Good Morning and Happy National Look on The Bright Side Day. Today’s a great day to remind yourself that in sales, every 'no' brings you closer to a 'yes'. Unless you’re the intern asking for next week off. In that case, it’s always a no. 🤝 

In today’s Follow Up:

• How are sales reps actually using AI 🤖 

• Vetting your next million dollar business idea 🧠 

• Sales call tip of the day 📞 

• Sales around the internet 🖥️ 

• Best of LinkedIn & a sales meme 😂 

How Are Salespeople Actually Using AI?

2023 will be remembered as the year of AI.

If you’re like us, your tired of hearing about it. But there’s no doubt it will have an impact on the future of sales.

Everyone seems to have their own opinion on how AI will be used, and some even say it will eliminate salespeople all together.

But around here, we don’t believe that crap…

In a recent HBR article, 3 experts from a growth advisory company weighed in on what sales people are getting wrong about generative AI.

Here’s what they’re seeing. 👇️ 

AI is Not a Normal Software 🖥️ 

Typically when a company purchases a new software tool, they’ll evaluate all of the solutions on the market, make the purchase, and train their employees on how to use it.

But AI isn’t just another software tool… AI is like the internet.

Rather than being a single “thing” that we use, AI will be intertwined with all of our tools and workflows. Instead of replacing what we’re already doing, AI will enhance the way we send cold emails, make cold calls, or prepare for meetings.

Creativity > Prompts 🎨 

A prompt is the question or instruction you give to the AI to generate a response.

Many companies are using templated prompts like an instruction manual for using AI, but that’s not where the real value is. For example, a sales rep may use this prompt to get AI to write a cold email for them:

Pretend you're a sales rep that is trying to sell {insert solution} to the {job title} at {insert company}. Write me an email that addresses 2 pain points our solution can solve for them, and gets them to agree to a meeting. 

The prompt is a great start, but it won’t give you the final product. In this case, when we run this prompt for an HR software sales rep selling to Boeing’s Head of HR, ChatGPT gives us a 300 word cold email that reads like a novel.

Prompts should be used to get you started or brain storm new ideas rather than a final product.

Along with prompting for messaging, the 3 experts also recommend using AI for training and preparation. Discovery is one of the most important skills to have in sales, and AI can help you to master it.

Before a sales call, prompt AI to act like the prospect you’re meeting with, and use the “5 Why’s” exercise to dig deep into root issues they’re facing. Why is this an issue? Why does this matter? Why haven’t you fixed it yet? etc.

ChatGPT is the perfect on-demand-training buddy, and doesn’t ask to grab drinks after work. 🍻 

Using AI in Sales 📞 

Adding AI into your sales team isn’t a “set it and forget it” type of task. Rather than telling sales reps how they need to use it, it’s better to show them what it can do for them.

To understand how sales reps are actually using AI, we spent hours scouring the internet to find real reps using AI for their jobs.

Here’s some of the best uses we found. 👇️ 

1. Starting Point for Templates

The general theme we found is that ChatGPT is great for getting templates started, but won’t give you the final product.

2. Analysis and Research

Analyzing competitors and gathering information from multiple sources can take a lot of time and effort. Sales reps are using ChatGPT as their personal assistant to take care of these time consuming tasks for them.

3. Note Taking and Follow Up’s

Taking notes, updating the CRM, and sending follow up emails are up there with sales rep’s least favorite activities.

With the help of AI, some sales reps are eliminating this headache or at least getting a head start. This is definitely a used case we can get behind. 🫡 

TLDR:

• AI is like the internet: AI isn’t just another software tool. It will be used in all of our tools and workflows like the internet.

• Prompts are just the start: Using special prompts are a great start, but they won’t get you the final result. Get creative and use AI as your personal training partner.

• AI uses in sales: Sales reps are actively using AI to write templates, do research, and automate note taking and follow ups. But you’ll still need to proofread.

How Sam Parr brainstorms business ideas

You’ve dreamt up brilliant ideas, I’ve dreamt up brilliant ideas — but time and again, Sam Parr actually went the distance to make them real.  

Within a decade, he launched Hustle Con, The Hustle, Trends, My First Million, and most recently, Hampton — a private community for high-growth CEOs and founders. 

Here are Sam’s six steps to discovering the next big thing. We made a clean one-pager fit for saving to your desktop, or taping on the ceiling. 

Right above your bed. So every night, you can internalize this shit.

Checking in on LinkedIn 👀 

This is legendary 😂 

Sales Meme of the Day

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