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Will AI Be The Death of Sales? Experts Weigh In. One million sales reps will be displaced by 2020. This bold statement is the result of a 2015 study conducted by the research group Forrester. Findings of the report predict that with the onslaught of artificial intelligence (AI), B2B sellers will need to drastically change their selling model in order to remain relevant to their buyers.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 2 million people working in sales in the United States. With so many Americans employed in sales it bears the question; is the acquisition of sales skills keeping pace with the rate of change in the industry? And is AI really going to eliminate salespeople, or is the change more of a metamorphosis of sales skills?
I set out to answer these questions by speaking to recruitment and human resource experts on the topic. Khurshid Anis, Global HR Advisor, and Ryan Moore, Director of Client Management at Peak Sales Recruiting, tackled this tough issue and shared their insight and thoughts.
Is the sales industry at risk? For Anis, they answer is yes, and no. “Every position is at risk if you’re not willing to learn and evolve. As AI becomes more and more intelligent, it saves time for sales to do something that is much more human. Relationships will always be a human function, the risk is in not learning, or not having the right mindset.”
Moore feels that the Forrester prediction is aggressive. “The sales world will never go away, although you may see relationships become the focus. The human aspect will not go away,” he said.
With AI, many research components will be automated. Sellers will be able to understand their buyer better and can automate tasks around follow up. With a chunk of administrative work lifted off salespeople, there is more time for skill development.
So, how is the sales industry keeping up with the rate of change? “This skill gap is widening,” says Anis. “With a shelf life of any skill lasting one to two years, you have to continually learn. And, every organization is struggling to find the right seller, yet many don’t know what the right skills are. Success is about the right mindset. Are you fighting change or building new skills?”
With the industry continuing to evolve, Moore sees the inclusion of AI in its infancy. “You can be a seller with AI in your back pocket, but still need to understand the triggers. There needs to be continual training to develop skills around the relationship with AI. How do you absorb the data? What do you do with it?” he said.
What about sales leaders — do they know what future skills are needed and are they training to them? Both Anis and Moore agree that the top of the house — the executive level — has a good understanding of what is needed and are strategizing around it. The younger field reps understand it and want it. It’s the middle that is struggling. Middle managers are not learning as fast as they should, and some are resistant to the change. This change in process is “paralyzing to some mid-level managers who have to adapt, while still feeling the pressure to hit their numbers” says Moore. Of course, some industries are more nimble in adaptation than others. For example, “The software industry has acknowledged what AI can do for sales, more so than the manufacturing industry,” says Moore.
With sales and marketing working together with AI and sales enablement, the catchphrase Smarketing has emerged. Although the relationship between these two departments has evolved over the last 5 years, we are now starting to “see the lines blur” says Moore. “The disconnect between the two departments is going to the way side. Marketing is now digital lead generation,” he says.
All agree that recruiting great talent is extremely difficult. So, as AI impacts the workforce there will be an increased need for, what? Anis sums up the need succinctly, as someone who is “experienced, knows technology, open to learning and still hungry.” And while these people exist, there are “not enough of them” according to Anis.
Moore reveals that the pressure in sales recruitment has never been greater. “There is a shortage of great talent across the board,” he said. “Talent is at a premium in the US.” He also notes that almost “every industry is moving to a shift of inside sales. Certain verticals will always require a face to face meeting, but with more software as a service (SaaS) and monthly recurring revenue (MRR) products, the need for outside sales is declining.”
In the episode “Branch Closing” of the hit NBC series The Office, Michael Scott, announces to the team “It’s over. We are screwed.” Is the sales profession overall screwed? What will it take to survive?
“Relationship skills and human contact,” as well as “going deeper” with sales presentations are Moore’s keys to success. “Be intelligent about what you want to learn,” says Anis. “Choose skills that are needed or will be needed. Create a partnership mindset, and practice human skills (i.e., Emotional Intelligence) needed to connect with clients and other employees.”
How will sales survive and will there be a significant loss in jobs? Order takers (like the Dominos guy answering the phone for the buy), will struggle to survive and are at risk. Salespeople (the ones that can “sell ice to Eskimos”) need to evolve quickly, or they too will become extinct. Sales experts, partners, and problem solvers will not only endure, but also prosper and be in great demand.
Anis sums it up nicely, “Companies need to get intentional about identifying and investing in the right talent, empowering sales and sales enablement. Organizations will thrive and people will be gainfully employed only if sales does well.”
This article was written by Christine Miller of Miller Sales Consulting. With extensive experience as a highly strategic sales motivator and sales coach, Christine has excelled at building and structuring sales organizations. More sales advice can be found on her LinkedIn page, as well as Medium. Subscribe to her videos on YouTube.