Exploring the Role of Technology in Sales: Insights from Bristol Tech Festival
On 10th October 2024, I had the pleasure of hosting a business development meet-up as part of the Bristol Tech Festival. The event was held at the offices of Ghyston, a bespoke software company and the headline sponsor of the festival. The topic of discussion? How technology is reshaping the landscape of sales—and whether it's truly helping us or just adding more complexity.
A Changing Perception of Sales
I kicked things off by talking about something central to my mission: changing the perception of sales. Traditionally, sales has often been seen as a somewhat “dirty” job, but in reality, it’s an art, deeply human, and focused on connection. However, in today’s tech-driven world, I found myself asking the question—*is sales still human*?
This opened up a larger discussion: with AI and automation now so embedded in sales processes, are we seeing tech as a replacer or an enabler of human skills?
Tech: Enabler or Replacer?
During the presentation, I went through some of the pros and cons of tech in sales. While tools like AI can undoubtedly streamline and enhance many processes, it’s important to note that technology is not a silver bullet. Strong sales skills, built on empathy and understanding, remain essential. Tech can help us work smarter, but it cannot replace the human element of building relationships and trust.
PROs: How tech Can Enable Sales Success
Stay Top of Mind: Automated email flows and retargeting.
Find Customers More Easily: AI and intent data help discover prospects you wouldn’t have found manually.
Be More Relevant: AI-driven personalisation tailors messaging to specific customer needs.
Boost Efficiency: Reduce the cost of sales by automating repetitive tasks.
Greater Reach: Expand your market by reaching more customers at scale.
Focus on Consultative Selling: With tech handling the grunt work, salespeople can focus on building relationships.
Cons: The Risk of Technology in Sales
Saturation and Spam: Overuse of automation can lead to inbox overload, alienating prospects.
Laziness: Too much reliance on tech can lead to a drop in human effort and creativity.
Messy Data: Poor data management leads to ineffective automation, irrelevant targeting, and lost opportunities.
Blacklisting & Domain Damage: Sending too many automated emails without careful planning can damage your sender reputation.
Empowering Inexperienced Salespeople: AI tools in the wrong hands can cause more harm than good, creating impersonal or ineffective communications.
Brand Damage: Automated processes without strategy can dilute your brand’s personality and authenticity.
We then split into smaller discussion groups to dive deeper into how people are using technology in sales today. Here are some of the key insights:
Key Takeaways on Technology in Sales
Get a tech consultant: Start by auditing your current tools and building a roadmap. It’s essential to avoid paying for overlapping features across multiple tools.
Simplify: Where possible, look for ways to consolidate your tech stack, using one tool instead of several to streamline processes.
CRM vs Excel: At what point should you move from using Excel spreadsheets to a full-fledged CRM system? This was a common point of discussion.
AI and ChatGPT: ChatGPT can be a powerful tool if properly trained to learn about your business. The paid version is significantly more effective.
Tools Mentioned:
Claude: An AI tool for indexing case studies and RFI responses.
Co-Pilot: Another tool gaining traction in the AI space.
Amazon Pinpoint: A tool for customer engagement, although not everyone was familiar with it.
Surfe: A browser extension that allows you to turn LinkedIn into a CRM, tagging contacts and syncing messages.
CRM Options:
HubSpot: A good option for those creating content and looking for marketing automation, though the free version is quite limited, and costs rise as you add features.
Pipedrive: A lower-cost CRM focused more on sales but may require integration with other tools for marketing automation.
Mailchimp: Once the go-to tool, Mailchimp seems to be losing ground to more sophisticated alternatives.
Monday.com and ClickUp: While popular, they aren’t considered “proper” CRMs for those needing more advanced capabilities.
Audience Consideration: It’s crucial to consider where your audience engages online before jumping into outreach. For example, creative agency founders might be active on LinkedIn, but manufacturing leaders may not be.
Email Outreach Tools: *Apollo* and *Instantly* were both recommended as useful tools for email outreach campaigns.
Final Thoughts
While there’s no doubt that technology is changing the face of sales, the core of successful selling remains human. AI and automation can enhance processes, but they cannot replace the empathy, insight, and relationship-building that great salespeople bring to the table.
As we continue to embrace technology in sales, it’s vital that we don’t lose sight of this. Tech should be seen as an enabler, not a replacer, of the human touch that lies at the heart of every successful sale.