Six Unpopular Opinions I Hold About AI in Sales

It’s been a busy year for software companies aiming to grab a slice of the generative AI pie. Over the past twelve months, its use has grown so much that I’m not sure any aspect of modern life has gone unchanged.

It’s in your word processing software, your project planning platform, your social media, your grocery list app, and maybe even your kid’s lunchbox.

The sales industry has not remained untouched. Our company has used various generative AI applications internally, and many of the tools we already use have added AI functions. Many of the biggest sales software companies have added various AI add-ons that you can purchase along with their tools.

So it should come as no surprise that I’ve written a word or two on the topic. And in my measured opinion, it’s a mixed bag. There are some pretty spectacular uses AI is being put to, some pretty pointless ones, and a few that are downright dangerous.

All in all, it’s an emerging technology about which there are many and varied opinions, and almost everything I’ve said has raised at least a few hackles no matter which direction I lean. For your enjoyment and/or disagreement, here are six controversial things I’ve said about generative AI this year.

1. AI Isn’t Actually Intelligent. It Just Seems Like It.
   In this piece, I break down in simple terms exactly what AI is (spoiler: It’s not actually smart), and what it is not. Understanding how it works and what it’s capable of (and not capable of) is step one in making wise use of AI resources.
2. AI Can Be Pretty Terrible for Sales
   I’ve seen it being put to use in some pretty awful ways. From developing strategy to helping customers succeed, his piece outlines five of the worst ways a complex sales team can employ generative AI
3. But, It Can Also Be Pretty Great
   If you can avoid the biggest pitfalls, generative AI has the potential to be a powerful part of your sales toolbox. This piece discusses four of the best ways I’ve seen it employed in complex sales.
4. AI Can Help Your Sales Team Sell, But It’s Not Magic
   Intent matters, and HOW you go about employing AI on your sales team matters. Just like HOW you sell is why you win. This piece outlines how using AI the right way can be almost miraculous, and how disastrous it can be when it’s employed badly.
5. Generative AI Might Help Companies Coach Better. Maybe.
   In this conversation with Neo Moreton, we discuss the possible applications of well-designed generative AI tools for sales coaching. In his opinion, his generative AI coaching tool has the potential to replace sales coaches altogether. In my opinion, it will always require human oversight and a great deal of careful planning to work right. This piece discusses both positions.
6. AI Has Already Changed the Content Game, but It Won’t Change Everything
   Generative AI makes content creation and dissemination as fast as the click of a button. It has changed the landscape of content marketing and sales enablement practically overnight, for better and worse. In this piece, I discuss four big impacts it’s had: And three ways it will not change the game at all.
7. Not Every Single Technology Needs Its Own AI Add-On
   In my controversial opinion, the mad dash to add AI to every single software platform is not beneficial to anyone but AI tech shareholders. Many of these new tools are excellent, but many are repetitive and excessive, a distraction from the main purpose.

At Membrain, we’re taking a measured approach to AI implementation, maintaining a core focus on how our technology helps sales teams be more effective. For now, we have no immediate intention to add AI tools to our tool. We remain focused instead on delivering real value and successful outcomes to our customers.

Conclusion

Whether we like it or not, generative AI is here to stay, and it will be a significant part of the sales world for a long time to come. As an emerging and explosively growing technology, its impacts are yet to be fully understood, and opinions vary widely as to where things will go from here. I’d love to hear from you: What are your opinions about generative AI in B2B sales?