While artificial intelligence has been predicted for many years, especially through science fiction movies and television, it is truly now coming to pass. We see it with Apple’s Siri and Alexa from Amazon. We witness it with the navigation systems we have in our cars. We see it in air traffic control and in the big jetliners themselves.
But now AI is establishing an ever-widening presence in the CRM industry, and all sorts of incredible claims are being made for it. They’re saying that AI will leverage deals, allow more cross-selling, reduce sales cycles and leverage campaigns.
Given the actuality of human behaviour, these are faulty assumptions. So where does AI really fit today, and what are its limitations? It is this complex and timely topic we’re going to be exploring in this book.
Chapter 1: How Will Big Data Revolutionize Sales and CRM?
Cybernetic principles—the science of simplification of big data—is a primary application of artificial intelligence. Interestingly, just as we cannot understand big data without artificial intelligence, we also would not have artificial intelligence without big data to support it.
Chapter 2: Salespeople, AI and the 4th Industrial Revolution
What do we mean by Industry 4.0? It’s the 4th Industrial Revolution, unfolding right now. It brings internet-enabled smart devices that seamlessly interface with humans and each other. It provides for data analysis and virtual models that make it possible to evaluate and solve production issues on the fly. It’s about state-of-the-art services being delivered to companies and customers through the cloud.
Eventually, it will even mean factory modules that are enabled to replace or expand themselves.
Chapter 3: Artificial Intelligence, CRM and Sales Prediction
Two very popular buzzwords today are predictive insights and prescriptive insights. But while we’re discussing artificial intelligence, we want to pay particular attention to where AI does and doesn’t make sense in relation to these two areas.
Chapter 4: How Does Artificial Intelligence Work with Sales & Marketing Alignment?
As we know by evaluating the current state of Sales and Marketing alignment, it is still a major challenge to get these two groups working in unity. Yet today it’s vital that they do—if only because in today’s digital marketplace it’s getting more and more difficult to tell where exactly Marketing ends and Sales begins. AI can greatly assist in solving these issues.
Chapter 5: Artificial Intelligence in Sales–Let’s Get Real
I recently ran across a very interesting fact. An artificial intelligence identity, created by an artificial intelligence services company and labelled as an “AI sales assistant”, has her very own LinkedIn profile.
Chapter 6: Artificial Intelligence in Sales–Don’t Be Taken In by False Promises
I believe that Artificial Intelligence is a major asset in dealing with the complexity of our world. For example, it is used to analyze patient data in hospitals to isolate common symptoms and predict epidemics before they spread. It brings us one step closer to protecting mankind against disease. AI is used in many other practical supportive ways, such as Siri and GPS navigation systems.
But sometimes I think people are attempting to push AI as some kind of excuse, as a way to bypass the work that humans actually need to be doing, and in the process making false promises for technology.
Chapter 7: Pipeliner CRM Artificial Intelligence–Voyager
Now that I’ve taken some direct shots at the fantasies being promoted by a number of sales AI products, in this final chapter I’ll elaborate on how AI is used within my own product, Pipeliner CRM. I do this not only to promote Pipeliner but more as a demonstration of how I believe AI can best serve the sales industry today.
Comments (1)
AI makes the cybernetic principle more perfect.
This is an interesting read.