How Do I Determine the Best Use of AI in My Organization?

As the AI landscape evolves, many organizations find themselves at a crossroads, especially when it comes to integrating AI solutions that deliver meaningful value. While copilot-type solutions have gained popularity, they often fall short in terms of return on investment (ROI) and long-term impact. This begs the question: What is the best use of AI in your organization?

Look at Your Business Goals

Let’s start by examining the top business expectations for CMOs from the CMO Council’s CMO Intentions 2024 report:

Each of the top 6 expectations represents a critical area where AI, particularly conversational AI, can make a significant impact. But how do you choose the use cases that will best move the needle for your organization?

Applying AI to the Top Expectations

1. Revenue Growth: Pre- and Post-Sales Conversations That Convert

For CMOs aiming to drive top-line revenue growth, AI is becoming indispensable. Conversational AI can be particularly effective in enhancing both pre-sale and post-sale activities. By automating pre-sale processes, such as lead qualification and follow-up, your sales team can focus on closing deals rather than administrative tasks. On the post-sale side, AI-driven interactions help strengthen customer relationships, leading to higher retention rates and increased customer lifetime value.

2. Operational Efficiency & Reduced Cost: Boosting Productivity and Cutting Costs

Operational efficiency and cost reduction are perennial goals for any organization. AI can be a game-changer here, especially in sales and customer success roles. For example, Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) often spend hours on repetitive tasks like prospecting and follow-up. Conversational AI can take over these tasks, freeing up SDRs to focus on more strategic activities. In some cases, AI has even replaced the SDR role entirely, resulting in streamlined operations and significant cost savings.

3. AI Tech-Driven Efficiencies: The Digital Transformation Mandate

The mandate to fully adopt AI is more than just a trend; it’s the digital transformation of the 2020s. With AI tech-driven efficiencies being a top priority for senior management, the pressure is on to implement AI solutions that deliver tangible results. Conversational AI is particularly suited for this, as it integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, driving efficiencies across the board.

4. Brand and Customer Value Creation: Delivering a Consistent, Trustworthy Experience

In today’s competitive market, brand consistency and customer value creation are paramount. Conversational AI can help by providing a comprehensive concierge experience, guiding customers to the right products and services while ensuring a consistent experience from the first touchpoint onward. Moreover, AI solutions can be trained on your specific brand information, ensuring that every interaction is accurate and on-brand.

5. Higher Sales Conversion/Account Yield: Maximizing Lead Potential

One of the most compelling benefits of conversational AI is its ability to enhance sales conversion and account yield. By automating prospecting and lead qualification, AI tools can handle a high volume of leads with consistent efficiency. This not only increases the number of conversations your marketing and sales teams can have but also improves the quality of leads that make it to the sales team, driving higher conversion rates.

6. Customer Satisfaction: Speed, Accuracy, and Reliability

Today’s customers expect speed and accuracy in their interactions with brands. Human responses, while essential, can sometimes lead to errors that negatively impact customer satisfaction. Conversational AI acts as a reliable brand advocate, delivering precise information exactly when your prospects need it. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also reinforces trust in your brand.

What’s Next? Tailoring AI Use Cases to Your Organization’s Needs

While these six areas provide a strong framework for understanding the potential impact of AI, the next step is identifying specific use cases that align with your organization’s goals.

Start by analyzing your buyer journey. Where are your top three areas of need? What points see the most drop-off in your funnel? Once you’ve discovered the problem areas, you can choose Conversational AI use cases that fill in those gaps.

• Drumming Up New Interest: Moving Leads from Awareness to Consideration
  • Dynamic web engagement with AI Chat
  • Generate new interest from old lead stock
  • Revive interest of former users and customers
• Maximizing Funnel Conversion: Moving Prospects from Consideration to Purchase
  • Conversationally nurture leads
  • Rapid response for inbound leads
  • Improve lead quality with conversation-qualified leads
• Driving Retention and Expansion: Taking Customers from One-Time Buyers to Loyal Advocates
  • Request customer stories
  • Manage customer experience
  • Drive renewal and expansion

By focusing on these critical touchpoints, you can implement AI solutions that not only meet but exceed your business expectations for 2024 and beyond.