Seminar Overview
First, we will review the overview of this seminar. The following content was presented.
How Sales Will Evolve Through AI and Data Utilization: A Breakdown by Sales Process
May 30, 2024 (Thursday) 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Speakers (Titles Omitted)
Celebrix Inc., Executive Officer, Company CMO / Director of Sales Research Institute / Sales Evangelist
Shoya Imai
uSonar Co., Ltd., Representative Director and Co-President
Katsuhito Nagatake
Online
What Was the Discussion About?
In this seminar, we examined the standard sales process—List Building, Contact Establishment, Meeting Preparation, and Sales Meetings. From their respective perspectives, Mr. Nagatake and Mr. Imai discussed how sales styles (mindsets and operations) functioned before the use of AI and data, and how they are being transformed by these technologies.
The discussion began with introductions, followed by comments and questions from the audience.
The session featured demonstrations, such as recorded AI-generated sales calls, showcasing the cutting edge of modern sales. The passionate discussion concluded with insights into the future of AI and data-driven sales.
Below, we introduce highlights of their discussion on how sales have changed before and after the implementation of AI and data.
Part 1: List Building: Prioritizing and Identifying Companies to Approach Now
When conducting new business development, what criteria do you use to build your prospect list?
Regarding list building in traditional sales styles, uSonar President Nagatake noted, "Isn't it common to build lists based on industry, region, revenue, and profit? This leads to the same lists as your competitors, turning your target market into a 'red ocean.'"
Mr. Imai of Celebrix added, "It is difficult to prioritize leads when using traditional methods like collecting past business cards." They agreed that such methods fail to clarify which companies a firm should truly focus on, leading to inefficient, scattershot approaches.
How does the list-building process change in a new, AI and data-driven sales style?
First, Mr. Nagatake proposed utilizing corporate data that provides a competitive edge, such as Intent Data and credit data.
"By combining these with the basic attributes used in traditional sales, you can gain a deeper understanding of a company's characteristics. This enables a 1-to-1 approach," said Mr. Nagatake.
Intent Data, which is gaining significant attention, refers to data based on digital behavioral history, such as visualizing which target companies are visiting specific pages on your website or identifying the keywords they are interested in and searching for.
Highlighting the benefits of Intent Data, Mr. Nagatake emphasized, "Because you can approach prospects while understanding their 'needs' and 'timing'—which are crucial in sales—you can increase your meeting conversion rate. By proposing the information the prospect wants at the exact moment they are ready to engage, sales becomes a service that is welcomed by the client."
Meanwhile, Mr. Imai suggested using Generative AI during the list-building phase. "For example, by feeding data on dozens of companies that have reached the closing stage into Generative AI, you can clarify the factors that strongly influence successful deals and prioritize your target list accordingly," he stated.
★★★★ Links to Other Articles ★★★★
★★★★ Links to Other Articles ★★★★
Part 2: Contact Establishment: The Keys to Higher Meeting Conversion Rates Are High-Accuracy Targeting and Expert Authority
The next topic was the Contact Establishment process.
What did traditional sales methods look like?
Mr. Nagatake recalled, "We would make calls during gaps in our schedule, such as between meetings, which was inefficient."
Mr. Imai added, "Because we couldn't prioritize companies within our lists, we tended to make random calls, often relying on scripted, template-based conversations."
How does the new, data-driven sales style differ? Mr. Nagatake again recommended the use of Intent Data, stating, "Using Intent Data significantly increases the rate at which you can set up meetings after reaching the key person."
Mr. Imai explained the importance of deepening one's understanding of the prospect's industry to project an 'expert' persona, making the prospect feel that 'it is worth talking to this salesperson.' By utilizing Generative AI, it becomes possible to efficiently gather the same specialized information as the prospect. The seminar detailed specific methods for achieving this.
Part 3: Meeting Preparation: Streamlining Preparation Through Centralized Information and AI-Driven Strategic Perspectives
The third topic was Meeting Preparation.
Meeting preparation requires a significant amount of time. However, both speakers reflected that in traditional sales styles, they could only gather superficial information, such as past meeting history or online data, often leading to a 'winging it' approach.
In contrast, for the new sales style, Mr. Nagatake stated, "It is essential to first centralize information—such as corporate and industry data, case studies, and reasons for past wins or losses—into a single database."
Mr. Imai emphasized the importance of using Generative AI to prepare for meetings with a broader strategic perspective. He introduced a method of using Generative AI to simulate a meeting by acting as the prospect's representative. He explained that the key is to adjust the difficulty level by setting conditions such as the industry, company name, job title, and the prospect's motivation for adopting the service.
[Reference Article] Six Scenarios for AI-Driven B2B Marketing ▶︎
Sales Meetings: Capturing Customer Insights Through Data and AI
The final topic was the Sales Meeting itself. Regarding this process in traditional sales, Mr. Nagatake noted, "We would try to uncover needs while building a proposal on the spot." Mr. Imai added, "It often became a parade of product strengths and features, masquerading as problem-solving."
How do sales meetings look in the new style? Mr. Nagatake said, "Because we understand the needs and timing from the target selection phase based on data, we can move immediately to the closing phase." Mr. Imai added, "By using Generative AI to test hypotheses, we can better capture the prospect's true insights."
In closing, Mr. Imai remarked, "The purchasing environment changes in every era. Because the environment changes, the way we sell must also change, and we must continue to learn. Furthermore, we must not treat the AI and data utilization introduced today as a mere trend. It is necessary to master these as practical skills and research how to best apply them to our own companies."
Audience Feedback
In the post-seminar survey, we received many positive comments, such as:
"I had heard of Intent Data but didn't know its actual effectiveness, so this was very helpful."
"It gave me a healthy sense of urgency that if I don't utilize Generative AI, I will be left behind by the times."
"I learned about new applications, such as practical examples of role-playing using Generative AI."
(Thank you to everyone who attended!)
