How to improve your sales skills with AI

Discover how AI can optimize online sales processes and improve the personalization of the customer journey.
ia pipedrive
July 4, 2024
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has managed to transform many aspects of our daily lives, and more and more processes are being streamlined or personalized thanks to this technology. The world of online sales is no exception, where AI has greatly transformed the entire online ecosystem and will continue to change it.

Brands and companies that can adapt to these new technological trends will be able to optimize their processes and significantly improve each stage within the customer journey. In addition to this, executives will be able to make decisions based on reliable data that will improve their sales.

Contrary to what many people believe, AI is not the enemy that will replace the sales team with a chatbot. On the contrary, it helps improve their productivity and allows them to focus on higher-value tasks.

Artificial intelligence in the world of sales

Let us start from the beginning. We can define AI as a field of study in computer science where software is capable of performing activities that require human intelligence, such as natural language processing, problem-solving, language comprehension, and more.

The main goal of AI is to create algorithms that imitate and even surpass human intelligence, either by solving problems or identifying patterns that provide insights in research and business.

AI has a very important subcategory: machine learning. It primarily focuses on developing algorithms and models that can automatically learn from data and parameters. The more information and experience provided to the algorithm, the better the model can perform for specific tasks. Within the universe of AI and machine learning, generative artificial intelligence emerges, which focuses on creating original content based on learned information, producing text, images, videos, and new ideas.

When it comes to sales, generative AI has taken on a fundamental role. For example, in lead generation, it allows for more precise customer segmentation and the creation of more personalized marketing campaigns. Additionally, based on previous sales data, generative AI can make accurate sales forecasts and prioritize the efforts of the sales team.

Evolution of sales with AI

Since the advent of the internet, the world of sales has undergone significant changes. Intrusive offers and harassment from salespeople toward customers have changed, and now the standard is to know your customer exactly (their preferences, previous purchases, average purchase ticket, and more) to direct personalized campaigns that generate value.

Methods such as inbound marketing, segmentation, and hyper-personalization of messages are some of the strategies that can be applied to make every interaction with customers truly valuable.

However, it is important to store and organize all your customer information in a digital tool like Pipedrive. Pipedrive is a sales CRM tool and sales pipeline management software that offers multiple options tailored to the needs of your digital business.

Try Pipedrive

AI tools to improve sales skills

Thanks to AI, many areas of the sales process can be optimized to generate a better customer experience and improve the effectiveness of the team’s strategies, such as:

Automation of Repetitive Tasks

AI can facilitate performing repetitive tasks, such as call logs, lead data entry, potential customer qualification, contact follow-up, data analysis, and customer behavior pattern analysis.

This allows your salespeople to focus on higher-value tasks and foster more meaningful relationships with their customers.

Predictive analysis and lead generation

Thanks to its ability to analyze large volumes of data, AI can generate valuable insights that help companies interact more effectively with their leads and customers, as well as perform advanced customer segmentation.

Pipedrive allows for the management of different communication channels (landing pages, call to action, email marketing, and newsletters) to create a successful automated lead scoring technique. Additionally, its funnel and deal features allow real-time viewing of the sales process, making it possible to move deals according to their progress and apply effective strategies in case of stagnation. This enables closer follow-up and achieves a high degree of personalization in sales management.

Personalized training and coaching

Generative AI can analyze the performance of the sales team and provide valuable information and recommendations on how to improve their techniques. Moreover, many AI tools offer real-time support to help salespeople enhance their interactions with customers.

Enhanced customer interaction

Depending on the stage the customer is in, various AI-driven tools can be used for customer service. For example, in the initial interaction with customers, chatbots and virtual assistants can be employed to answer frequently asked questions about product features, presentations, and usage.

In the post-sales phase, many companies use feedback management software to measure customer satisfaction, utilizing various solutions such as survey tools, feedback analysis software, and more. It is also common to find chatbots providing information and tracking orders in this phase.

In service-oriented business verticals, Pipedrive offers the Smart Docs tool, which allows the creation of customized templates for various documents, such as proposals and contracts, using simple editing tools.

Price and Offer Optimization

AI’s ability to analyze data is useful for understanding user behavior patterns and emerging needs, allowing you to quickly adapt to market changes.

Additionally, AI conducts an in-depth market analysis and helps determine the best pricing strategy. It can also suggest personalized discounts and offers based on customer behavior, competition, and the time of year.

Challenges and ethical considerations

Despite all the benefits AI brings to the sales area, there is significant resistance to change from sales teams, driven by the fear that technology will take their place and they will be replaced.

There are also many other challenges preventing the widespread adoption of this technology, such as poor quality of data for training models (unstructured data, poor labeling, incomplete or incorrect data), integration with company systems (systems and applications not compatible with AI), and high implementation costs, especially for small businesses.

Ethics and data privacy are also major challenges for broader AI implementation. It is necessary to protect personal and sensitive customer data (such as names, credit card information, and locations) and comply with legal regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

However, AI will continue to evolve and disrupt sales, and companies that can integrate it into their daily work will have a competitive advantage by offering better experiences to their customers and providing better products and services. Additionally, sales teams will be more efficient and successful.

Recently, Pipedrive added a suite of AI tools to its CRM, featuring various solutions to help automate intelligent processes, from AI-generated emails and smart app recommendations that integrate with the CRM to marketplace searches for third-party tools using natural language.

To help you try the tool, we have spoken with Pipedrive, and they have offered a one-month free trial, as well as a 20% discount on the first year through the following link.

Try Pipedrive

Published by

Project Manager of Marketing4ecommerce
I am a Content Creator and Project Manager. I design, write, draw... I make TikToks and some videos for Youtube. In my day to day I also manage Marketing4ecommerce campaigns, such as banners, emails, articles, etc.

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