REPRINT: Catch the AI Tiger: Revolutionary AI Adoption Methodology

This article is a reprint of 18th March 2023's "Catching the AI Tiger." The AI story has accelerated incredibly in just 365 days. We are now all pivoting to AI. We all require a strong and strategic framework to leverage AI's potential. The TIGER AI adoption model is the guiding path out of AI chaos, with a proven methodology that enables you to excel at the crossroads of innovation and disruption.

Shift Happens

With the entrance of ChatGPT into the market, Enterprise Sales need to catch the AI tiger by the tail.? AI transformation is everywhere in the stories that abound across newsfeeds, LinkedIn and Youtube. Not to be outdone by Microsoft & ChatGPT, AWS Bedrock, and Google Bard are now in the race. In March alone, over 100 new business applications emerged. The rate of customer ChatGPT sign-ups has skyrocketed, outpacing even Spotify and Instagram. The power of Social Networks is now going Enterprise.

Digital Transformation is speeding up.??With this Transformation, data and tools are democratizing; we are witnessing a shift in how enterprises acquire new solutions. Are You Ready?

The question is, how are you adapting to meet customers' changing needs and requirements?

The adoption of Generative AI is revolutionizing the tech industry and, more importantly, altering customer expectations for IT solutions. Gone are the days when acquiring AI solutions was a complex, time-consuming process exclusive to data scientists. Now, everyone from the CEO to the night security guard can sign up and start using AI in seconds.

There's no going back; the tiger's tail has been seized. Customers are changing how they buy enterprise solutions, and sellers must be prepared. Enterprise selling is far from obsolete – the "human in the loop" has never been more critical. With everything accelerating, sellers and service professionals must navigate companies at breakneck speeds and across various maturity levels. The buying process is changing, and we need a new framework to understand customers' needs in this new journey: TIGER.

The TIGER framework – Test, Initiate, Grow, Educate, Recruit – offers a fresh perspective on customer understanding and influence.

Test: Beginners and spectators can touch the applications and understand the value and benefits from the beginning.??Vendors need to catch customers' attention and show value in seconds.

Initiate: This stage involves users trying the technology and integrating it into daily operations, streamlining work. Simple to use.

Grow: Users become regulars and need to fall in love—users who genuinely recognize the power and potential and become advocates for the technology.

Educate: Regulars become champions, sharing positive experiences and realized benefits. Word-of-mouth promotion builds trust and credibility in the technology, further enhancing its adoption.

Recruit: Attracting, engaging, and persuading individuals or departments to adopt, utilize, and become regular users of the new tech.

If we keep the individual in mind and use digital buyer archetypes developed by successful SaaS companies: "Spectators," "Evaluators," "Regulars," and "Champions," we can deveretention lop a snapshot of where customers are at in their acquisition, expansion, and journey.

Spectators: The curious onlookers passively observe our product from afar. They've caught glimpses of our advertisements or perhaps heard the whispers of friends and colleagues. They remain on the sidelines, hesitant to engage.

Evaluators: the intrepid explorers are venturing into the possibilities our product offers. They're actively scrutinizing offerings, poring over reviews, and experimenting. Though they have not yet pledged their allegiance, they are well on their way to discovering the value.

Regulars: The dedicated users who have embraced the product and made it an integral part of their lives. They find satisfaction in their experience but have not yet ascended to the status of a fervent advocate.

Champions: Stalwart believers passionately endorsing and spreading the gospel of value and benefits.

As we teeter on the edge of this exhilarating new age of AI, we can only guess the sweeping changes it brings to the marketplace. The foundational elements of enterprise sales, ?value creation, trust, and joint risk-taking will endure and remain immutable. Crafting definitions and frameworks is the secret sauce that keeps us ahead in this breakneck business race.

Amid this brave new world of Generative AI – our roaring tiger of technological progress – the realms of technology acquisition and sales are set for a metamorphosis unlike any other. But let's not forget the perils in these uncharted waters, as the power of Generative AI can be a force for good and mischief. As technology trailblazers, it falls upon us to wield this formidable tool with the utmost integrity and foresight, guiding its potential toward a future that is not only brighter but infinitely more connected.

This is only the beginning; I invite you to share your thoughts and insights on this new paradigm. Do you agree or disagree with the TIGER perspective and the model I proposed? How do you envision Generative AI's impact on technology acquisition and sales? And What strategies can we adopt to navigate this brave new world? Let us explore the boundless possibilities together and chart a course through this uncharted territory.

Let's do this!