Last month, Microsoft fired a powerful salvo by launching Viva Sales, an application with embedded generative AI technology designed to help salespeople and sales managers draft tailored customer emails, get insights about customers and prospects, and generate recommendations and reminders. A few weeks later, Salesforce (the company) followed by launching Einstein GPT. Sales, with its unstructured, highly variable, people-driven approach, has been a laggard behind functions such as finance, logistics, and marketing when it comes to utilizing digital technologies. But now, sales is primed to quickly become a leading adopter of generative AI -- the form of artificial intelligence used by OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT) and its competitors. AI-powered systems are on the way to becoming every salesperson's (and every sales manager's) indispensable digital assistant.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the sales process helps organizations to get more leads, optimize prices, and close more deals. Sales departments often face multiple challenges such as finding leads, converting prospective leads, maintaining customer relationships, and gathering information about clients. Generally, sales representatives have to make multiple calls and send numerous emails to schedule appointments with clients. Even after scheduling meetings, a client may or may not be interested in doing business. Hence, the sales personnel's job can be immensely complicated and time-consuming.

Why is a legacy ERP becoming irrelevant in an AI era, and what can you do about it? Soon machines will take over the job of a sales manager. There will be artificial thinking selling-machine more efficient than salespeople will ever be, thanks to artificial intelligence. The more data they gather, the better they get. Machines will soon take over.

What is machine learning anyway? Machine learning is one of three areas of artificial intelligence. It means that an artificial system (e.g. a software) learns from already existing data and draws new conclusions from it. We refer in this article to data mining as an example of machine learning for sales. Data mining uses statistical methods to identify dependencies and patterns in existing data structures.

What is machine learning anyway? Machine learning is one of three areas of artificial intelligence. It means that an artificial system (e.g. a software) learns from already existing data and draws new conclusions from it. We refer in this article to data mining as an example of machine learning for sales. Data mining uses statistical methods to identify dependencies and patterns in existing data structures.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the capability of a machine to achieve cognitive functions that are usually associated with people. These cognitive functions include perception, problem-solving, learning, reasoning, environmental interactions, and creativity. The convergence of several technologies including big data, algorithmic advancements, and improvement in computer hardware have led to the growth of AI from hype to reality, and in becoming a useful part of business today. AI has specifically benefited B2B sales and B2B marketing in terms of personalization and efficiency. For example, 64% of marketers that are already using AI state that it has significantly increased their overall marketing efficiency.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning show the potential to reduce the most time-consuming, manual tasks that keep sales teams away from spending more time with customers. Automating account-based marketing support with predictive analytics and supporting account-centered research, forecasting, reporting, and recommending which customers to upsell first are all techniques freeing sales teams from manually intensive tasks. CRM and Configure, Price & Quote (CPQ) providers continue to develop and fine-tune their digital assistants, which are specifically designed to help the sales team get the most value from AI and machine learning. Salesforces' Einstein supports voice-activation commands from Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google. Salesforce and other enterprise software companies continue to aggressively invest in research & development (R&D).

Companies are using AI in all kinds of innovative ways to advance their businesses. If you've ever searched Netflix to watch a movie, AI (a recommendation algorithm) was no doubt used in your decision about what to watch. If you've shopped on Amazon, your decision about what to buy was also influenced by AI (via an association algorithm). If you've ever ordered an Uber, AI (a location algorithm) was used to have a car in your vicinity quickly. If you ever had a thought about a product or a vacation, and it seemed to suddenly pop up on your search page or in your email inbox, I can assure you it was based on AI (a classification algorithm) monitoring your online activity.

Companies are using AI in all kinds of innovative ways to advance their businesses. If you've ever searched Netflix to watch a movie, AI (a recommendation algorithm) was no doubt used in your decision about what to watch. If you've shopped on Amazon, your decision about what to buy was also influenced by AI (via an association algorithm). If you've ever ordered an Uber, AI (a location algorithm) was used to have a car in your vicinity quickly. If you ever had a thought about a product or a vacation, and it seemed to suddenly pop up on your search page or in your email inbox, I can assure you it was based on AI (a classification algorithm) monitoring your online activity.

Companies are using AI in all kinds of innovative ways to advance their businesses. If you've ever searched Netflix to watch a movie, AI (a recommendation algorithm) was no doubt used in your decision about what to watch. If you've shopped on Amazon, your decision about what to buy was also influenced by AI (via an association algorithm). If you've ever ordered an Uber, AI (a location algorithm) was used to have a car in your vicinity quickly. If you ever had a thought about a product or a vacation, and it seemed to suddenly pop up on your search page or in your email inbox, I can assure you it was based on AI (a classification algorithm) monitoring your online activity.