WED SEP 13 2023

Top 5 Ways Revenue Leaders Are Navigating The AI Revolution

by Bithika Bishesh

In an age characterized by technological innovation, AI continues to shape how industries function and redefine operational standards. At the forefront of this transformation is the world of B2B sales, where revenue leaders are exploring how AI can boost their strategies, efficiency, and overall outcomes.

To gain insights into the evolving landscape, Aviso reached out to industry titans like Branden Jenkins (COO, Medius), Paul Chapman (Vice President, Business Strategy, Cisco), Meredith Hobik (Co-Founder, CRO at Precanto), Scott McNealy (CEO, Founder & Frontier-Thinker), Simon Davies (SVP Sales and GM, Asia Pacific) and PD Singh (Founder of Stealth AI startup, Former head of AI products at UiPath and Microsoft.).

Here are the top 5 ways businesses are steering through the AI transformation.

Leveraging Capabilities of Generative AI in B2B Sales

The capabilities introduced by generative AI are setting the stage for a revolutionary change. The previous norm of having multiple models for various tasks is being upended. Now, a single generative AI model can be adapted to perform diverse tasks, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs. Beyond just data analysis, generative AI can autonomously generate promotional materials, product designs, or even sales pitches based on the customer's profile and history. This offers unparalleled customization, potentially reducing the sales cycle and enhancing customer relations. 

To harness the full potential of generative AI, businesses should invest in understanding the technology, identifying opportunities for its application, and training their teams to integrate it seamlessly into their sales strategies.

Identifying High-value AI Use Cases for Immediate Impact in B2B Sales

Industry leaders are increasingly emphasizing the importance of pinpointing high-impact AI applications that can offer swift and tangible benefits. In the B2B sales landscape, this means leveraging AI for predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs, automating routine tasks to free up valuable sales representative time, and enhancing CRM systems with AI to optimize lead scoring. Similarly, integrating generative AI within contact centers is emerging as a favored strategy. It promises to revamp everything from inside sales to customer support. Concurrently, the fusion of augmented reality and the metaverse in sales procedures is an indicator of the direction the B2B sales industry could take in the coming years.

By focusing on these immediate-impact areas, organizations not only gain a competitive advantage but also witness a faster return on their AI investments. The key lies in discerning which AI applications align closely with business goals and can yield significant results in a short span.

Identifying and Navigating the Risks of Generative AI

As AI technologies advance, the capabilities of generative AI hold great promise, but they also introduce risks that businesses must be aware of. Industry leaders highlight the significance of understanding the potential pitfalls of generative AI, such as the creation of misleading content or misinformation. Particularly when models are designed exclusively to enhance customer satisfaction, it may overshadow longer-term business objectives.  In the realm of B2B sales, this could translate to generating incorrect sales forecasts or misleading product descriptions. 

It's vital for organizations to implement robust verification processes and ethical guidelines to mitigate these risks. The emphasis is on striking a balance between harnessing the immense potential of generative AI while ensuring its responsible and trustworthy use.

Implementing Robust AI Ethics and Bias Mitigation

The rapid adoption of AI in B2B sales comes with an added responsibility: ensuring that the systems are fair and unbiased. An AI system is only as good as the data it’s trained on. If there's inherent bias in this data, the AI's recommendations might perpetuate these biases. For businesses, this not only risks reinforcing harmful stereotypes but can also lead to missed opportunities. By implementing rigorous ethics frameworks, companies can prevent such oversights, ensuring that AI-powered decisions align seamlessly with the organization's core values and societal norms, making the process more holistic and fair.

Fostering Continuous Learning and Adaptation

In the dynamic realm of AI, what worked yesterday might not necessarily be the best approach for tomorrow. As AI becomes essential for decision-making, it demands new skills, like prompt engineering, to optimize responses.

The pace at which AI evolves is staggering, and to remain competitive, businesses need to adapt at an equal or faster rate. This means not just upgrading systems and tools, but also cultivating a culture of continuous learning among the workforce. Through regular training and workshops, organizations can ensure that their teams are always equipped with the latest knowledge, skills, and best practices in AI.

Conclusion

The application of AI, and more specifically Generative AI, promises to redefine B2B sales strategies, streamlining operations, enhancing customer relations, and providing a competitive edge. But with this powerful tool comes the responsibility of its judicious and ethical use. It's not just about embracing the technology, but also about understanding its capabilities, its risks, and ensuring its applications align with the core values of businesses.

Book a demo now to see how Aviso is helping revenue leaders leverage AI’s capabilities while ensuring its responsible application.

Or tune into our decoders series to get more such insights.