AI and automation technologies promise immense gains in efficiency, cost-savings, and innovation for organizations across every industry. However, this once deal-closing promise is now outdated and is no longer enough to seal the deal with prospective buyers, says Apoorva Pande, CEO and founder of a leading Silicon Valley company specializing in AI implementations.
Pande asserts that sellers must pivot towards showcasing their proficiency in managing organizational change and rather than just delivering substantial return on investment (ROI). From his vantage point within the industry, Pande outlines three pivotal strategies for AI sales success:
1. Master Change Management, Not Just Features
Companies want experts who understand workflows, can liaise between departments, help employees transition, and have a track record of success. They need to know you can deliver on your promises so they can confidently report results to investors and shareholders.
“The big mistake that most people are making when they’re selling this AI is they’re just selling ROI. They’re saying it’s going to make you more productive, save you money and time, etc. But everybody knows it’s a benefit to them already,” Pande explains.
The real question buyers have is who can best shepherd our organization through adopting and benefiting from AI. As Pande advises, “When people are buying this AI, they’re not buying how great your tool is, they’re buying how great you are at implementing that tool.” Pande criticizes the prevalent strategy of selling AI based solely on ROI projections. He argues that buyers are more interested in identifying partners who can adeptly guide their organizations.
2. Plan for Bad and Good Outcomes
To build trust and credibility with prospects, sellers need to make the failure rate very clear and establish from the beginning the common patterns of implementations that failed. You’ll share risk and be able to pre-empt it during the sales process.
Closely tied to stellar change management is being transparent of the risks of implementation failure. “What happens if they don’t get the result from buying you? How are you going to manage that change after that?” Pande asks.
Integral to effective change management is transparency about potential implementation challenges. Pande advises sellers to openly discuss the risks of AI deployment and propose proactive solutions. Establishing clear expectations and offering pilot programs ranging from 3 to 6 months can mitigate risks, build credibility, and demonstrate the capability to deliver on promises.
As Pande advises, “It’s not just about your product, it’s about how they’re going to experience your product after they purchase it and how the organization is going to change as a whole.”
3. Adopt a Transformational Mindset
The final piece of the puzzle is approaching sales with a transformational mindset instead of focusing solely on the money they’re paying for features or benefits. This entails understanding customers’ businesses, mandates, and risks deeply in order to create truly customized solutions. Shifting to a consultative approach makes sellers invaluable partners to customers instead of replaceable vendors pitching commoditized products.
As Pande notes, “There is this drain in the industry now where it’s hard to book calls, hard to get follow-ups, hard to get champions and buyers to come in. All of this is based on the fact that most people are not selling change management. Most people are selling features.” When successfully executed they not only become trusted advisors that consistently execute organizational transformation via not just AI, but also evolve into life-long interpersonal relationships.
The Bottom Line
“In today’s market, clients are not just buying technology—they’re investing in a vision for their company’s future,” Pande remarks. By aligning sales strategies with the strategic implementation of pilot programs, sales teams for AI companies can effectively navigate complexities, drive meaningful engagements, and ultimately, transform industries.
