Using A.I. On the Sales Opportunity Data in Your CRM

AI technology can be a valuable asset when it is fed accurate, factual data. In the case of account planning, as long as your data is correct, AI can help with profiling. However, that’s where its capabilities end.

When it comes to sales opportunity information, much of it is opinion-based rather than factual. If you ask AI what happens when it processes opinion-driven data, here’s what it might reveal:

What Happens When AI Processes Opinion-Based Data?

1. Bias or Subjectivity: AI can reflect the biases or subjective views present in the opinion-based data. For example, if AI is trained on opinions regarding a controversial issue, it may generate conclusions that are one-sided, depending on the sources it’s been exposed to.
2. Inconsistent Results: Since opinions vary widely, AI might produce responses that lack consistency and objectivity. Rather than providing facts, the output could present conflicting viewpoints, which can be confusing because opinions don't have the same objective foundation as factual data.
3. Perception of Authority: If the opinion-based data comes from experts or authoritative sources, AI might present these opinions as though they’re universally accepted. This could make the AI seem more confident or definitive than it should, even when the underlying data is subjective.
4. Lack of Accountability: Unlike factual data, which can be verified and sourced, opinions often lack verifiability. This makes it harder to evaluate AI’s output, especially when it blends subjective judgments with factual information. It leads to less trust in the results.
5. Nuance and Depth: AI can capture the nuance and complexity of various perspectives found in opinion-based data. While this can be valuable for understanding public sentiment or exploring different sides of an argument, it may complicate the interpretation when you're looking for solid, factual answers.

In essence, applying AI to opinion-based data can provide valuable insights, but the results may lack objectivity, clarity, and factual accuracy, depending on the quality of the opinions used.

The Risk of Relying on Opinion for Strategy

Relying on AI to analyze sales opportunities within CRM stages which often involve a mix of facts and opinions creates missteps that will help you execute more unproductive behavior faster.

A Better Approach: Tailoring AI to the Buyer’s Journey

AI doesn’t work well when we apply traditional sales processes or use outdated CRM stages without considering the buyer's journey. Instead, AI needs a sales framework that takes the buyer's state into account.

To optimize AI's effectiveness in improving sales productivity, it’s crucial to map your sales process to where the buyer is in their journey and track the results of the actions you take. This way, AI can become a powerful tool that enhances your productivity significantly.

If you're interested in seeing the framework you need and how to implement it in Salesforce (SFDC), feel free to reach out.