It takes more than guile, charisma and good communication skills on the phone or in person to be a great salesperson. Sales is also more than just CRM-customer relationship management and lead generation; it takes a deep understanding of where the customer is in the buying cycle.
As Oracle points out Selling Smarter with Oracle Adaptive Intelligent Apps for Sales, “Automated recommendations for next-best actions optimize the sales rep’s execution. Actions are determined based on past sales efforts, sales stages, and outcomes by looking at past sales history data. These practical next-best sales actions offer clear guidance to sales reps on what actions are most likely to close each sales opportunity.”
This approach can be of great help in determining actions salespeople can take by identifying the overall sales cycle. Planning is key to any sale especially as the size of the customers. Building trust is key to the effort and getting to know all the players involved in the decision.
It is a truism that you will never know all the people involved in the decision but you have to sell all of them. Often starting with a business analyst, you need to build effective content for all the players. Even as though they may not know all their needs, you certainly need to give them customized for their viewpoint. Indeed, content in the form of self-service thought leadership for CEO, CFO, CIO and then bring them together in common knowledge points builds trust and confidence.
This is where AI can be of great help in building and delivering content. That is, as pointed out in the seminal book on AI called MindMeld, “Processing of AI-enhanced knowledge in the future might lead to better attempts at sales development and closing.
This is similar to tech-aided systems for the mind and ideas. Like product innovation using AI system or machine thinking might yield the sales strategist new approaches to sales and marketing.” These types of systems will, in all likelihood, allow managers using AI to model scenarios and concepts formerly unthinkable.
For example, what would be the impact of coronavirus and other health concerns requirements for top-level management positions in recessionary conditions? This example again reflects a balanced approach to information—statistical and strategic.
Statistics are needed to give fundamental baseline information, and strategic players can analyze and give their opinions about impacts or outcomes. Understanding a customer’s competitive edge can also be of help in the sales process to let the potential buyer understand you know of their business conditions.
That is “looking ahead” of what you are selling to what the customer is selling could give you a competitive. Adding in AI machine learning can potentially bring new insights into the sales process.
Summary – We would like to thank Oracle for inspiring these ideas and insights. In future articles, I will explore more of what Oracle is doing in AI such as data-driven win probability scores help sales reps prioritize sales opportunities and improve forecast accuracy. I would also to formally thank Oracle for exhibiting at SD-WAN expo, please visit them in booth 805.
Special Note: This presentation is part of a comprehensive B2B professional development program from TMCnet to maximize performance for direct sales and channel partners including onsite training, event presentations, executive seminars, webinars, articles and content thought leadership.
This concept will be presented exclusively in TMCnet Selling UP Market UP Margin Technology to SMB & Enterprise Certification class at ITEXPO / MSP Expo part of the #TECHSUPERSHOW.
To explore placing this content at your internal sales or channel event… Even your office, please contact Rich Tehrani or Tom Cross. Get certified smart today.
