Even better, it can be the difference between more profitable and closed deals without costing more salaries. It quite literally does the work for you.
As technology has expanded, so have the products and softwares that empower businesses to be more efficient in their processes. Sales and marketing teams around the globe have effectively implemented AI into their sales funnel and strategies in order to maintain organization and productivity. Because in reality, a human-only team will never keep up.
The Inefficiency of Humans
Sales teams have it rough. The constant phone calls, emailing, administrative tasks, presentation-building, follow-ups and appointments are not only abundant, but draining. Yet, according to Automation Hero, nearly ⅔ of these tasks don’t involve talking to prospects or customers at all and end up taking away from selling.
Harvard Business Review calls this “organizational drag” and says it costs the U.S. economy $3 trillion each year. Needless to say, salaries and time are both being wasted. Neglecting leads is, however, not an option.
In ways salespeople cannot, AI for sales can fulfill:
- Immediate contact of leads upon generating at any hour of the day
- Gathering data to provide optimal timing to contact leads for follow-up
- Storing all records of previous contact and conversations with leads
- A scripted and omnichannel approach to contacting your leads the way they want to be contacted
AI will be picking up the slack that comes with any human bandwidth and will help ensure all leads are being managed and followed up with accordingly. Technology has the capabilities of timely, accurate and more reliable services.
The Inauthenticity of AI
It’s important to note that AI isn’t the “end all be all” to the buyer-seller relationship, let alone the lead conversion process. There are several reasons why AI can’t meet every need in the lead qualification and conversion part of the sales funnel.
Without humans involved, the loss of authenticity can easily become a problem. In fact, 43% of people prefer to deal with a real-life assistant rather than a chatbot. Again, every lead matters and catering to their needs and wants means a greater likelihood of conversion and purchase.
That being said, Verse sees where AI can lack the golden “human touch” and that’s why we utilize human assistants to standby – intervening where AI would not be able to.
With AI only:
AI: “Are you looking for home insurance or just car insurance at this time?”
Lead: “Home insurance, as well. We lost our home last year to a tornado. It’s important we have that.”
AI: “Great! How many square feet is your home?”
With humans on standby:
AI: “Are you looking for home insurance or just car insurance at this time?”
Lead: “Home insurance, as well. We lost our home last year to a tornado. It’s important we have that.”
Human assistant, after manually taking over: “Wow, I am so sorry to hear that happened to your family. We definitely want to make sure you don’t have to fear the loss of assets ever again. Would you mind telling me the square footage of the home you are wanting to insure?”
Talk to a Verse Lead Conversion Specialist to see how Verse can help.
Convert more leads with instant response and follow up powered by Verse.io.
Where AI would have negated to validate the consumers fears or emotions, a human assistant on standby can quickly adjust the context of the response. Immediately, a lead can tell they are talking to someone who is real and affirming and that further establishes a trust with the brand and company in and of itself.
Tech + Human = Superhuman
With the average sales representative salary standing at $61,000 a year, hiring more ISAs, or inside sales agents, isn’t a cost-effective solution nor is it efficient enough. But, with both AI and the human touch through a lead conversational platform like Verse, all leads can be contacted, catered to, validated, qualified, and converted without sales feeling spread thin. Instead, sales can focus on the appointments with high-quality leads that Verse books for them.
Humans alone are inefficient. AI alone is inauthentic. Together, they are invincible.
To learn more about how you can convert more leads using a lead conversion platform, book a demo with one of our team members!