April 10, 2023

AI for Sales: Stay Ahead of the Competition in 2023

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Key takeaways

  • AI for sales can improve performance and identify potential customers by analyzing large volumes of structured and unstructured data. 
  • AI software can significantly boost customer experience and revenue. 
  • Available AI-powered sales tools are increasing exponentially.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is streamlining the sales process by helping teams analyze customer data, automate tasks, and optimize sales strategies. If your business wants to stay ahead of the game in an increasingly competitive market, AI for sales is a must-have tool in any utility belt. 

What are some of the AI-powered tools at a sales team’s disposal in 2023?

ALSO READ: 5 Outbound Sales Strategies to Increase Revenue in 2023

Company Type of Software Key AI Features Free Trial Available? Learn More
HubSpot Content Assistant CRM Data cleansing; email data capture; SEO; adaptive testing; data imports No Visit HubSpot Content Assistant
BQE Core Suite CRM Sales pipeline management; lead scoring; analytics; customizable APIs Yes Visit BQE Core Suite
Salesforce Sales Cloud Einstein CRM Lead scoring; opportunity scoring; account insights; activity capture; forecasting; recommendations No Salesforce Sales Cloud Einstein
Forethought Customer Support Generative AI Natural language processing; sentiment analysis; personalization; contextual understanding Yes Visit Forethought
Conversica Revenue Digital Assistant Lead Engagement Conversational AI; Integration with CRM systems; real-time analytics and reporting; lead engagement; lead qualification; meeting scheduling No Visit Conversica Revenue Digital Assistant

AI sales tools

HubSpot Content Assistant

hubspot chatbot/content assistant screenshot
HubSpot’s ChatSpot and Content Assistant can answer questions and generate copy for a variety of content types. Credit: hubspot.com

Hubspot has integrated ChatSpot tools into a content assistant designed to streamline day-to-day tasks.

Content assistant tools natively integrate with HubSpot products so users can shift between manual and AI content creation. Using ChatGPT technology, the content assistant can generate copy for a variety of content types including blog posts, landing pages, marketing emails, and more. 

A key feature for sales teams, the content assistant automatically captures and transcribes conversations, giving users the context they need to close deals faster. 

Additional AI-driven features

Data cleansing, also known as data scrubbing, identifies, corrects or removes inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and errors from a dataset.

Email data capture technology collects and stores information about individuals for marketing or communication purposes by adding potential clients or customers to an email list.

SEO suggestions generated by the ChatSpot tools in Hubspot’s content assistant scan your and competitor websites to automatically generate opportunities for optimization. 

Adaptive testing saves time and resources by optimizing marketing campaigns, product pricing, or other business processes. 

Easy imports seamlessly draws in contact information from spreadsheets, documents, or other media. 

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Forethought

forethought generative ai assistant
Forethought’s AI Agent assistant assists customer support teams by automating tasks, providing instant answers, and streamlining workflows.

Forethought uses advanced natural language processing algorithms to understand customer inquiries and generate relevant responses, streamlining the support ticket lifecycle on one generative AI platform. 

The platform can automate answers to common questions across any channel with generative AI, a feature known as omnichannel support. This lowers support costs while providing top-tier service in every customer interaction. 

By leveraging customer data, behavior, and history, Forethought’s AI can help sales teams deliver tailored recommendations and solutions aligned with customer tasks.

As with all AI sales tools, Forethought automates repetitive tasks such as data entry and follow-up emails, freeing up sales teams to focus on high-value tasks. 

Forethought can integrate with Zendesk, Salesforce, and other support platforms. 

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BQE CORE suite

bqe core suite AI for sales accounting and invoicing software
BQE’s all-in-one accounting and invoicing software incorporates AI-driven pipeline management and sales forecasting features.

Designed with professional service firms like those in the architecture, engineering, and accounting space, BQE CORE Suite is a cloud-based management software that incorporates AI for sales.

The sales pipeline management feature helps users visualize their sales pipeline and identify opportunities for improvement. It analyzes historical data to predict future sales and identifies potential roadblocks. The sales forecasting feature uses the historical data to predict future sales revenue allowing users to make better informed decisions regarding staffing, resource allocation, and business strategy. 

Machine learning algorithms provide lead scoring by assigning a specific score or grade to each lead based on their behavior, engagement, and other factors. Sales analytics provide real-time insights into sales performance and revenue trends. The suite’s proposal automation feature uses AI to generate custom proposals based on customer data and preferences, helping users save time and improve the accuracy of their proposals. 

BQE CORE software also integrates with many software applications and offers customizable APIs for other solutions. 

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Salesforce Sales Cloud Einstein

Sales Cloud Einstein is an AI-driven tool that assists customer support teams by automating tasks, providing instant answers, and streamlining workflows. Credit: salesforce.com

As part of Salesforce’s cloud suite, Sales Cloud Einstein is an AI-powered enhancement of the core Sales Cloud solution, adding advanced features and insights that help sales teams improve overall performance.

Each major feature bears the Einstein name, identifying the sales tools at the software’s disposal as unique to Salesforce:

Einstein Lead Scoring analyzes factors such as lead source, industry, and engagement to prioritize leads by automatically scoring them based on their likelihood to buy. Similar to Einstein lead scoring, Einstein Opportunity Scoring analyzes data to predict the likelihood of an opportunity closing successfully.

Real-time updates on sales representatives’ accounts are available via the Einstein accounts Insights feature. News articles or changes in the business are automatically updated by the tool, enabling reps to stay informed and engaged with their customers as well as identify potential upsell or cross-sell opportunities.

The Einstein Activity Capture tool automatically logs emails, events, and other activities to Salesforce, reducing the manual data entry workload for sales reps. It also helps keep the CRM up to date and provides a comprehensive view of customer interactions.

By analyzing historical data, Einstein Forecasting generates predictions on key metrics such as revenue, deal closure rates, and more.

Einstein Recommendations help sales representatives decide next best actions based on a comprehensive analysis of customer data.

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Conversica Revenue Digital Assistant

conversica revenue digital assistant AI for sales
Conversica’s Revenue Digital Assistant stands out for its ability to engage in natural, human-like conversations with leads, intelligently nurturing and qualifying them to ensure sales teams focus on high-priority opportunities. Credit: conversica.com

Conversica’s AI-driven Revenue Digital Assistant is a conversational platform designed to automate and enhance customer engagement throughout the sales cycle. Using GPT technology, the digital assistant’s draw is its ability to mimic the natural flow of human conversation.

Sales teams can often miss out on leads due to lack of time. Conversica AI can seek out more leads without putting pressure solely on busy sales reps.

Conversica also offers many of the features available in other AI sales tools, including: 

  • Integration with CRM systems
  • Real-time analytics and reporting
  • Lead engagement 
  • Lead qualification
  • Meeting scheduling

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How to future-proof a digital-first sales team with AI

A swiss army knife

Sales can be a challenging and complex activity for any business. From training to lead generation, every step of the process requires a slightly different approach; not every solution requires a hammer. Fortunately, AI is a swiss army knife that provides elegant and efficient solutions to every challenge encountered throughout the sales pipeline.

Looking for the latest in CRM solutions? Check out our CRM Software Buyer’s Guide.

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FAQs

What is AI for sales?

AI for sales is the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to automate and enhance various aspects of the sales from lead generation to closing a deal. 

How can AI improve sales?

AI can improve sales for businesses by automating tasks, sorting structured and unstructured data, providing data-driven insights, communicating with potential clients, generating and qualifying leads. AI can enhance customer engagement on a large scale, leading to more effective communication and higher conversion rates. 


1 Zoho CRM

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Fully-customizable Zoho CRM provides unified solutions for businesses of all types and sizes. Conduct your Sales & Marketing analytics to gain insights using Dashboard views and Automate your daily routines. Customize your CRM theme based on your industry needs using Canvas, Omnichannel communication for streamlined communication between teams and customers, handle customer support from within the platform to improve customer relationships. Get Started with Zoho CRM now!

Learn more about Zoho CRM

2 Rolldog

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Rolldog is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Sales Enablement solution that helps companies manage their business relationships, increase revenue, and boost sales & marketing effectiveness. Ease-of-use and an intuitive browser-based interface ensures that you can securely access the information you need, whenever you need it, from wherever you are.

Learn more about Rolldog

3 HubSpot CRM

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HubSpot is an intuitive CRM that makes managing your sales pipeline a breeze. Everything you need to track important metrics, set up time-saving flows and automations, manage clients seamlessly, and grow your business is available in one tidy dashboard. Plans are available for businesses at every stage of growth, starting at 100% free. Start taking the guesswork out of business management today with HubSpot CRM.

Learn more about HubSpot CRM

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