AI in the B2B sales process part 3 of 3: Reframing the sales org
McKinsey calls AI, "...a “table stakes” technology, much like the internet and smartphones are today." FWIW, I agree. They're a bit more bullish on the role of AI in B2B sales than I am.
This is the final post in a 3-part blog series about McKinsey's report, An unconstrained future: How generative AI could reshape B2B sales. (One and two are here and here.)
In the report, they break down their views as Pathways.
Pathway one: Shifting the efficiency frontier
Pathway two: Releasing a new growth paradigm
Pathway three: Radically reframing the modern sales organization
This is my take on Pathway three.
Pathway three: Radically reframing the modern sales organization
They call AI table stakes. Again, I agree. It will become more so with time.
Here are the three ways in which the report's authors break down Pathway 3.
Human touch in sales will be reserved for priority interactions.
Sellers will prioritize long-term customer success.
Gen AI could take on the role of a sales agent on a team.
1. Human touch in sales will be reserved for priority interactions.
Maybe I'm misinterpreting what's been written. Maybe I'm just not seeing B2B prospects and customers being as receptive to AI replacing people as the authors are describing it.
Here's their text...
Gen AI can be equipped to handle nearly everything across the entire sales journey, from prospecting to negotiation, with minimal human intervention. Human engagement can become a premium-only offering reserved for particularly complex, solution-based deals.
Let's start with a question.
Are you as a prospect and customer hoping that your partners and suppliers turn prospecting and negotiation - negotiation - over to their AI?
Don't get me wrong.
In businesses where the customer relationship is mostly transactional, yes, turning prospecting and maybe even some contract negotiations over to an intelligent and automated process with sufficient human oversight makes some sense.
That said, 3+ decades of experience in "...complex, solution-based deals," has taught me that success comes from earning someone's trust.
So, yes, human engagement will still play an important role. Agreed.
What every B2B leader will need to do is what they've always done - give careful thought as to which markets and people they'll serve with, "...a premium-only offering." If getting to deal with a human being is premium-only, well, at least it's acknowledging the value a real person brings to the relationship.
The reality is the same as it's ever been - apply tech where it makes the most sense, and make it a decision that serves your customers better and how they want to be served. So long as prioritizing those interactions and dividing up the resources between AI and humans for a better experience is the goal, it's a thumbs up.
2. Sellers will prioritize long-term customer success.
With gen AI making transactional sales by a human seller obsolete, sellers can shift how they think about sales and focus on customer outcomes: they can solve for what’s best for the customer, not the seller or provider. Gen AI can help calculate customer lifetime value so that sellers are better positioned to wait and invest for longer-term gains.
Sweeping statements about making human sellers obsolete are hyperbolic, especially when the rest of the advice swings back to what every seller should already be doing - focusing on customer outcomes and not what's best for the seller.
It's interesting to note that at least according to their LinkedIn profiles, none of the authors have ever had a sales job. I point this only because throughout my entire career, it's always been about customer outcomes.
The overly-broad opening notwithstanding, I give the rest of their take on prioritizing long-term customer success and using AI to help sellers understand lifetime value a thumbs up.
3. Gen AI could take on the role of a sales agent on a team.
A recent McKinsey article predicted that gen AI agents could eventually act as skilled virtual coworkers, planning and booking complex logistics and handling routine customer inquiries. Imagine a future regional sales manager who has a team composed of human and AI sellers collaborating and complementing one another, effectively making human sellers more successful. For example, a gen AI agent may provide subjective assessments, tailored coaching to representatives, and prompted problem solving. As a sales leader from a large chemical company told us, “Eventually, when we and our customers both have gen AI, our respective bots will be able talk among themselves, sharing facts back and forth about the product details and customer needs.”
Thumbs up.
I agree with them on AI will handle, "...planning and booking complex logistics and handling routine customer inquiries."
Another role the tech can take is AI sales engineer.
I was a sales engineer early in my career. At the risk of sounding immodest, the junior and mid-level reps would clamor for me to ditch the national accounts rep so that I could go on calls with them. An AI sales engineer would've been helpful to everyone, including me.
The good news is that there are already visionary companies like Vivun working on the problem of sales engineering resources. Theirs is called "Ava." Check them out.
McKinsey's advice on how to prepare
The recommendations being made by the authors are nothing new. As I see them, they're really independent of technology.
They advise....
Differentiate on trust
Be a problem solving partner, not a seller
Motivate people with something besides quota
Nurture an authentic culture of collaboration
Stay nimble
My final thoughts
I'm really glad they're reinforcing those basic principles. The role of AI - or any tech - in B2B selling comes down to these questions....
What do your markets want from you?
How do you deliver that better than anyone else?
What's technology going to do for you in service of the above?
What kind of company do you want and how do you want to lead it?
What do you think?
What's your take on AI in B2B selling?
I'm Greg Russak, founder and principal consultant of Conscientious Capitalists LLC, a B2B sales strategy, process, and leadership consulting and fractional sales leadership firm.
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