In this new digital landscape, sales engagement has become increasingly tricky. There is far more competition and in a crowded marketplace, it becomes difficult to really differentiate from others in order to connect with the right customers.
To counteract this, many engage in account-based marketing as a way to really develop a pipeline and create sales engagement. Account-based marketing definitely has its pros, the biggest one being how efficient it makes the sales process.
However, it is becoming more clear that while account-based marketing is effective, true success lies with those who combine it with artificial intelligence. That killer combination of the right artificial intelligence tools and account-based marketing can dramatically optimize the sales process and engagement.
1) It is all about the data, always
The most important aspect of any digital endeavor really relies on the data you are using. Artificial intelligence can be an integral part of your strategy when it comes to data, and that is what will really propel your engagement efforts.
But the more important part of this is that the quality of your data will be far more important than the quantity of your data. If your CRM and other databases have disjointed and incomplete data, your artificial intelligence tools will not really work – in fact, none of your digital efforts will really have an impact of your data is not up to par.
When evaluating artificial intelligence options for your business, here are some considerations. Think about the current data you possess, how that is collected and what gaps there are in that process. Improving that function will make room for a really powerful artificial intelligence solution that can improve sales engagement.
2) Narrow down your scope
It might be tempting to invest in multiple aspects of artificial intelligence in your business – from lead generation to email marketing, really the possibilities are endless. Yes, that is true but that is also not as effective. Artificial intelligence uses sophisticated algorithms and machine learning to really improve your functionalities, but a blanket implementation may not be as helpful.
What are the most important aspects of your business, and how can artificial intelligence help you in that? With your marketing efforts, artificial intelligence can definitely be a powerful tool but with which part? Use that as your starting point, and as you get more comfortable with the technology at hand, expand to other areas.
For example, lead generation is one of the more popular areas where artificial intelligence can provide improved efficiency. Using predictive analytics driven by artificial intelligence can provide greater insight on who your customers are, and show you leads that are far more likely to be converted to help refocus your sales efforts.
3) Create the right experience
Sales engagement is really about the customer experience and that is what will differentiate you from the competition. If you can provide a different sort of experience, a more immersive one where the customer really feels like it is tailored to them – that is what wins.
But businesses are struggling with this idea more and more, despite all the data at hand. Data collection is great, but if you are not leveraging it correctly, then it does not have as much use. That combination of account-based marketing and artificial intelligence rests solely on how you use data to create the right experience for your customers – that is the way to succeed.
Think about your customer journey, how you market that and where artificial intelligence can fit into that scenario. From lead generation until the closing, where do you lose customers? And how can artificial intelligence provide you the right analytics and tools to improve the customer journey and help your retention and conversion rates?