I’ve had multiple conversations lately around how & why Artificial Intelligence (AI) will replace the need for sales enablement practitioners. While I can see how it will help us to be more efficient & productive, I don’t see it replacing the need for us in the short-term. There’s no question that not only will AI be embedded in, but it is creating the “Next Normal” for sales enablement practitioners. While AI is definitely a valuable tool for sales enablement practitioners that we can leverage to increase sales productivity and revenue, I look at them no different than Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. They are productivity tools that can add content, but it still lacks the context, EQ, personal stories, and anecdotes that makes it useful and usable by sellers. THAT is our “secret sauce!”
It used to be said that “Technology moved as the speed of light or business!” Thanks to the recent explosion & integration of AI, it’s constantly evolving at pace faster than I’ve ever seen in my 25 years as a sales enablement practitioner. It’s quickly changing what we do and how we show our value across our company. There was a time when aligning our technology resources AKA tool stack was the baseline and in some cases was the center of our enablement processes, programs, and platforms. Thanks to AI, this is no longer the case!
As AI technology continues to advance, its potential to revolutionize the sales process is becoming increasingly clear. Sales enablement practitioners who embrace AI-powered tools and analytics will gain a significant competitive advantage by streamlining their processes and programs that will lead to an improvement in their productivity, and deeper ability to impact revenue growth.
For instance, our tool stacks are rapidly moving from focusing on CRMs, learning / content management systems and marketing automation tools to AI-powered analytics and virtual selling platforms. Remember, staying ahead of the trends in technology isn’t just about keeping up with the competition. It’s about creating a culture of learning and continuous improvement within across your go-to-market organization. So, keep learning, keep experimenting, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with sales enablement technology.
For those of you that are ready to “take the plunge” into AI tools beyond simply learning how to become a “prompt engineer” on ChatGPT, here are some ways that sales enablement practitioners can leverage AI to show even deeper value.
Lead prioritization
AI-powered lead scoring tools can analyze data from multiple sources to identify which leads are most likely to result in a sale. By prioritizing leads based on their likelihood to convert, sales reps can focus their efforts on the most promising opportunities.
By leveraging AI, sales enablement practitioners can gain valuable insights into customer behavior, identify areas for improvement in the sales process, and create personalized training programs to improve sales rep performance. They can also automate routine tasks, such as data entry and lead scoring, freeing up sales reps to focus on more strategic tasks.
These tools can also help sales enablement practitioners to stay ahead of the curve in terms of emerging trends and shifts in customer behavior. We can use predictive analytics to identify upcoming sales trends and adjust their sales strategies accordingly. By analyzing data from multiple sources, AI can provide a more comprehensive view of customer behavior and preferences, enabling sales reps to have more targeted and personalized conversations vs giving “canned” presentation.
Content Management and Distribution
AI-powered content management systems can help marketing sales enablement teams to organize and distribute content more effectively. AI can also help them to identify and communicate which content is most effective at each stage of the buyer’s journey that can provide insights to sales leaders around which content is leading to higher conversion rates.
Automated Task Management
AI can help to automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, appointment scheduling, and crafting personalized emails, freeing up sellers to focus on more high-value activities such as building relationships with prospects and closing deals.
Sales Process Optimization
AI can analyze the sales pipeline to identify bottlenecks and areas where your current process can be streamlined. By automating routine tasks, this will free up sellers to focus on more strategic tasks.
Personalized Sales Enablement and Coaching
AI can be used to personalize training programs based on the strengths and weaknesses of individual sellers. These coaching tools can also provide feedback and recommendations to sellers in real-time, helping them improve their skills and close more deals.
Sales Performance Analytics
AI can automate the analysis of large amounts of sales data and provide insights into which strategies, processes and programs are most effective at driving sales revenue. AI can also identify which sellers are performing well and which may need additional coaching.
COMMUNICATION. COLLABORATION. ORCHESTRATION
As I mentioned in my book, Sales Enablement 3.0, it’s less about the tools but more about knowing when, how, & why to deploy it. Teams and organizations that embrace, adopt, and deploy ways to effectively leverage AI in sales enablement can position themselves as thought leaders in the industry. By staying ahead of the curve, you can gain a competitive edge and differentiate yourself and your company from competitors. Embracing the new opportunities that AI brings will allow you to explore uncharted territories and find innovative ways to enhance your processes, improve customer engagement, and impact revenue growth. In my opinion this will not only take you beyond Sales Enablement 3.0 but find a way to separate yourself and your company from the pack as well!
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