AI-Driven Sales Automation -- The time is now!

In 1992, after getting a degree in electrical engineering, I was burned out on tech, and got a job selling phone systems to small businesses. While there were months when I was relatively successful, most of the time I sucked!

Being hard-headed, I spent countless hours studying sales methodologies, closing techniques, how to influence people, etc. While these efforts made me more aware of how sales is done, I can's say that they made me a better sales person. I still sucked, and after 3 years of phone system sales, I quit and went back to tech -- building products, writing code.

Coding is easy compared to sales! When your code isn't working, you invest more effort and figure out how to make it work! And, with today's AI coding co-pilots, even mediocre software developers can perform at a high level.

Sales is obviously a different story! Or is it?

Over the last 25 years, having built 3 venture-backed companies and multiple sales teams (enterprise cybersecurity, advertising, etc), I've learned a lot about great sales people, and developed my skills as well.

The skillset required to be great at sales, is the same skillset required to be a great teacher, a great therapist, a great attorney, or a great relationship partner (friend, spouse, etc).

Great sales people are able to:

1. Understand where the other person is -- what is their frame of mind, their beliefs, their needs, their true desires?
2. Be able to meet them where they are -- engage with each person on their level, empathize with their current state of being, speak and think in their terms.
3. Restructure their state of mind -- fill in gaps in their mental models, have them see things in a different way, correct their misconceptions.
4. Get them to clearly understand that what you are proposing, is exactly what they want / need -- handle all objections by logically and emotionally connecting their mental model of needs / desires to the solution proposed.
5. Be extremely organized -- able to manage a dynamic multistep process for each prospect. As most sales people are engaged with many prospects simultaneously, this becomes even more challenging.

Unfortunately, in my experience, most humans don't have the patience or aptitude to do this well -- no matter how much they try.

If AI co-pilots can help average software developers perform dramatically better, can AI also help average sales people perform better? Dramatically better?

There are many off-the-shelf AI for Sales SaaS solutions from incumbents like Salesforce to hundreds of upstarts, and many early adopter organizations have leaned in to enabling their sales teams with these products.

Unfortunately, these types of approaches are fundamentally limited in their effectiveness -- assuming that sales people with better tools will perform dramatically better.

Some organizations are taking a radically different approach -- letting AI take the lead, and having humans chip in when needed!

The Industrial Revolution transformed the way we manufacture products.

The AI Revolution is dramatically refactoring the way we operate knowledge-based organizations.

Modern factories are machine-driven, human-assisted — human is only involved when the machine needs them.

Modern knowledge-orgs are human-driven, machine-assisted — human does the work, and uses machine (SaaS primarily).

The first, is highly efficient, precise, measurable, and scalable. The second is chaos in comparison — highly inefficient, error-prone, has bad days, and extremely difficult to scale.

The age of AI demands that all organizations lean towards an AI-driven, human-assisted approach — with competitive advantages being efficiency, productivity, and intelligent speed (ability to take advantage of new opportunities).

Let’s look at an example

Imagine a company, TechSolutions Inc., a leading provider of innovative software solutions, has revolutionized its sales process by integrating AI-driven automation, strategically assisted by human expertise.

Lead Generation and Qualification

Automated Process

TechSolutions employs an AI-driven lead generation system that scours the internet, social media platforms, and various databases to identify potential leads. The AI analyzes data and identifies prospects that match the company’s ideal customer profile.

Human Involvement

Sales representatives are involved in refining the criteria used by the AI and in providing feedback on the quality of leads. They also handle high-level prospecting for strategic accounts that require a personalized touch.

Lead Scoring and Prioritization

Automated Process

Once leads are generated, the AI assigns a score to each lead based on their likelihood to convert. This scoring is based on many factors, utilizing internal and external data about each lead.

Human Involvement

Sales managers review the AI-generated scores and adjust priorities based on market conditions and strategic objectives.

Initial Contact and Nurturing

Automated Process

The AI-driven process automatically sends personalized emails to new leads, introducing TechSolutions’ products and services. It tailors custom messages based on the lead's industry, role, previous interactions with the company, and other factors.

Human Involvement

Sales representatives monitor the responses and step in when a lead shows significant interest or requests more detailed information. They also handle complex queries that the AI cannot address adequately.

Product Demonstrations and Webinars

Automated Process

TechSolutions uses an AI-driven process to schedule and conduct product demonstrations and webinars. The system can personalize the content of these sessions based on the lead’s interests and behavior.

Human Involvement

Sales engineers and product specialists are available during these sessions to answer technical questions and provide in-depth insights. Their role is crucial in building trust and demonstrating the value of TechSolutions’ offerings.

Proposal and Negotiation

Automated Process

The AI generates customized proposals based on the lead’s requirements and previous interactions. It includes detailed pricing, timelines, and contract terms, which are automatically tailored to fit the lead’s needs.

Human Involvement

Sales representatives take over the negotiation phase, using their expertise to address any concerns and finalize the deal. They work closely with the AI to ensure that all proposals are competitive and aligned with company goals.

Closing the Deal

Automated Process

The AI automates the administrative tasks involved in closing a deal, such as contract generation, electronic signatures, and payment processing. This ensures a smooth and error-free transaction.

Human Involvement

Sales managers oversee the closing process to ensure compliance with company policies and customer satisfaction. They also handle any last-minute issues that may arise.

Post-Sale Follow-Up and Customer Support

Automated Process

Post-sale, the AI system continues to engage with the customer through personalized follow-up emails, satisfaction surveys, and proactive support messages. It monitors product usage and provides recommendations for additional services.

Human Involvement

Customer success managers and support teams intervene when customers require in-depth assistance or have complex issues. They ensure that the customer receives continuous value from TechSolutions’ products.

This is not science fiction but an amalgam of early adopter implementations

While the example is a fictitious company, these types of use cases are already being created with MindStudio, and deployed in organizations of all kinds. Over 80k AI applications have already been built!

Over 200 MindStudio integration partners can help implement these types of systems for any type of organization — large or small, in any industry!