The Unintended Consequences of AI-Supported Sales

The number of AI tools that support sales, especially in B2B software and services, is exploding. The potential for both efficiency and effectiveness improvements are exhilarating.

However, if we use these tools to simply do more of what we are already doing (i.e. cold outbound to 'book a meeting'), then we are building a motion on sand.

Instead, consider a Buyer-Led approach to the use of these tools; research and enrichment, automated outreach, content experiences, etc.

Buyer Led

A Buyer Led approach considers the six "Jobs to be Done" that a Buyer needs to complete before making a decision:

• Problem identification

• Solution exploration

• Requirements building

• Supplier Selection

• Validation

Consensus Creation

This is a non-linear process. A Buyer can (and will) bounce back and forth between Jobs as new information is provided and/or as internal dynamics change.

When we overlay the fact that less than 10% of our targeted segment is in an active buying cycle at any point in time, we run the risk of “burning out” the other 90%, if we aren’t careful.

Relationship “Zones”

A Buyer Led approach also considers the goal of each "Zone" in the relationship, which then helps identify the appropriate motion, which then determines the appropriate department to lead that motion (marketing, sales, cs, product, etc.).

• Start the relationship

• Deepen the relationship

• Enable the buyer

• Pre-Demo/Discovery experience

• Discovery/Demo experience

• Stakeholder review experience

• Contracting experience

• Activation experience

The combination of “Jobs” with “Zones” is where it gets fun.

For example, when we understand that our objective is to “Deepen the relationship” and to help the Buyer with Requirements building, our sales outreach can now be very powerful and buyer-focused.

What we say, what we offer and what we ask (if anything) will be very different from when we are instead “Enabling the Buyer” with “Solution Exploration” content, as an example.

Last point. If our revenue team still thinks in terms of “marketing motions” and “sales motions,” we need a hard pivot. Those days are over. Instead, we start first with identifying what the Buyer needs, then integrating Marketing and Sales motions to enable them to buy.