Many marketing and sales programs can clean up dirty data, provide missing contact information and cross-reference leads across multiple campaigns. However, it takes smart, well-crafted algorithms for AI-powered systems to provide context and intent and determine whether or not a lead is a prospect worth pursuing.
In short, AI algorithms can analyze a lead from three perspectives:
The prospective buyer
It does so by analyzing the frequency of contact, likely position in the special database buying cycle, budget and even the words used in an inquiry.
The vendor
AI uses demographics and firmographics to determine whether a lead is a good fit with the products and services sold and how it matches the ideal customer profile.
Marketing campaigns
AI analyzes key performance metrics of marketing campaigns.
From Tinker to Evers to Chance
In the early years of the 20th century, the Chicago Cubs baseball team boasted an infield notorious for robbing many a slugger from scoring a run. From shortstop Joe Tinker to second baseman Johnny Evers to first baseman Frank Chance, it was the perfect double play. It’s also the perfect metaphor for how AI and HI can work together.
Leads go through a three-part qualification process. The marketing department designs its lead generation campaign with a particular outcome in mind: large numbers of raw leads that meet specific demographic and firmographic criteria (e.g., industry, company size, location and budget). The leads come in and are passed to sales as MQLs.
But instead of leaving it to a sales development rep (SDR) to find the proverbial needle in a haystack full of leads, AI takes over. It provides the quantitative analysis that finds the leads that qualify as good prospects based on virtually any criteria you want to program into the algorithms.
Once AI systems have poked, prodded, cleaned and prioritized leads into a list of viable prospects, your SDRs can provide the human insight and intellect to identify a prospect as a highly qualified opportunity.
Only another person can hear the tone in a prospective buyer’s voice and use it to determine readiness and the next steps. Similarly, it takes a person to overcome a sales objection with a quick story or case study.
When the follow-up call feels right, and the SDR confirms the buyer is open to taking the next steps, they can begin to nurture a new relationship into a hot opportunity and, ultimately, pass it along to a field rep.
By pairing AI with HI, you can refine your lead qualification process while freeing up your SDRs to do what they do best…start the sales process.
AI shouldn’t intimidate or even threaten your people with obsolescence. That’s because it complements HI and makes everyone on your sales staff more productive. With your sales team free to focus only on the best prospects and opportunities, it’s easier to scale output and increase ROI.
