this could lead to missed buyers and lost opportunities, making AI essential for growth.

Research and insights

In addition to multithreading, researching is another best practice that can benefit from AI sales tools. Quality research is a must-​do for any sales rep.

Salespeople must have a strong understanding of their prospects’ interests, preferences and circumstances. This makes research a crucial and ongoing activity for success.

And buyers want to work with informed sellers, according to SalesFuel. Nearly half of buyers want to work with sellers who provide relevant insight and ideas to help their business.

But effective research requires time. Van Nuys shares that, on average, sellers spend 2.5 hours researching each buyer and their business before every meeting. 

AI can lighten that load by cutting down on that time.

“Sellers can swiftly generate comprehensive research with just a few clicks, transforming a 2.5‑hour activity into a 30-​minute one.”

Specifically, generative AI drastically cuts down the time needed to gather key insights about target accounts and contacts.

“Sellers can gain a thorough understanding of the people and businesses they're trying to reach in a matter of seconds,” explains Riley Clark.

“[This saves] a tremendous amount of time on that upfront research to inform personalized outreach.”

And AI can then leverage that research to build personal, valuable engagements with prospects. It can customize interactions based on their preferences, business history and goals. This personalization boosts satisfaction and loyalty.

Best practices and AI are a winning combination

AI sales tools, when paired with proven best practices, can significantly boost productivity and sales success. These tools help sellers identify key decision-​makers and streamline multithreading, ensuring no opportunity is missed.

AI also reduces research time, allowing sellers to gather insights quickly and personalize their outreach. This leads to stronger customer engagement, satisfaction and loyalty.

For B2B sellers, integrating AI into your sales process is no longer optional—it's a must for sustained growth and success. And for guidance on how to use AI to drive your credibility and boost trust, check out SalesCred from SalesFuel. 

Photo by Junior Teixeira