Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming more prevalent, helping sales teams save time and money. Thanks to machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics, AI for sales tools can process large data sets and perform specific tasks, like lead tracking and sales forecasting, to streamline the entire sales process.
Learn how to use AI to automate repetitive tasks, generate real-time insights, and better predict customer behavior.
How to use AI in sales
Here’s how to incorporate AI into your sales process.
Automated Tasks
AI applications streamline repetitive tasks like scheduling meetings and emails, generating reports, and eliminating manual data entry, freeing up valuable time for sales reps to focus on higher-value activities like closing deals and building customer relationships.
work activities
Sales engagement platforms use AI tools to track and analyze customer interactions like email opens and clicks, website visits, social media engagement, etc. The AI tools then analyze customer behavior across channels to personalize outreach and tailor messages based on individual needs and interests.
This leads to deeper engagement and improved sales conversion rates. For example, AI algorithms can analyze customer behavior and recommend products or services related to their past purchases or browsing history.
Sales Training
AI can analyze sales calls and interactions to identify areas for improvement in following up with new sales leads, and this data can also be used to identify coaching opportunities for sales reps.
AI can also analyze data to identify up-sell and cross-sell opportunities, giving sales teams the opportunity to increase revenue. Sales managers can also optimize their time by focusing on qualified leads, improving sales conversion rates.
Lead Scoring
AI analyzes customer data and interactions (emails, calls, chats, etc.) to perform sentiment analysis and assign a score that indicates the likelihood that a lead will convert, helping salespeople understand sales performance, identify patterns, and prioritize efforts to target qualified leads.
customer service
AI-powered tools like chatbots can act as customer service representatives and personal assistants by qualifying leads and scheduling meetings, freeing up salespeople for more strategic tasks.
Churn prediction
AI analyses customer behavior to identify those at risk of churn (canceling services) and helps sales teams proactively retain these customers.
goal setting
AI analyzes historical sales data and customer interactions to predict future sales opportunities and market trends, allowing you to better allocate resources, forecast demand, and set realistic goals.
AI sales tools (in no particular order)
- Clap
- gong
- HubSpot
- Einstein
- Sales Loft
- Yes Wear
- Zoom Information
- Shopify Magic
There are a variety of AI sales tools on the market, each catering to specific needs. Here are some of the most popular options:
1. Clap
Built for team collaboration, Claap bills itself as the ultimate video recording tool. Sales teams can record meetings with AI-powered notes and centralize best practices in a video library. The platform uses AI to generate meeting summaries that can be used to send follow-ups to potential customers and keep the conversation going.
Fee: The basic plan is free, the starter plan is $8 per month, and the pro plan is $24 per month.
2. Gong
Gong is a revenue intelligence platform that specializes in conversation analytics and Salesforce training tools. The platform records, transcribes, and analyzes sales calls and meetings to provide insights and data-driven feedback to sales teams.
This not only saves sales reps time spent on mundane tasks like note-taking, but also helps organizations identify areas for improvement in their sales process.Gong provides AI-powered conversation insights to cater to the needs of enterprise sales teams with larger budgets.
Fee: It can be customized for each team, contact Gong directly for pricing.
3. HubSpot
HubSpot, a customer relationship management (CRM) data platform, offers a suite of AI tools for sales teams, including forecasting software, predictive lead scoring, and a content assistant to generate more effective sales content and outreach messages. It also includes ChatSpot, which automates manual sales tasks (data entry, note-taking, scheduling) and integrates with HubSpot CRM data to streamline the process.
Fee: Plans start at $800 per month.
4. Einstein
Software giant Salesforce prides itself on having one of the most comprehensive customer relationship management software platforms, and next it wants to become a pioneer in AI sales tools. Its tool, Einstein, integrates all AI capabilities within its CRM data platform to provide predictive analytics, lead scoring, and personalized recommendations to help sales teams optimize their strategies. Salesforce caters to businesses of all sizes, but given its brand name recognition, potential customers should also be prepared to pay more for its services.
Fee: It can be customized for each team, contact Salesforce directly for pricing.
5. Sales Loft
Salesloft consolidates email, phone, SMS, and social media messaging into one central platform. The sales engagement platform then uses AI to automate sales tasks, share customer interactions, track the performance of sales materials like presentations and proposals, and provide sales reps with key insights to help them accelerate the sales cycle and increase revenue.
Salesloft is the leading sales engagement platform with advanced features for large teams, and it comes with a price tag to match.
Fee: It can be customized for each team, contact Salesloft directly for pricing.
6. Yesware
Yesware uses AI to enhance email communications by drafting, proofreading and shortening copy, and can also notify users when recipients open an email, click a link, view an attachment, and more.
Yesware centralizes everything from email templates to calendar apps to email campaign performance with detailed reporting and analytics. Perfect for small businesses, Yesware operates at a competitive price for subscribers.
Fee: Free forever plan, Pro plan, $15/month, Premium plan, $35/month, Enterprise plan, $65/month. Custom plans are also available.
7. Zoom Information
ZoomInfo includes sales and revenue intelligence tools that provide customer data about potential customers, including data points that can be used to segment organizations (such as industry vertical, technology used, geographic location, and number of customers) and identify consumer website behavior.
ZoomInfo includes a tool called Chorus that uses AI and machine learning to transcribe and analyze sales calls, derive deal analytics and insights from customer interactions, and generate better training material for salespeople. It is targeted at enterprise-level customers, so it is also more expensive.
Fee: Free standard plan. Customizable plans are also available. Contact ZoomInfo directly for pricing.
8. Shopify Magic
Shopify Magic is an AI-powered tool that simplifies running your online business. It helps you optimize your email interactions by suggesting the best time to send emails and generating subject lines and copy. Magic not only helps you create SEO-friendly product descriptions and edit or remove backgrounds for more professional images, but also strengthens customer relationships by suggesting personalized FAQs and answers, and converting live chats into digital shopping carts and seamless checkouts based on relevant queries.
Fee: Included with every Shopify account.
AI for Sales FAQ
How can AI be used in sales?
AI can automate sales tasks and generate real-time, data-driven insights, helping sales teams work smarter and close more deals.
Will AI replace salespeople?
The future of sales lies in a collaborative approach that blends human salesperson expertise with intelligent automation. AI is not designed to replace salespeople, but to act as a powerful and helpful assistant. By automating repetitive tasks, AI frees up salespeople's valuable time, allowing them to focus on more rewarding sales tasks.
Does Shopify offer AI selling tools?
Shopify is expanding its portfolio of AI sales tools to empower entrepreneurs and sales managers, including two AI sales tools that directly support sales reps: Shopify Magic and Sidekick.
