Instead of randomly contacting a large list of neglected accounts, use modern tools to make an educated guess about where to start. AI can quickly summarize past interactions, identify former buyers who have moved to new companies, or flag potential champions within an organization. This allows for a more strategic and personalized re-engagement effort.
AI excels at tasks like account scoring and initial insight gathering, providing a massive head start. However, the final strategic layer—interpreting the data and crafting the value proposition—requires human expertise. This "human first, AI fast" approach maximizes efficiency without sacrificing quality.
Instead of waiting for customers to churn, use AI to monitor key engagement metrics in real time (e.g., portal logins, link clicks). When a user shows signs of disengagement, trigger a personalized, automated nudge via SMS or email to get them back on track before they are lost.
Leverage AI to conduct comprehensive research on a prospect's company, industry, and the specific individuals you're meeting. This allows you to bypass basic discovery questions and dive into more relevant, informed conversations, making the sales call more efficient and valuable for the customer.
Instead of waiting for intent, Demandbase proactively builds future pipeline by scoring cold accounts. They create lookalike models based on their best customers and invest marketing spend against high-scoring cold accounts, anticipating they will enter a buying cycle in 9-12 months.
The most effective use of AI in sales is not to replace core selling activities but to handle low-value 'grunt work' like research, list building, and follow-ups. This strategy frees up a salesperson's time to focus on irreplaceable human skills like listening, building trust, and navigating complex emotions.
A powerful, untapped use case for AI is reviving neglected leads directly within your CRM. An agent native to Salesforce can access all historical data to send highly personalized follow-ups to thousands of leads your team previously ghosted, effectively turning forgotten data into new opportunities.
Unlike training a human, feeding an AI SDR historical 'good' emails can limit its effectiveness. The better approach is to train it on core personas and ways to add value, allowing the AI to use its ability to scrape vast, real-time data for hyper-personalization.
When approaching a neglected account, do not try to sell. Instead, start by acknowledging the lack of contact, apologizing for it, and asking for a fresh start. Then, your most important job is to listen to their frustrations without being defensive. This vulnerability builds trust more effectively than a sales pitch.
A primary reason for B2B churn is when your key contact at a client company leaves. Proactively monitor their LinkedIn profile. When they change jobs, immediately engage their old team to onboard their replacement and contact the champion at their new company to sell them again.
Don't wait for the perfect AI marketing platform. Repurpose existing AI sales tools for marketing automation. Their sequence and re-engagement capabilities can be hacked to run hyper-personalized drip campaigns, bridging the current technology gap.