AI Tools for Better Sales Outreach and Performance
B2B sales are on the brink of a transformative evolution, and AI is leading the charge. From lead generation to deal closure, AI-powered tools are reshaping how sales teams interact with prospects, nurture relationships, and achieve sales goals.
More than 85 percent of commercial leaders who responded to McKinsey’s Global B2B Pulse Survey (2024) and deployed generative AI in their organizations reported being “very excited” about the technology. They see it as a way to increase efficiency, boost top-line growth, enhance customer experience, improve margins, and nurture innovation.
Yet only 21 percent of commercial leaders who responded to McKinsey’s survey report had enterprise-wide adoption of gen AI in B2B buying and selling, and only 22 percent had piloted specific use cases. This means more than half of the respondents have not started using AI in their sales operations!
For those just starting or looking to pilot specific use cases, here are areas where AI is changing sales processes, automating repetitive tasks, and delivering actionable insights.
AI for sales engagement
AI-powered tools are changing how sales engage with prospects and customers through real-time interactions. For example, tools like Drift by Salesloft engage website visitors in natural, human-like conversations, answer questions, offer product recommendations, and even schedule meetings, all in the visitor’s preferred language.
Certainly, offers a virtual chatbot that engages with clients, answers inquiries, provides recommendations and gathers valuable customer data. Similarly, Instabot’s AI chatbot facilitates text-based conversations with clients, creating seamless interactions that ensure quick responses and foster engagement.
To illustrate the potential value of AI chatbots, retailer Solo Brands used a generative AI chatbot to resolve 75% of customer interactions. Automating routine customer interactions allows sales teams to focus on more complex, meaningful, or high-value conversations.
In addition to direct engagement, AI improves the quality of sales interactions. AI tools like MeetGeek and Airgram enable sales teams to retain critical information by transcribing meeting recordings, summarizing key points, and storing them in easily accessible databases. This makes sales teams better prepared and allows them to align their conversations with where they are in their customer journey.
AI for sales outreach
AI is predicted to fulfill 60 percent of sales tasks by 2028, including optimizing sales outreach. Solutions such as Apollo.io and Qualifier.ai help teams identify ideal prospects, reach out to the right leads, automate outbound activities and provide tools to close deals. Modjo takes engagement further by analyzing conversations and sentiment to predict buyer behavior and recommend the next steps in the sales process.
These capabilities enable businesses to engage prospects with targeted, relevant communications that resonate with customer needs, increase conversion rates and drive higher successful outcomes.
AI for sales automation
AI-enabled sales automation tools help teams identify high-potential leads, score them based on relevance, and automate repetitive tasks. This frees up time to focus on building relationships and closing deals.
In a recent HubSpot survey, 42% of sales respondents used AI for task automation. In the same study, 35% said that AI helped them with manual task automation, 27% said it freed up time to make more sales, and 22% said AI helped them with personalized outreach.
There are many AI options for task automation. For example, Akkio offers models for lead scoring, identifying customer churn and optimizing sales pipelines. Outplay and Reply.io combine prospect management and tracking, email sequencing, and meeting scheduling with AI-driven writing assistance and conversational intelligence.
Together, these tools offer the opportunity to reduce the time spent on routine tasks so sales tasks can become highly efficient, data-driven processes.
AI tools to analyze sales calls
AI tools leverage natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to extract valuable conversation insights. For instance, Gong and Chorus.ai analyze call recordings to identify successful sales techniques, detect areas for improvement, and provide metrics such as talk-to-listen ratio or keyword trends.
Allego Conversation Intelligence identifies what works in sales calls and coaches reps by highlighting missed opportunities, such as cross-selling or upselling chances. Salesforce Einstein uses AI to predict which leads will most likely convert, helping prioritize efforts and resources.
By identifying patterns, these tools help sales teams replicate winning behaviours, be aware of objection patterns and suggest real-time responses so sales reps can have more effective calls.
AI tools for sales content creation
AI tools reduce the time needed to produce emails, proposals, presentations, case studies and social media posts. They also ensure a consistent and professional approach in all customer interactions.
For example, ezSales.ai crafts highly personalized cold emails by analyzing prospects’ company websites and social media profiles, while Leadiq generates email drafts that address pain points and communicate value propositions.
Beyond emails, AI tools like Hyperwrite assist in crafting business proposals, while Storydoc generates pitch decks and interactive proposals that integrate with CRM systems like Salesforce.
Meanwhile, LearnExperts uses generative AI to transform documents, presentations, and video recordings from subject-matter experts into eLearning courses, microlearning, presentations, and other content for sales training programs. This tool speeds up training content creation and ensures alignment with the company’s messaging and customer needs.
AI tools can also support broader sales content needs. Writecream generates text, audio, and images for diverse content types, such as ad copy, product descriptions, and podcasts.
These AI-driven solutions empower sales teams to focus more on building relationships and less on repetitive tasks, driving efficiency and effectiveness in the sales process.
AI tools for sales performance tracking
AI tools also empower teams to make informed decisions and optimize strategies. For sales forecasting, tools like Salesforce Einstein and HubSpot Sales Hub use AI to analyze historical data, market trends, and real-time information to predict revenue outcomes and sales performance. These tools can identify potential deal closures, assess pipeline health, and provide accurate sales forecasts.
AI tools like Forma.ai connect all sales performance management data, functions, and stakeholders, allowing for easy territory, quota, and sales compensation decision-making. Clari Forecast is a sales forecasting tool that uses AI to help businesses forecast revenue for any revenue model, track forecast changes, provide insights into quarter-end expectations, and spot risks and opportunities in real-time.
By uncovering trends and patterns that traditional analysis might miss, sales leaders can refine their strategies and make confident decisions based on robust data insights.
Key considerations when choosing an AI tool
The above-listed tools are just a sample of the AI tools available to enhance sales performance. The key to selecting the right one is to first define the specific problem that you want to solve and how you will measure whether the tool is working.
Consider each tool's features and functionality once you know what you want to achieve. Sometimes, you may need to look into customization options so the tool can meet your needs and scale as you grow.
Another consideration is available integrations. To ensure full end-to-end functionality, you will want your AI tools to seamlessly integrate with your existing systems, such as CRM or ERP platforms. In some cases, the availability of a robust API will enable integrations.
Once you have reviewed the tool’s features, look at the user interface. You want a tool that is easy to use, so you have wide adoption across your sales team. Check what kind of training and support the vendor provides, which may include 24/7 assistance, dedicated account managers and an active user community.
Other considerations include costs, how the tool handles sensitive information and commitment to innovation. Understand the pricing model, whether it’s a subscription, pay-as-you-go, or a one-time license fee. Ask how the tool manages sensitive information and complies with relevant regulations, and whether there is a product roadmap that you can review to ensure the tool will evolve with your business needs.
Finally, get your sales team involved in demos or trial periods to validate its effectiveness. This will ensure you have not missed any specific use cases and get your team's buy-in to use the tool.
By carefully considering these factors, you will increase the chances that your AI tool will meet your immediate and long-term goals for your sales teams.
About Sarah Sedgman, LearnExperts
Sarah Sedgman, CEO of LearnExperts.ai, started her career as a course developer. She eventually owned some of the largest and most profitable learning businesses at companies like Cognos, IBM, PTC, and Kinaxis. As founder of LearnExperts and board member of CEdMA and TSIA, Sarah’s vision is to help customers build great and effective learning programs.