AI in Sales: Driving Business Growth

In today's highly competitive business landscape, companies are taking innovative new approaches to drive growth by harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in sales.

What is AI? It involves leveraging advanced algorithms, machine learning and data analytics to automate tasks, gain insights and make data-driven decisions.

According to PwC’s Global Artificial Intelligence Study, AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. 

📌 Related resource: Real-Life AI Examples That Will Blow Your Mind

When it comes to the sales process, AI has the potential to revolutionize how businesses interact with customers, streamline your sales process and drive your bottom line. 

In this blog post, we'll discuss the benefits of AI in sales, how it's changing the industry, and real-life examples of AI. We'll also share the top five AI sales tools for business growth.

1. What is AI in sales?
2. How is AI supporting sales?
3. Top benefits of AI in sales
4. 11 ways teams use AI for sales
5. Top five AI sales tools for business growth

Wh‎at is AI in sales?

In sales, AI refers to using Artificial Intelligence and automation technologies and techniques to enhance the sales process and improve business outcomes. AI is the umbrella term for different technologies like machine learning, natural language processing, deep learning, computer vision, and more.

Using AI in sales is like having a super-smart assistant that helps you sell better. AI uses advanced technologies to understand and analyze huge amounts of data.

But it doesn't stop there—it learns and improves over time, becoming even smarter without much human involvement. According to Forbes, 64 percent of businesses expect AI to increase productivity. 

Ho‎w is AI supporting sales?

There are many ways AI in sales can help your team, like:

• Analyzing customer data.
• Predicting which prospects are most likely to close deals.
• Recommending crucial sales actions.
• Forecasting results.
• Optimizing pricing.
• And so much more.

In a nutshell, AI in sales is all about using smart technology to supercharge your sales career and performance. It's like having a team of brilliant assistants working alongside you, making your job easier and helping you achieve greater success.

There are endless benefits of AI and automation in sales. By leveraging AI, businesses can:

• Streamline and optimize the sales processes.
• Improve efficiency.
• Boost productivity.
• Increase revenue generation. 

We'll break down the top five benefits of AI and automation in sales.

To‎p benefits of AI in sales

1. Improved efficiency & accuracy

AI automates time-consuming tasks like data entry and leads scoring. This increases productivity and frees up sales teams to focus on high-value activities.

On top of that, AI-powered algorithms analyze large datasets with precision, providing accurate insights and predictions to support decision-making.

Analyzing huge amounts of data for a human can be cumbersome and the chances of making mistakes are very high. 

📌 Related resource: The Top 7 Best AI Software to Fast Track Your Team’s Growth in 2023

2. Better customer service

AI enables personalized customer interactions at scale. Companies are using AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants to:

• Provide 24/7 support.
• Answer customer queries promptly.
• Offer tailored recommendations.
• Enhance overall customer experience and satisfaction.

Sure, complex situations still may require human intervention. But general queries are handled by chatbots much more efficiently. 

3. Informed decision-making

AI leverages advanced analytics and machine learning to analyze vast amounts of data.

By analyzing this data like:

• Customer preferences.
• Buying patterns.
• Market trends.

Sales teams can make informed decisions and devise effective sales strategies.

Instead of sifting through millions of parameters, sales reps can now see AI graphs and clarified output, saving time for the most important tasks—like closing deals!

4. Cost savings

AI automation reduces manual workloads and streamlines processes, resulting in cost savings for businesses. By automating repetitive tasks, AI minimizes human error and increases operational efficiency, ultimately saving time and resources.

So, faster response and accurate information ultimately lead to huge cost savings. 

5. Streamlined workflows

Businesses leveraging AI to streamline workflows will have the upper hand over their competitors.

Here's one example. Sales professionals invest significant time attending meetings and documenting information to share with colleagues. However, with AI tools like Scribe, they can swiftly capture and document lengthy processes in mere seconds.

📌 Related resource: Sales SOP Software: The Top 5 Tools for Optimizing Your Sales Process (2023)

Using Scribes like the one below, it becomes easier to automate day-to-day tasks and focus on real problems. 

Thanks to AI, tasks that once consumed hours can now be accomplished in minutes, enabling sales teams to focus on more critical aspects of their work.

📌 Related resource: 7 Useful AI Sales Tools to Maximize Your Funnel

In the next section, we'll show how businesses achieve these benefits. 

11‎ Ways teams use AI for sales

Businesses are using AI in many different sectors. Many office workers are in also favor of using AI. In fact, according to Snaplogic, 81 percent of office workers believe that AI improves their performance at work.

Here are eleven ways sales teams are currently using AI to improve sales. 

1. Scraping databases for leads

AI can automatically scrape and analyze large databases to identify potential leads, saving time and effort for sales teams.

For example, AI-powered tools can scan social media platforms and company websites to gather relevant information about prospects, helping sales representatives prioritize and target their outreach effectively.

What’s more, these tools can also collect more information about leads (like contact information), making it easier to add leads to CRM tools in the right category.

Using AI, it is also easier to follow up on leads automatically and differentiate quality leads from the rest. 

2. Expert recommendations to sales reps & customers

AI algorithms can provide expert recommendations to sales teams based on historical data and market trends.

For instance, AI-powered sales tools can analyze past successful deals and suggest similar approaches or strategies to replicate success. These recommendations enable sales representatives to make informed decisions and optimize their sales processes.

Amazon is an excellent example of a business that has mastered AI recommendations. Amazon automatically analyzes user behavior and suggests the right products to the right customer at the right time.

3. Customer relationships 

AI enables businesses to build strong customer relationships through personalized interactions. By leveraging customer data and AI-powered tools, sales teams can:

• Offer tailored product recommendations.
• Anticipate customer needs.
• Provide a more personalized buying experience.

All of these lead to increased customer loyalty and satisfaction.

4. Price optimization

AI algorithms can analyze market dynamics, competitor pricing and customer behavior to optimize pricing strategies. Depending on time and location, pricing can vary.

For example, eCommerce platforms can use AI to dynamically adjust prices based on demand, competitor pricing and other factors to maximize revenue and stay competitive in real time.

5. Upselling & cross-selling

AI-powered recommendation engines can analyze customer purchase history and behavior to identify upselling and cross-selling opportunities.

For instance, based on a customer's previous purchases, an AI system can suggest complementary or upgraded products, increasing average order value and driving additional sales.

Here's an example: If a customer has recently bought a bicycle, chances are they might be interested in buying a helmet and other protective gear as well. 

6. Forecasting

Forecasting manually can be a big hassle for salespeople. AI uses historical data and advanced algorithms to accurately predict sales trends and forecast future demand.

Sales teams can leverage these insights to prepare themselves adequately. It becomes easy to optimize inventory management, allocate resources effectively and make data-driven decisions to meet customer demands.

📌 Related resource: The MAJOR Benefits & Challenges of Sales Forecasting

7. Quality sales touches

By offloading mundane tasks to AI-powered tools, sales teams can invest more time in personalized interactions and complex problems that require emotional intelligence. 

8. Reduce bias 

Since AI depends on data, removing any subjective decision-making or assumptions that might be inaccurate is easier.

AI can objectively analyze customer data and group them into relevant places instead of relying on a hunch to determine a quality lead. 

9. Detect anomalies 

When there’s a lot of data to work with, slight changes are almost impossible to detect with the naked eye or general human effort.

AI algorithms can easily identify anomalies or outliers in sales data and highlight potential issues or opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.

AI can detect unusual purchasing patterns, fraudulent activities, or unexpected shifts in sales trends. This allows the team to take proactive actions and mitigate the risks as soon as possible. 

10. Personalized marketing

AI enables personalized marketing campaigns by analyzing customer data and preferences. By segmenting customers based on demographics, behavior and preferences, businesses can deliver targeted and relevant marketing messages to the right people.

Targeted marketing efforts can increase the effectiveness of sales by a huge margin. 

11. Content creation & better communication

Generative AI can create content in seconds, which would have taken hours or even days. This makes it easier to assist in content creation and communication.

Without being a writing expert, AI helps salespeople to generate the right content and communicate better with customers.

It’s also easier to generate emails and provide necessary follow-ups in seconds. Advanced tools like Scribe can also create a complex procedure into detailed instructions within a few clicks. 

📌 Related resource: SOP Format Guide: Build an Effective SOP to Strengthen Your Team

To‎p five AI sales tools for business growth

Let’s explore the top five AI tools in business that are revolutionizing how businesses approach sales, offering innovative solutions to increase efficiency, effectiveness—and ultimately, business success.

1. Scribe

Scribe is one of the best AI tools to help sales teams. Sharing a long process with other team members can be super tedious and messy. Imagine making multiple recordings, taking tons of screenshots and then trying to combine them to make a document that makes sense. It’s time-consuming and takes the focus away from sales. 

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Scribe makes it easy to document a process to instantly share with your peers. All you have to do is click 'Capture' and go through your workflow. The AI will then create an awesome guide within a few seconds. And with the power of AI, you can combine these guides in larger docs that outline not just the what, but the why of your processes.

Making and sharing documents has never been easier. 

Here’s a testimonial from one of our users. 

‎2. Clari

Clari is a platform designed to maximize revenue generation for companies. By utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Clari can analyze data from various sources like emails, demos and marketing campaigns and transform it into actionable insights.

3. HubSpot Sales Hub 

HubSpot is a top-notch customer relationship management (CRM) platform that uses AI-powered features to improve sales processes. With its AI capabilities, HubSpot provides valuable insights and automates tasks, making sales activities more efficient and streamlined. 

4. Tavus

Tavus is an amazing generative AI tool for creating high-volume AI video content. All you gotta do is record one and it can programmatically change it for different prospects. This makes personalized communication for salespeople super convenient.

5. Conversica

Conversica offers an automated AI sales assistant that engages leads in conversation. This AI assistant interacts with leads, qualifying them further before connecting them with a sales representative.

Take your sales to the next level

Teams can use AI sales tools to automate tasks, increase efficiency and improve sales, leading to higher revenue and business growth.

Ready to take your sales to the next level? Create a more efficient and effective sales process with Scribe. Sign up for Scribe today.