To Chat or Not Chatbot: The Impact of AI in Sales
Robots are taking over! But don’t worry—they are just here to lend a hand in accelerating B2B lead generation processes. HubSpot found that 40% of web users don't mind if they are served by a bot or a human agent as long as they get the customer support services they need.
Nowadays, B2B prospects expect better, faster, and more personalized communication with brands. According to McKinsey research, the new bar for omnichannel excellence is ten or more channels using three engagement modes (in-person, remote, and self-service) and delivered 24/7.
This kind of follow-up would be nearly impossible without the help of AI tools, and companies are aware of that. The global chatbot market size accounted for 521 million USD in 2021 and is expected to reach 3,411 million USD by 2030.
While chatbots are some of the most common AI integrations in B2B development methodologies, there are several other ways to apply these ever-evolving technologies.
Main Applications of B2B Artificial Intelligence
As AI developers keep finding new ways to employ machine learning software, sales and marketing teams need to adapt their outreach methodologies faster. The funny thing is that most people don't even realize how many daily processes are already heavily automated.
Programmatic advertising is a fine example of this phenomenon, which can be defined as the automated buying and selling of digital ad space in real time. By relying on demand-side platforms (DSPs), it is possible to purchase, manage, and analyze the performance of ads in less than 100 milliseconds.
Vendors and advertisers can simplify their daily operations by deploying AI-driven tools. Here are some of the most crucial benefits of working with automated predictive models:
1. Supports account-based marketing tactics
AI can be used to boost the effectiveness of account-based marketing (ABM) tactics. Data footprints from possible buyers are processed to curate hyper-targeted marketing material like landing pages, blog content, email campaigns, digital advertisements, etc.
2. Optimizes website performance
AI-powered tools use machine intelligence to condense complex data into easily digestible and actionable insights. This allows marketers to react to any sudden spike in a critical metric, like a website’s bounce rate.
3. Simplifies SEO practices
SEO-oriented AI platforms can identify trending topics, make keyword predictions, and uncover competitive gaps for forward-thinking targeting. They can also optimize old content for search engine results by performing dynamic keyword and linking updates.
4. Increases customer engagement
AI-driven scheduling tools can automatically publish content or trigger specific actions every time prospects move forward in their B2B buyer's journey. This allows possible buyers to get the information they need at the right time through the proper channels.
5. Improves relationships with prospects
AI applications like chatbots and interactive voice response (IVR) systems exist at both pre-and post-sale customer service touchpoints, capable of performing transactional requests, order tracking, account updates, and content nurturing.
Chatbots vs. SDRs
Despite the presence of AI in modern sales methodologies, sales development representatives (SDRs) are still the heart and soul behind all deal-closing efforts.
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“I’m not on the side that believes in full automation, but I believe in the power of tools to massively enhance what a salesperson can do,” said Alex Levin, co-founder and CEO of Regal.io, in our Enterprise Sales Development podcast.
With the help of natural language processing (NLP), advanced chatbots can answer many of the questions customers may ask. However, there are moments inside the conversation when a flesh-and-bone expert needs to jump in to fully understand how to solve the prospects' needs.
CIENCE GO Chat combines the best of AI and human intelligence. The tool provides marketing and sales teams with a single, unified solution that can be used for both AI-powered chat and human-enabled interactions.
“The ability to immediately respond to any web visitor in an effective, authentic manner—whether bot or human—is the secret to effective top of the funnel,” said Eric Quanstom, CMO of CIENCE. “GO Chat enables modern businesses to connect with prospects in the moments that matter most.”
As AI evolves, it will get harder to identify whether we are talking with a chatbot or a real sales representative. But for now, let's leverage these ever-ready allies to aid our possible buyers in finding the answers they are looking for.
What are your thoughts on chatbots? Are you deploying some of them at the moment? Please share with us.
Before You Go
Check out our favorite content this week to get your sales and marketing juices flowing.
Blog of the Week
AI lead generation software helps businesses not only generate and collect leads from various channels but also provide insights from collected data. Take a look at these AI-powered lead generation tools available on the market.
Podcast of the Week
In this episode of Enterprise Sales Development podcast, we speak with Alex Levin, co-founder and CEO of Regal.io. Alex talks about developing a minimum buyable product and provides tips for anyone running a sales team. Be sure to check it out.
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