Welcome back to our series on using AI in B2B sales. If you're new, catch up here.
If you're familiar with my blog, you know the drill. Read what has been prepared, or skip right to the summary.
This week I had a product review planned since I've tried about a dozen this month. However, some recent experiences made me want to shift focus and go back to the topic of the balancing act between efficiency and human touch. What B2B buyers report that they like, and expect from a B2B salesperson is ability to consult, build trust, and empathize. So while we're exploring ways in which we can improve productivity, we need to keep that at heart. What buyers want can't be automated. And as we leverage AI tools built into CRMs and other software we provide to our sales teams, some important thoughts and questions have come to mind.
1. AI gets a lot of things wrong
To illustrate this point, I have used AI-generated images in this section, and I only saved the ones that were a little off. Try to spot what's wrong with each image.
And let this serve as a reminder - AI gets things wrong. It might not always be as easy to see as some of these images, but when reviewing reports, predictions, suggestions that are AI-generated, you have to inspect closely. Send wrong or weird data to a prospect in a B2B sales process and kiss your trustworthiness goodbye.
Ask yourself: What might I be missing? Or have someone else review the AI-generated information.
2. AI is biased
AI is programmed by humans and humans carry unconscious biases. In this section I used an AI-generated image and an image from a Google image search. Prompt and search term were "Successful sales team". Notice anything comparing the AI-generated image to the stock photo?
To be fair, stock photos did not used to demonstrate diversity. AI will get there, but it's obviously not there yet. So if there are biases in images that you can see, there are biases in its programming and the data used to inform it. Thus, there will be biases you can't see as clearly. Think about the affect those biases could have on your usage of AI in B2B sales:
Might it help decide which leads are qualified and which aren't?
Might it affect which deals it projects will close?
Might it affect the tone and verbiage in outbound messaging?
Ask yourself: What biases could be baked into your AI tool? What other areas of B2B sales outreach, processes and predications might be affected by the current biases in AI?
3. AI sources aren't always transparent
Famously, Google has purchased Reddit data for its AI-based searches, and it has resulted in silly (and obviously wrong) suggestions such as glue in pizza. Obvious to anyone. But less obvious will be where lesser-known AI gets its data, how it comes up with its suggestions, who wrote the program and their professional background.
And why that's important in B2B sales is that AI had been informed by data that's online. And there's a lot of sales and marketing content that don't generate results. Self-promotional content that doesn't resonate with buyers. Online sales pitches, if you will. And computer programmers don't work in sales for many reasons, so they likely don't understand what works in B2B sales outreaches.
B2B marketers and B2B sales leaders and coaches have enough experience to spot what will and won't work. But those folks aren't programming AI models. And AI models are often being used to reduce or replace some of those workforces.
Ask yourself: Who has programmed those AI sales tools and do they have any background in B2B sales?
4. AI has been programmed to please you
Ever ask ChatGPT a question and it fawns all over you and compliments you? AI has heavy "pick me" energy like the new kid on the playground and really wants to please you. It's always good to be wary of relying too heavily on a yes man.
Speaking of Reddit, here's a fun rabbit hole on the topic of people-pleasing AI.
Ask yourself: Is AI telling you what you want to hear about your sales projections? Challenge yourself to check its optimism.
5. AI lets you scale bad outbound
I stole that thought from GTM Partners' recent Leadership Summit. A panel discussion around AI in B2B marketing. (I forget exactly which panelist said it, but I'm feeling Patricia Greene perhaps.) It relates to B2B sales too! Buyers have been plagued for decades with bad sales calls and emails. Out of touch, spammy messaging that doesn't resonate. Which results in lower response rates. Which makes people want to do more outbound. AI can help you scale that outbound. But if your message doesn't resonate with the buyer, you're not going to see much improvement.
Ask yourself: Are your outbound tactics failing to get the results you want because of volume (sales team isn't doing enough) or messaging? If you can't answer that question, you're probably not ready to leverage AI.
6. AI is constantly learning
AI is constantly learning from new content published online. And from you. Every time you interact with an AI model, it's learning from you. I recommend and use ChatGPT's pro version; everything comes with pros and cons.
For me personally, that's been helpful because ChatGPT is a better brainstorm partner than it was a year ago. I also upload documents for it to review, which helps me cross-check information to ensure I don't have an contradictions. Also prevents me from having to type so much into the chat. I am well aware that the model is also likely learning from what's in my documents and using that information to inform others. For what, and how, I don't exactly know. It's worth it for the convenience, but I'm always wondering about security and copyrights.
Ask yourself: Before you engage with an AI model, is this data you'd be OK sharing with outside sources?
Summary
AI is a new tool that can and should be leveraged to maximize efficiency and productivity of all workers, including sellers.
The power of a B2B salesperson lies in the ability to understand problems and consult, and build relationships.
AI needs to be leveraged, but in ways that don't cut out human connections.
Sales leaders also need to be careful not to overwhelm sellers with too much or ever-changing technology.
AI can help you scale bad outbound that doesn't work. Make sure you have your messaging dialed in before you proceed.
AI is constantly learning, with your data. Be mindful of how you interact and what you share.
Have any AI in B2B Sales success stories or cringey mishaps? We'd love to hear and learn from them, drop them in the comments.
What you can do:
Remember what B2B buyers expect of you as a B2B salesperson - consultative approach, trustworthiness, and empathy. Keep that in mind in everything you do.
Be mindful that errors and biases are present, and review AI-generated content with skepticism. You owe it to your clients and partners.
Keep your buyer at the heart of everything you do. Have your buyer personas nailed down before you start scaling your outbound strategy.
Use your sales gut when reviewing projections. If you're following your sales process and communicating openly, you're better qualified to predict and project.
Pro Tip: Always ask yourself "should I?" before incorporating new AI into your workflow.
Should I check out the new AI lead scoring in my CRM? Yes.
Should I use an AI-generated Avatar to do my client outreach for me? Maybe not.
AI in B2B Sales, What's next:
Each week when we dive into another AI in B2B sales topic. Scratching on ethical and responsible use, short and long term implications, and product reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss anything.
P.S.
Keep your goals in mind at every step. Have a clear and measurable goal for what you want to achieve with AI or any new initiative.
AI disclosure: Wix AI helped me improve the title I wrote and guided me through SEO for this post. DALL-E and Wix AI generated the AI-generated images. ChatGPT suggested ways I could improve the content. I tend to ramble and I almost always forget the CTA.
Rise of Us is a practice run by Summer Poletti, specializing in revenue growth: sales, strategic partnerships, customer success, marketing alignment. We generally work with financial services and SaaS companies from $2MM - $20MM ARR and help them plan and execute for their next stage of revenue growth. We concentrate on strategy, coaching, and organizational alignment.
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