More sellers are realizing the benefits of AI-​assisted selling. Approximately half of sellers currently use AI to perform sales tasks, reports Amanda Van Nuys. But McKinsey reports that plenty of opportunities remain. 

“Just 21 percent of surveyed commercial leaders…have fully enabled enterprise-​wide adoption of gen AI in B2B buying and selling…”

And, 22% have only piloted specific use cases.

How to use AI-​assisted selling

One of the biggest benefits of using AI is enhancing engagement with others. The power of AI is especially beneficial when it comes to buying groups. The number of buyers involved in a purchase is growing.

Currently, there are up to 11 people involved in a buying decision, Van Nuys shares. And she adds that the number is rising.

“Nearly three-​quarters of sellers [report] that the total number of buyers has increased over the last two years.”

As SalesFuel shared, multithreading is an effective way for sellers to address this challenge. 

“When sales teams are multi-​threaded with six or more decision-​makers, there is a 7% increase in win rates…”

So smart sellers actively seek out and engage with everyone involved in the buying process. And this is where AI can help.

Van Nuys advises sellers to take advantage of AI to identify buyers and members of buying committees.

“[AI] can not only identify the right people within an account, but also alert sellers to past customers, former colleagues, and job changers.”

Specifically, sellers can: 

• Leverage its capabilities to identify various decision-​makers within a company
• Tailor outreach to each person based on their needs and roles
• Manage multiple sales conversations with different contacts in the same organization

 And doing so will get you ahead of competitors. Van Nuys adds that about 30% of sellers are using AI in some capacity to identify decision-makers.

Time-​saving research

Another AI-​assisted selling benefit is saving time and gaining quality research. Conducting research is an essential part of successful selling. Having in-​depth knowledge of a buyer’s needs, industry, pain points, and goals is vital.

But doing so can be time-consuming. 

Van Nuys shares that reps spend an average of 2.5 hours researching buyers and their business before every meeting. But utilizing AI can maximize efforts and save time. With access to the SalesCred PRO platform and its AI-​powered tools, you can instantly tap into the latest news about your prospects.

AI algorithms can quickly analyze data from websites, social media, and reports to create precise, actionable insights, InnovateMR shares.

“This automation ensures a more comprehensive and up-​to-​date dataset, allowing businesses to gather relevant insights quickly and accurately.”

AI can also hyper-​focus on uncovering specific details. AI algorithms can identify individual preferences, behaviors, and needs. 

“This level of personalization allows businesses to tailor their offerings, marketing messages, and customer experiences…,” InnovateMR notes.

Simulations and Trainings

There’s also an opportunity to take advantage of AI-​assisted selling in regard to training. Specifically, there are tools available that can analyze or simulate sales calls for training or coaching purposes.

HubSpot’s Flori Needle reports that 19% of professionals use AI in this manner. 

“An automated analysis program will effectively identify what a sales rep did well and where they may have room for improvement,” she writes. 

“[This gives] reps visibility into key insights to help them grow.”

She also points out that training with AI can cut down on discomfort. Simulating real-​world scenarios with colleagues can often feel awkward and uncomfortable. 

However, AI-​driven training simulations are highly effective and provide a more comfortable and impactful environment for skill development.

AI-​assisted selling is quickly becoming a game-​changer for sales teams. From enhancing engagement with buying groups to streamlining time-​consuming research and offering valuable training, AI provides sellers with the tools.

And for more tips on embracing AI-​assisted selling, take a look at this post from SalesFuel.

Photo by Microsoft Edge