What is an AI assistant?
An AI assistant uses ML (machine learning) algorithms, natural language processing and prediction models to automatically extract data from conversations and process it for analysis.
Using AI in selling is a great tactic to boost conversions, offer instant feedback, and coach sales reps in real-time.
Is an AI assistant the same as an AI note-taker?
AI note-takers capture call transcripts in real-time so that sales reps don’t have to worry about capturing key call moments. Instead, they can fully focus on the conversation.
However, AI assistants go beyond transcription software and AI note takers as they don’t just automate tasks.
They can also process large volumes of data from various sources and analyze conversations to extract insights that can be used to make predictions, recommendations and decisions.
Is an AI assistant the same as a virtual assistant?
According to Gartner, virtual assistants (VAs) help users or enterprises with a set of tasks previously only made possible by humans. They use semantic and deep learning to assist people or automate tasks.
VAs listen to and observe behaviors, build and maintain data models, and predict and recommend actions. So, an AI assistant can also be called an AI virtual sales assistant.
Another important thing to note is that AI assistants may have capabilities overlapping with conversational marketing or sales intelligence. However, they stand apart because of their task automation abilities and AI-powered insights from conversations.
Why should you use an AI assistant in sales?
AI sales assistants can help automate routine tasks, process large volumes of data to find meaningful patterns, and scale async coaching.
Here are some of the key benefits of using an AI assistant in sales:
- Get rid of manual data entries which are tedious and error-prone
- Automate sales tasks such as transcribing sales calls, compiling sales data from various sources, classifying that data, qualifying leads, scheduling meetings, and forecasting sales
- Automatically detect potential hindrances during calls such as long monologues, missed opportunities on pricing or competition, and more
- Offer recommendations or suggestions to help sales reps handle tricky situations during customer-facing conversations
- Align sales and marketing by maintaining all sales and marketing data in a central location
An AI assistant is the key to getting critical insights on improving sales pitches, following up effectively and closing more deals.
How to choose an AI sales assistant software for your sales team
According to G2, an AI sales assistant must:
- Offer sales support by automating basic tasks
- Provide predictive insights
- Use embedded AI as a core feature
So, while choosing AI assistants, you should look for the following features in the tool:
1. Automated call recordings, transcripts, note-taking and follow-ups
An AI assistant can automatically record and transcribe calls and make them searchable, so that reps and managers can scour them for specific insights. You can also configure them to follow up with prospects immediately after the call.
AI assistants also highlight critical information such as competitor mentions, pain points, and pricing-related discussions from these conversations, making call prep a breeze and drawing your attention to at-risk deals.
2. Automated sales intelligence
Manually sifting through large volumes of sales data on prospects to find qualified leads, unearth meaningful patterns and insights on deals, or analyze the sales pipeline is time-consuming. Moreover, the process is error-prone, leading to inaccurate prospecting.
The entire process can be automated using an AI assistant, freeing up valuable time of your sales managers and reps.
When an AI assistant filters highly qualified leads and pushes them down the funnel, sales reps can focus on closing more deals, whereas sales managers can work to boost sales enablement and coaching
Sales managers can also gauge what works and what doesn’t to optimize sales enablement using the call highlights, transcripts, notes, and essential metrics.
3. Real-time coaching
You can set up live cue cards, monologue alerts, and other aids to assist your reps during sales calls, thereby offering sales coaching at scale.
Since AI assistants can track call metrics such as talk:listen ratio, call duration and interactivity, sales managers can provide accurate and meaningful feedback to reps.
Using the call highlights, transcripts, notes and essential metrics, sales managers can also gauge what works and what doesn’t to optimize sales enablement.
What’s next?
AI assistants are useful because of their automation and data processing capabilities. An AI-powered sales intelligence tool like Clari Copilot can act as a live AI assistant for your sales team.
That’s because Clari Copilot is your one-stop shop for all the intelligence you need to effectively review your sales calls, take notes, analyze deals, forecast sales, and coach reps in real-time.
With Clari Copilot, you can:
- Build an organized and searchable call library
- Record and manage call summaries and highlights
- Oversee deal intelligence to improve pipeline visibility and health
- Set up game tapes of the best and worst customer-facing conversations
- Enable battlecards — live, contextual cue cards — to coach your sales reps to navigate tricky moments during calls
- Track and manage call scorecards to help your sales team enhance its performance and productivity and win more deals
Interested in learning more?
