How Sales Leaders Should Approach AI & ChatGPT for Sales Teams
While sales leader and sales manager are often used interchangeably, management is not the same as leadership. One is concerned with processes, and the other is focused on people. However, most organizations consider leadership part of a sales manager’s role.
They have the responsibility to ensure their team members meet group and individual goals and to encourage them to achieve their full potential. They are tasked with creating an environment that offers sufficient resources, support, and training to exceed expectations.
Accomplished sales leaders know the duties can be daunting, but they also understand that today’s technology can help integrate objectives into a cohesive plan for growing both profits and people. Today, many companies are using ChatGPT to enhance sales productivity, along with other advanced AI platforms. By using artificial intelligence platforms for simulated role-playing, sales leaders can reduce the hours spent on administrative tasks while providing an on-demand coaching tool.
ChatGPT for Sales and the AI Revolution
According to ChatGPT, OpenAI developed its language model using a generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) architecture to understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to respond to requests.
For example, users enter text such as, “What challenges are facing online merchants in 2023?” and ChatGPT will display “Generating.” When finished, the response appears on the screen. The user can use the information as is, modify it, or discard it. Release 3.5 of ChatGPT is free; however, its algorithms can only access information through 2021. As artificial intelligence continues to take shape and advance, sales teams are seeing specialized platforms that go beyond ChatGPT for sales, built for their specific needs.
AI and ChatGPT for Sales Process Improvement
Sales managers focus on monitoring the performance of their sales teams and evaluating their ability to achieve their sales targets. They provide feedback to improve performance and tools to increase productivity. Their objectives are to achieve sales goals.
Most managers rely on data to assess how well their strategies and tactics are working. They look at the process through leads, pipelines, and key performance indicators (KPIs). While they encourage sales teams to practice using their skills, their focus remains on productivity and meeting goals. AI, such as ChatGPT for sales and other advanced technology, can help in several ways.
Using AI to Help Make Quotas
Hitting sales goals in today’s business environment is tough. Most companies are risk-averse given the environmental, economic, and geopolitical or social uncertainties that exist in all areas of business. Spending comes after careful consideration. All these factors mean sales teams need more time to interact with existing and potential customers.
Given that 72% of a salesperson’s time is spent NOT selling, it’s no wonder sales targets are missed. For example, writing emails to existing or potential clients often takes more time than it should. Salespeople struggle to come up with catchy subject lines or provide meaningful responses to questions. Sometimes, they put off answering because they can’t think of what to say. AI technology can help with these tasks and improve productivity.
Reducing Time Spent on Non-Selling Tasks
ChatGPT can help sales teams access and summarize information quickly. Whether scheduling a follow-up meeting or answering a question, sales teams can ask the AI-based ChatGPT for help. Salespeople can ask the technology to compare competing products or to outline objections to purchasing. Using ChatGPT for sales teams to help generate responses from its data stores reduces the time sales teams spend on research and writing, so they have more time for selling.
Maximizing Performance
Sales managers need to see how salespeople perform during customer interactions. However, they can’t accompany every salesperson on sales calls. The hope is that they review call recordings to identify areas for improvement. But that takes precious time out of a manager’s workday.
Specialized, AI-driven role-play training platforms can help. They can generate real-life scenarios to train members of a sales team efficiently and give direction for improvement. And the AI automatically reviews to identify areas for improvement.
For example, suppose a manufacturer of ship-to-shore cranes does not have the highest lift capacity in the industry. Inevitably, potential clients will ask about the crane’s lift capacity. Today’s AI can simulate scenarios where sales teams must respond to realistic client questions. Based on their responses, an AI-based solution can mimic a confrontational customer or accept the answer and move to another aspect of the simulation
This prepares sales reps for real-life situations more effectively than traditional methods of in-person role-play can, which can be time-consuming and stressful, or slide decks, which can be bland and ineffective..
In addition, sales managers can suggest other scenarios to improve performance or allow the simulation platform to recommend further training scenarios. Realistic role-playing prepares sales teams for uncomfortable situations and bring improved performance without consuming a manager’s time.
Related: Harnessing the Power of Sales Role Play Scripts for Sales Improvement
The AI Platforms Sales Leaders Need
Sales leadership motivates sales teams to achieve results. That encouragement requires an empowering work environment that inspires creativity, innovation, and growth. Sales leaders support sales personnel, focusing on their strengths while assisting them in overcoming their weaknesses.
Sales leaders balance reaching sales targets with achieving personal growth. They are more likely to encourage experimentation that can lead to innovation, and they also understand that a certain amount of risk is necessary for growth.
Today’s technology can help identify trends and challenges that salespeople may face and offer an organized, consistent path to improvement. AI-based coaching platforms can generate scenarios that focus on the nuances and skills that generate better results.
Challenging Existing Strengths
Negotiation can be the downfall of many good salespeople. There isn’t a precise formula for achieving the best price. Some sales teams take a counteroffer without question as long as it isn’t below the “walk away” threshold. Others may push the negotiations until the buyer is exhausted and stops engaging. Becoming an effective negotiator takes practice.
Companies often focus negotiation training on individuals with a demonstrated weakness. They rarely challenge anyone they see as a strong negotiator. They may lack the time and resources to devote to nurturing a strength. AI can help sales leaders challenge their best negotiators.
Suppose a company’s top sales team closes 92% of leads that achieve the requisite qualification score. Rather than accept their strength and disregard further growth, sales leaders can look at what happens in the 8% of losses. Maybe these sales teams aren’t thinking outside the box to deliver alternative concessions.
By using AI, sales leaders can provide more complex scenarios to challenge their sales teams. Combining technology and AI-driven role-play, sales teams can experience difficult negotiating scenarios, allowing them to propose unique solutions with minimal risk. Moving outside their comfort zone can lead to innovative concepts that increase sales.
Improve Weaknesses
Salespeople who are honing their craft will most likely view training as a positive. Individuals undergoing training to improve weaknesses may not see the experience in the same way. They may view it as unnecessary or even as a waste of time. They may go through the motions but lack the motivation to learn from the training.
Poor training engagement is the bane of a sales leader’s existence. It’s difficult to help salespeople reach their full potential if they avoid training or don’t engage. Finding ways to overcome resistance can begin with AI technology.
With the right training platform, personalized, Immediate feedback establishes a positive training environment. When salespeople wait weeks to receive feedback, they lose motivation. With AI solutions, sales leaders can use the technology to provide feedback and direction quickly, encouraging further training.
The right platform will also provide sales leaders with the data they need to review each sales rep’s progress and continue to be involved in their training—without the burden of building and implementing less effective, manual training methods.
Related: AI Role Play and Coaching Program for Sales
AI-Based Technology for Improving Sales
As sales leader responsibilities creep into sales manager roles, guiding sales teams can quickly become overwhelming. There are not enough hours in the day to manage processes and develop people. AI-based technology can help ease the stress of these mounting responsibilities.
Today’s business environment makes managing sales teams even more challenging.
- People are being asked to do more to compensate for labor shortages, leaving less time for sales interactions.
- Companies are monitoring spending because of economic uncertainties.
- Businesses are cautious when considering new initiatives because of possible disruptions.
The turnover rate for salespeople averages 30%, which is 20% higher than the recommended 10%. That equates to more onboarding and training.
Popular platforms like ChatGPT for sales teams can reduce the non-selling time salespeople spend on administrative tasks, generating content quickly to help employees move past roadblocks and providing prompts to help spur a response.
Fewer administrative tasks allow sales reps to focus on improving their skills and closing sales. Specialized AI-based training platforms can help sales management simulate real-life scenarios and encourage personal growth for the entire sales teams through individualized coaching.
This coaching can integrate seamlessly into the sales team work schedule by providing on-demand, recorded simulations. Whether it’s evaluating on-message communications or assessing behaviors, the right AI solutions deliver on-demand training that fits into each salesperson’s workday.
Harness the Power of Advanced AI Technology and ChatGPT for Sales Development and Improvement
One 2022 study found that 65% of salespeople ranked professional development as important, with sales coaching as the number one priority. The same study found that 85% of sales teams said non-selling tasks impacted their earning potential, and 33% said a lack of technology decreased their job satisfaction.
Whether the job title is manager or leader, those responsible for sales teams are being asked to navigate a landscape that is increasingly difficult. They are being asked to make quotas while addressing high levels of churn. Sales management is tasked with retaining sales personnel who consider coaching a number one priority and want technology to help reduce non-selling activities and give them the opportunity to improve skills in a private, convenient environment. Quantified is an AI-based training platform that makes the impossible possible. Contact us to learn how to harness AI for your sales teams.