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Analysts’ Predictions of AI for Sales, Account Management and Sales Enablement in 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving technology that is transforming various industries. Sales, account management, and sales enablement are no exception. According to a recent report, the global AI market in sales is projected to reach USD 12.4 billion by 2025, up from USD 1.3 billion in 2019. This rapid growth in the use of AI in sales and account management underscores the technology’s importance to businesses worldwide. Imagine you’re a sales manager for a large retail company with hundreds of sales representatives operating in different regions. Your job is to ensure that the sales team hits their targets every quarter. You must also provide regular updates on the team’s performance to the executive team. Imagine how challenging it is to keep track of each sales rep’s performance and to provide actionable insights to help them improve. This is where AI comes in. With AI, you can automate various processes such as lead generation, customer segmentation, and sales forecasting. It also becomes easier for you to guide and coach your team to improve their performance.  If you want to know how AI will shape the world of sales in 2023, this article will help. Discover the latest predictions made by leading industry analysts on the role and impact of AI in sales, account management and sales enablement.  Read More: Harness the Power of Big Data to Surge in Key Account Planning & Account Growth Overview of the Current State of AI in Sales, Account Management, and Sales Enablement AI has been transforming the sales and account management landscape for several years now. With the ability to process vast amounts of data, analyse patterns, and make predictions, AI helps in improving business performance and aids sales growth. Recent data shows that when AI is used to aid sales processes, leads increase by 50%, call times and overall costs are reduced by about 60%. A brief history of AI in Sales, Account Management, and Sales Enablement AI has been a  buzzword in the technology industry for many years, but its practical application in sales and account management has gained momentum only recently. Sales and account management professionals have been using AI to automate tasks and optimize performance. For example, sales teams use AI to generate leads, personalize sales pitches and forecast sales. Account managers are using AI to segment customers, monitor contract renewals, and upsell or cross-sell. Sales enablement tools use AI to deliver personalized content, track engagement and improve sales reps’ productivity. Current State of AI Implementation in Sales and Account Management The use of AI in sales and account management is growing at a rapid pace. AI can automate repetitive tasks like data entry, lead prioritization, and follow-up emails. It can also provide insights into customer behavior predicting the likelihood of churn, the probability of purchase, and the optimal time to connect with customers. AI-powered chatbots are becoming more prevalent in sales and account management, providing instant support to customers and prospects. Close to 70% of users enjoy the speed at which chatbots answer.    Overview of Sales Enablement Technologies that Use AI Sales enablement tools have been integrating AI to improve their functionality and deliver better results. AI-powered sales enablement technologies can help sales teams with lead scoring, sales forecasting and personalization. They can also assist with content creation, management and distribution. Over 40% of marketers agree that using AI for email marketing generates higher market revenue. AI can also provide insights into content performance, enabling teams to adjust their sales strategy and approach based on what’s actually working. AI can also help sales reps prioritize their leads and opportunities, ensuring focus on the most promising leads. Ebook: AI-Assisted Account Planning – Conversations of the Future Part 1 Revolutionizing Sales and Account Management: The Emerging AI Trends As AI continues to make significant inroads in sales, account management and sales enablement, new trends and applications will continue to emerge. Some of the most promising and exciting developments in AI for these fields include chatbots and virtual assistants, predictive analysis, machine learning (ML) to improve customer experience, and AI-powered sales performance monitoring and improvement.  AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants: In recent years chatbots and virtual assistants have become increasingly popular in sales and account management. Through extensive use of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML), these tools can automate routine interactions, answer commonly asked questions and even make product recommendations. According to Grand View Research, the global chatbot market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.7% from 2022 to 2030 and reach USD 3.99 billion by 2030. Predictive analytics for sales and account management: Predictive analytics can help sales and account management teams identify potential customers and personalize their outreach.  Through the analysis of data including purchase history, website behavior, and social media activity, predictive analytics tools can identify which prospects are most likely to convert. They are also able to determine which messages will resonate with them. With over 50% of companies worldwide leveraging advanced and predictive analytics, the benefits are obviously widespread.  Machine learning for customer experience improvement: ML is used by sales and account management teams to better understand their customers and improve customer experience. By analyzing data from emails, chat logs, and social media, ML algorithms can identify patterns and threads in customer behavior.  With these reports sales teams can receive personalized recommendations and tailor their approach to each customer. A study by Salesforce shows that almost 90% of customers believe that the experience offered by a company is equally significant to its products or services. Automation in sales and account management: In sales and account management, automation helps with streamlining workflows, helping teams focus on high-value tasks. By automating tedious and time-consuming tasks like data entry, lead prioritization and follow-up emails, sales teams can save time. Thus efficiency is also improved. This helps to free up time for more productive activities like lead generation and nurturing.  Research by McKinsey Global Institute has shown that over one-third of