I wrote this article for the first time in 2017. Since then, there have been tons of changes in the AI space, mainly because of ChatGPT and all that stuff connected with generative AI. But does the future of AI in sales look that different? Let’s see.
Salespeople are flooded with AI tools. They’re supposed to “automate tasks,” “personalize interactions,” “streamline processes,” and so on. Yes, some tools are helpful. But you can’t do everything on autopilot. Because customers are picky, and when they sniff some kind of bullshit, they won’t buy from you.
Another thing is to open LinkedIn, and you’ll be flooded with AI topics. You’ll see tons of content about “prompt-writing strategies that win more deals” or “using ChatGPT in your sales process the wrong way.” Again, your best friend is your critical thinking. Choose what makes sense and drop what’s only an empty promise. You know what to do if it looks too good to be true.
Having said that, it’s not that at Close, we’re not open to leveraging new tech—quite the opposite—it’s just that we’re aware that there is a thin line between outsourcing something to an AI-based tool and embracing the human touch that brings creativity, nuance, and empathy.
Because of that, I’ll share my thoughts on the two sides of AI in sales—you’ll see where it shines and where it, well, still sucks.
What AI is Good for When Talking about a Sales Game
Let’s be honest—since 2017, a lot has changed. This means that AI chatbots aren’t as cringy as they were before, and there are many ways you can use generative AI to improve some of your sales processes. First, let’s see the nice stuff about AI and how it can help you boost your sales operations.
1. Tackling Simple Yet Boring Tasks
If there is AI that can rephrase, summarize, and write you a function in Google Sheets, why not use that potential? Especially since repetitive tasks are no fun at all. Feel free to outsource data entry, CRM field updates, or contract spell checks to a robot in this case.
Nick Persico, Director of Sales and Marketing at Close, adds:
And you’ll be fine. Those tasks don’t need any personal touch or empathy after all. But be sure to check the output so it’s not some kind of B.S.
2. Handling Lead Scoring
Lead scoring can be that sort of task that’s easily outsourced to AI. It’s because AI can handle a big dataset that needs to assign numerical value or a score to leads based on many factors.
AI can consider lead characteristics, behavior, previous engagement with a company, or demographic data. Based on this, it can assess whether the lead is hot or whether the chances of closing the deal are low.
Yet again, I wouldn’t say you should blindly follow all the advice AI gives you. It can be limited in many ways or get an edge case that needs your revision. Keep that in mind; you won’t miss out on a lead who got a poor score but is actually very good.
3. Getting Insights from Sales Data
AI can help you leverage sales data quite fast. It can analyze chunks of your customer data, market trends, or customer behavior data. Based on that, you can get pretty good forecasts of your sales pipeline that can help you, for example, adjust the team's goals.
We have a pretty interesting insight about data and how you can use AI from our Partnerships Manager at Close, James Urie:
“I chatted with a Microsoft Startup company about the platform they’re building. The tool uses AI to give sales and marketing teams real-time data (because ChatGPT is shit at real-time data) to leverage their ICP and who they should be prospecting or marketing to. They’re making it easy for the sales team to leverage this data without being a total prompt genius.
“That being said, I think the sales teams that leverage AI in the smartest, most efficient way will win more often. So, a sales rep should become an AI sales tool master in order to gain a competitive edge. Embrace AI, don't fear it. Find the AI sales tools that amplify your team's results.”
What AI Sucks at (and What You Should Do Instead)
Of course, there is also the other side of this AI coin. See what you shouldn’t outsource to AI.
1. Prospecting in Sales
You should never outsource this to robots. This is especially true when you’re just getting started—you need to learn how to identify your customer and find your ideal customer.
Once you have a process in place, you can automate prospecting to a certain degree. But never fully outsource or fully automate, or outsource forever.
The reason is simple—the market for your product is constantly changing. Customers evolve. Their needs shift. New problems unfold. It’s difficult to adapt to these changes when robots control all of your processes.
Even if you’re currently using automation, explore new tools, platforms, and strategies every two or three months to ensure that you’re still prospecting effectively. During this re-evaluation, carve out time to prospect manually so that you don’t lose touch with changes in the market and your customers.
2. Watching Your Customer Behavior and Bonding with Them
The issue with all the AI tools or generative AI is that they’re based on specific datasets. They don’t include proprietary data that only you own. And because of this, AI won’t tell you who your customers are, what they do, what patterns they share, and what’s going on in their heads.
Only you can access this data by talking to them or, if you want to see their behavior, observing them in the wild (i.e., when they interact with your product). Where do they look? What do they click on? What confuses them? What features are most exciting? What are their pain points? You won’t get all that stuff from AI, ever.
And there is another great addition to having many interactions with your customers—you’re bonding with them. Humans buy from humans!
Thus, building relationships with your customers and keeping them in good shape drives retention and loyalty. So, visit them in their offices, have conversations, and organize meetups. No AI will do it for you.
Our Partnership Manager, James, adds,
“ChatGPT cannot replace emotional intelligence, influencing people and getting them to feel something. When AI reaches its peak, the most valued skill in the world will be emotional intelligence, the ability to influence people to feel a strong emotion.”
3. Training and Consulting Your Customers
Training your customers is one of those things that needs a personal touch. You should train them and show them how to use the product to succeed.
Training also does one more important thing—it opens your eyes to their struggles. This gives you a great base for what features to create, what services to offer, and how to create more value for your customers.
Of course, many AI tools these days will let you create “smart” tutorials for your customers or automate training sessions. But it never really gets to the ins and outs compared to human one-on-ones. To effectively track AI tools and technologies, staying updated with the latest advancements in the field is crucial.
Another thing is consulting—it’s not easy at all to automate it right now. As your startup grows, it’s important to consult your customers on challenges they have (that don’t directly tie to your product as a solution.)
If you want to make a difference, offer your expertise as a professional, not just a salesperson. Find out how they do business, how they solve problems, and how they plan to grow. Listen carefully and lend your advice. Prove your company has value beyond your product. Make the relationship more than transactional.
As Chris Valdemoro, Senior AE at Close, says:
“I do also think AI will replace some sales jobs. That being said, as long as the people we’re selling to are still human, I think we’ll be fine.”
4. Offering Personalized Support
The sad truth is that most startups provide horrible support. You send an email and wait forever for a response. Many times, the solution you receive doesn't even answer your question.
“We are very thankful that you informed us about this matter…”
There’s no technical knowledge. No personality. No intimacy. They don’t know anything about you, so they can’t offer valuable customer service.
You’re a ticket number.
Support is one of the best ways to see how things are actually going—and this is true while prospects are still in the sales process. You can identify common questions or analyze problems directly with these people. The only way to investigate some of these issues is to allow humans to interact with other humans on a personal level.
So to avoid getting the label of "a company with shitty support,” make it human. Make it personal. Your support agents should be curious about what customers want to say and what they are frustrated with or confused with. They should ask follow-up questions and solve the issue for the product users.
So, What Will Never Change in Sales?
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, once said not to ask what’s changing but what will never change.
So, if you ever read an article that says AI will replace you or your sales skills won’t be relevant soon, don’t buy into this BS. Even ChatGPT “thinks” there is still quite a lot of work for humans in sales.
I’m also confident about one thing that will never change: how well you know your customers. Whoever understands the customer the best is the one who owns them. It means understanding their needs, pain points, and challenges and how your company can address all of that.
Want to use AI to get to know your customers better? Why not! Just balance the stuff that AI can help you with and what it can’t do, and you’ll be fine.
Want to step into the future of sales? Try Close, the CRM for growth that combines automation with personalization, allowing you to bring a human touch to your sales interactions.
