Generative AI (GenAI) is transforming how we all approach sales and lead generation. At Sales Force Europe, we believe in transparency and enterprise best practices.
We are clear with our existing clients and prospects, but we think every company should share more publicly how they are currently using generative AI in their sales and lead generation processes. Think of this post as a sort of generative AI sales template with GenAI best practices — at least for this moment and time.
When in doubt, remember that a human-centric GenAI strategy will always prioritize quality over quantity.
GenAI excels at brainstorming, making it valuable for top-of-funnel activities. Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can spark creative ideas and generate content. When combined with best-in-class enterprise data tools, you can build highly segmented datasets that precisely target your ideal customer profile (ICP) within your target addressable market (TAM).
At Sales Force Europe, our foundation is an established technology stack based on Salesforce (no relation, ha). It’s a custom, implemented stack designed to support volume-based lead generation through integrated data sources, cadence management, intent tools and AI prioritization, and personalization.
We leverage our own mix of generative AI and AI lead generation tools for the following top of funnel activities:
AI enables us to better research the Ideal Customer Profile or ICP within the context of different verticals, country markets and job roles. And we work with our clients to verify the ICP all along the way.
We leverage our own customized version of Salesforce as our secure, locked-down data repository with most of our Lead Generation and Sales engagements. This is overlaid with Salesforce Einstein AI for operations management. While all enterprise tools seem to have some sort of GenAI feature, Einstein AI truly brings value, providing a guided sales process that empowers our BDRs and sales reps stay on top of opportunities — always with a human in the loop. For our clients who prefer us to use their own platform, we share best practices, reporting templates and support the augmentation of their data from a European regulatory perspective.
We prioritize transparency and accountability. We collaborate with you to define key performance indicators (KPIs) and design reporting that tracks progress towards your goals. We also offer comprehensive deal and pipeline management services when needed. And we use AI where you know it’s being used.
While GenAI significantly informs our lead generation research, we believe it should not be involved in direct sales interactions.
We do not rely on AI for outreach or closing deals. And neither should you. Human interaction remains at the core of any enterprise tech sales cycle.
We strictly avoid AI-powered cold calling and power dialing — we remain the farthest thing from a call center. Our focus is on building genuine relationships with prospects through personalized interactions. When your prospects engage with us, they’re interacting directly with our team of dedicated professionals.
Within our own private business accounts of ChatGPT, our reps indeed experiment with GenAI to kick off and brainstorm content generation. But there’s always a human oversight and refinement — we don’t let AI dominate any step in our sales cycle.
We recommend leveraging AI to enhance your sales efficiency, such as utilizing tools for dictation and meeting summaries. However, always prioritize transparency and obtain client consent when recording calls.
Generative AI in sales cannot be relied on for personalized outreach. Which is crucial to successful enterprise sales and lead generation. Unlike many other lead generation agencies, we refuse to allow customer data to train AI platforms.
Avoid using AI-generated content for outreach. Prospects can easily detect inauthentic or generic messaging. This can damage your brand reputation and hinder your sales efforts.
Complying with GDPR and other European regulations are vital to every sales and lead generation activities.
It is crucial to not feed any personally identifiable information (PII) into any chatbot. Privacy rules differ dramatically by country, as do allowable methods of cold outreach to prospects and the mechanism covered — but the right sales agency will already know these local and regional regulations very well. Are you 100% certain you are not risking compliance if GenAI leads any part of your sales process?
Ensure your team — whether internal or with a sales agency like ours — comprises dedicated BDRs and sales professionals who prioritize data quality and compliance. Avoid using unverified tools or data sources that could jeopardize your reputation.
In the end, at least for the foreseeable future, the art of sales remains fundamentally human. Your generative AI sales policy should, like ours, blend a variety of data sources with human interaction and AI to drive more informed messaging and outreach at more appropriate times.
Of course, this is our view on how an enterprise outreach team and systems should be built today, but others will certainly debate this, which is welcomed. And if you have more questions, contact us!
