by Irina Soriano, VP Enablement, Seismic
In the past 12 months, businesses saw a generative AI boom that proliferated the technology landscape and touched every aspect of operations – including go-to-market (GTM) processes. With the ability to proactively predict and recommend the best next steps for any seller, marketer, enabler, or trainer in any given scenario, the technology has fundamentally changed the way we do business. But while this potential is exciting, it’s also overwhelming – leading to a lot of uncertainty and speculation as to what exactly this transformation will look like.
As businesses race to bring AI-powered solutions to market, early adopters gain a clear advantage, as they can connect with customers sooner and yield higher revenue. Conversely, those not incorporating AI in their GTM efforts risk suffering from gaps in customer service and revenue. Looking to the future, here’s how to incorporate AI-powered technology into your current business strategy to drive revenue growth in 2024.
Increase Go-to-Market Speed
With enablement technology, GTM teams have a platform that houses all content and collateral in one place. With ease of access, team members can quickly and easily access all the resources they need to conduct outreach, thus streamlining the process. When coupled with AI, the process can be further optimized, as it will proactively predict and recommend the best next steps for any given scenario and, in some cases, follow through on those next steps on the user’s behalf.
In fact, a recent survey of nearly 1,400 sales, enablement, and customer success professionals in managerial and leadership roles revealed 94% of GTM leaders report successful operational optimization by incorporating AI in their sales process. This goes to show having access to the proper resources and data to support prospect outreach is essential for teams, as it gives them an edge over their competitors. The pressure is on, currently, 73% of GTM leaders believe companies that fail to effectively incorporate AI into their GTM processes will fall behind their competitors within the next three years.
Deeper Personalization
Speed to market is important, but today’s buyers care even more about quality, especially if a product is specialized to their unique needs. As such, for the past year, customers have demanded greater personalization from sellers – and if they don’t get it, they won’t buy. With AI-powered enablement, teams can provide that deeper personalization by using it for content creation and editing. Automation can free up time that would have previously been spent on content adjustments, now allowing teams to prioritize other client needs. With more time back in their day, sellers can focus on what will have the greatest impact on customer satisfaction.
Of note, 91% of GTM leaders mentioned an increase in customer satisfaction when leveraging AI-powered enablement processes. And, as we know, happy customers are more likely to buy more and buy again – which in turn grows revenue. The buyer experience is more important than ever making personalization essential for success. Content personalization extends to emails, social media posts, digital sales rooms, and more, each of which enhances the buyer experience by demonstrating a deeper understanding of customer needs. As such, 56% of GTM leaders who implemented AI hoped to achieve an enhanced buyer experience, with 92% saying it was successful.
Enhanced Enablement and Coaching
Effective onboarding and enablement are crucial for an employee’s long-term success and thus a business’s success. When employees feel supported in their roles, they are more likely to be productive and satisfied in their position. However, setting workers up for success isn’t the only benefit that arises from a robust enablement program. Better team alignment is also a result of effective instruction. Standardization of enablement processes ensures that everyone is working off the same information thus cutting down on potential conflict.
More than half (54%) of GTM leaders say their organization uses AI-powered tools for enablement, and 48% of those respondents use it for learning purposes. These tools automatically share feedback and recommend new lessons that provide additional tips and advice to each team member – from the tone of their voice to the language they use – enabling businesses to offer support at scale. With this automatic training, managers and coaches can spend extra time providing 1:1 support to the team members who need it most. With this enhanced level of education, employees can be better prepared and feel more confident in their roles, allowing them to maintain a high level of productivity and drive overall business success.
Conclusion
Ultimately, if you are not incorporating AI, especially in conjunction with enablement tech, you may be falling behind. The vast majority of businesses saw an increase in customer satisfaction when using AI,
All told, GTM leaders largely believe the fusion of AI and GTM strategy will lead to revenue growth, with leaders predicting an average of 23% growth over the next 5 years. The competitive advantage of incorporating AI into enablement workflows cannot be ignored. Leaders and decision-makers should push themselves to identify the right tools for their team and encourage strategic implementation to stay ahead of the curve in 2024.
