Episode 114: The Roadblocks of Sales AI for Behavioral Transformation

Published: April 4, 2018, 7 p.m.

Dana Hamerschlag is a Harvard Business grad and leader in the sales technology industry who leads product innovation at sales consulting firm Miller Heiman Group. Dana explains, despite the hype, most organizations aren\u2019t doing much with AI, but rather analytics.

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Why that is?

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People haven\u2019t invested in the right data sets to use AI engines or predictive models in the right way.

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Dana states that for AI to work, businesses have to understand both the outcomes and the inputs. Right now, most people only have the outcomes figured out. Take CRM data like what\u2019s extracted from Salesforce for example. Because the data from these platforms isn\u2019t initially labeled based on existing sales methodology/blue sheet insights when entered into the system, salespeople can\u2019t know how to turn a potentially dead deal into a closed deal.

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Bottom line: If you can\u2019t talk about how to change the outcome with actions, then you can\u2019t leverage AI to its full potential. You need to be able to recommend an action from the input side to get an outcome of predictive analytics with any value.

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And so here we are... struggling to bring AI to its full potential in the enterprise. Dana and her team are working to produce a solution to this input-outcomes dilemma, available for interview or for comment on this perspective briefed above.

Special Guest: Dana Hamerschlag.

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Links:

  • Miller Heiman Group — Our Be Ready Solutions\u2122 offer the most comprehensive suite of services on the market\u2014delivering six capabilities that align your sales and service organization and help you execute flawlessly. We provide world-class consulting services to align your organization, and provide leading skills and methodology programs that help you execute better. And we offer the data to continually assess your organizational execution and your individual talent. So whether you have a specific challenge to solve or want to transform your company, our Be Ready Solutions will empower you to sell more and service better to drive world-class performance.
  • CSO Insights — CSO Insights is the independent research arm within Miller Heiman Group, dedicated to improving the performance and productivity of complex B2B sales. The CSO Insights team of respected analysts provides sales leaders with the research, data, expertise, and best practices required to build sustainable strategies for sales performance improvement. CSO Insights\u2019 annual sales effectiveness studies, along with its benchmarking capabilities, are industry standards for sales leaders seeking operational and behavioral insights into how to improve their sales performance and to gain holistic assessments of their selling and sales management efficacy. Annual research studies address sales and service best practices, sales enablement and sales performance optimization.