(By Loyd Ford) Last week, I talked with a very smart Sales Manager/Market Manager who is looking for work right now. He called to check in, but our conversation rapidly evolved to talking about the power and fear of artificial intelligence and sales.
By now you’ve heard it all. “AI will replace us all.” AIcan do your work.” “AI is too complicated for me to learn it.” “AI is so scary it makes me go into lockdown.” “AI can’t be better than me.”
He asked a few questions and then said, “I’m amazed at what I am learning about artificial intelligence that already makes me more valuable on the market for radio today. Learning these skills will allow me to explode my positive impact on sales teams and revenue at a much higher and faster pace than before.”
Of course, I shared with him aspects of new artificial intelligence tools that can allow local radio groups to launch tangible creative ideas that can help sellers create more productive cold calling by showing advertisers proof of something they want and “can’t unhear.” That creates more buying.
That’s when he talked about what he has learned about speed now available to sellers and sales managers because of AI in creating sales opportunities, presentations, data, and rapid influence.
Finally, he said, “People fear being replaced by AI, but the truth is more like this. You are less likely to be replaced by artificial intelligence than almost anyone thinks, but we are all more vulnerable to being replaced by someone who is using AI to become much more productive than you are now.”
Let’s be direct. In a world where radio groups and local owners need leadership that knows more about new technologies like artificial intelligence and how to use it to create more productivity, don’t you want to know the person I talked to this week about this who is looking for a job? It’s just a phone call.
There are a lot of different ways to increase your sales. But please let me point out what my friend looking for a job is really saying and why this should be a big part of your focus now.
Money isn’t real. It’s only important when you don’t have any. Sales come and go, but your time is essentially most valuable. Learn how to use AI to increase your sales by destroying how much time it takes you to do things AI can do in just minutes. Or less.
And time is money. But you already know that.