We’ve all heard the buzz around AI (artificial intelligence) but how can we use it effectively to boost our sales productivity and elevate our business?
And we’ve heard the mantra “work smarter, not harder” and that is where AI comes in to help with some of the heavy lifting that comes with having a business.
So, let’s discuss 4 key ways to use AI to boost your sales productivity and dispel some of the fear and anxiety when using AI.
Understanding the role of AI in business
AI, otherwise known as artificial intelligence, is utilized in our daily lives.
And it is a very, very powerful tool.
AI is meant to enhance – rather than replace – human capabilities, making business more efficient and customer interactions more meaningful.
Overcoming fear and misconceptions
Many fear that AI will replace human jobs or that it’s too complex to implement.
However, AI should be viewed as a tool to complement human efforts rather than replace them.
In sales, this means allowing AI to handle routine and time-consuming tasks so that teams can focus on high-value activities such as relationship building and strategy development.
AI powered chat tools to boost your sales productivity
Every business should have a CRM, customer relationship management platform.
It does not have to be fancy and you can start with a very, very simple CRM which could look like a Google Sheet or an excel spreadsheet with a list of your clients.
However, an AI driven customer relationship management platform can actually help manage leads, track customer interactions, and ultimately predict sales outcomes.
And what this means for your small business is that you have better and more qualified leads that you are working with, and you can more strategically spend your time on clients that are more likely to make a purchase from you.
Utilizing chatbots and virtual assistants to boost your sales productivity
AI chatbots are always available, and so what that means for your customers is they get 24/7 customer support regardless of your business hours, and that equates to a better customer experience.
They get instant responses.
They can handle those routine questions that customers may have, which enables then that enables you or the people that work for you to actually focus on more complex and strategic tasks.
Not only that, but these chatbots can actually track and analyze those customer interactions, and provide your business with some really valuable insights into your ideal customer’s preferences.
And it all goes back to simply improving that customer experience to help address those specific needs and preferences of your customer.
And ultimately, it really helps reduce your operational cost because you can redirect your time and attention on those more strategic activities like business development and innovation and customer retention strategies.
Email marketing automation
The 3rd key way to use AI to help boost your sales productivity is to use tools to help automate your email marketing.
You can utilize AI by having it help you generate your email copy that you send out to your customers.
This is one of the easiest ways to utilize AI.
You can do this with ChatGPT, and a lot of email marketing platforms have AI built right in to the platform itself.
These AI tools also excel in the personalization where you can actually personalize content recommendations and even subject lines that will best connect with individual recipients on your email list.
And then these AI tools will take it a step further and provide you with analytics that that give you insights into your email open rates, your click through rates, and your audience engagement.
Ultimately, what this does is it helps you optimize your future emails to better connect with your audience.
Creating automated work flows in my email CRM platform is one of my favorite tools to utilize in my sales in my sales process.
It takes so much off of my plate, frees up so much time and energy, and it allows me to focus on other tasks.
Utilizing AI to boost your sales productivity with forecasting and analytics
My last key to utilize AI to boost your sales productivity is to implement sales forecasting and analytics.
And AI can do this in a way that provides data driven insights and forecast that actually allow you as a small business owner to make very informed decisions and help you plan more effectively.
Let’s say you run a handcrafted candle business; a sector known for its seasonal peaks.
Inaccurate forecasting can lead to overproduction or stockouts, both of which hurt your bottom line.
An AI-driven system could analyze historical sales data, taking into account factors like seasonal trends, market trends, and promotional activities to provide precise production recommendations.
Where to start with AI – driven tools
So, there you have it, four easy ways to implement AI to enhance your sales productivity.
Now, I don’t suggest that you go and implement all 4 of these immediately into your business.
Start by assessing your current sales process and identify where artificial intelligence could save you time and increase your efficiency for your specific business.
And then research the tools that might be right for your brand and for your specific business.
Here is a link to grab a copy of my list of Ultimate Sales tools and it has a lot of great AI tools that I have used personally in my business.
Find a tool that you can implement in your business to help automate tasks and increase your sales productivity in your business.
Ultimately implementing these strategies should be all about improving your productivity and not causing more stress, but actually saving you time and increasing your productivity.
I would love to hear how you have specifically implemented AI in your business and have seen it pay off.
You can DM me on Instagram and let me know what is one AI tool that you have implemented in your business and how has it transformed your business.
