{"id":71021,"date":"2024-07-25T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=71021"},"modified":"2024-07-25T16:08:38","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T15:08:38","slug":"sales-ai-statistics-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/uk\/news\/stories\/sales-ai-statistics-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"8 in 10 UK and Ireland Sales Teams Are Using AI Amid Competitive Climate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

According to new research released today in Salesforce\u2019s sixth State of Sales<\/em> report<\/a>, 59% of sales reps in the UK and Ireland (UKI) don’t expect to meet their quota this year, a fall from the 78% who missed it last year. These numbers highlight the significant pressure sellers are under. Lagging productivity may also be a factor. UKI sales reps report spending 71% of their time on non-selling tasks, making it difficult to connect with prospects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is good news. To address these challenges, many companies are using predictive and generative AI<\/a> to free reps to focus on selling and building trusted relationships with customers. In fact, 79% of UKI sales teams are either experimenting with or have fully implemented AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State of Sales <\/em>report includes these and other insights from 5,500 sales professionals across 27 countries – including 300 UK and 100 Irish respondents. The findings provide important insights into how companies drive growth and stand out in a crowded marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reps say selling has gotten more challenging amid heightened competition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Across most sales organisations, revenue growth<\/a> isn’t keeping pace with company goals. In the UKI, sales professionals<\/a> say supply chain issues and changing customer demands are their top obstacles. Meanwhile, 59% of UKI sellers say competition has gotten more challenging since last year, and only 12% say it\u2019s gotten easier.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Nonselling tasks pull reps away from customer relationship building<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Customer expectations, supply chain issues, and competition aren\u2019t the only obstacles to sales. Non-selling tasks, such as administrative work and meeting preparation, consume 71% of UKI reps’ time. Without time carved out for critical selling efforts, reps struggle to connect with customers.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cDeep relationships with customers are the difference-makers when it comes to challenging sales environments,\u201d said Ketan Karkhanis, EVP and GM of Sales Cloud at Salesforce. \u201cB2B buyers are more likely to purchase when reps act as trusted advisors. However, too often, deep knowledge of customer need and opportunity is lacking or not effectively communicated. That makes it difficult to build trust, derailing deals.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deep relationships with customers are the difference-makers when it comes to challenging sales environments.<\/p>\nKetan Karkhanis, EVP and GM of Sales Cloud at Salesforce<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Sellers see accuracy, personalisation benefits from AI despite adoption hurdles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a climate of heightened competition and scarce hours in the day to sell, many sales teams are looking to AI for support. Currently, 45% of UKI sales organisations are experimenting with AI, and an additional 34% say they have the technology fully implemented in their operations. Of course, given the exceptionally rapid pace at which AI is evolving, whether teams consider their current implementations complete may change in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Regardless, the benefits of AI for sales teams are clear and growing. Worldwide, when asked to name where AI has had the biggest impact, sales professionals point to five key areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Sales data quality and accuracy: <\/strong>From error detection to automatically updating deal records, AI can ensure data is up-to-date and free from human error.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Understanding customer needs: <\/strong>AI can analyse customer feedback from a variety of sources to gauge customer sentiment and identify areas of need before a sales rep presents a solution. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Personalisation for customers: <\/strong>Sales teams can leverage predictive analytics<\/a> to forecast a buyer\u2019s future order based on past purchases, provide recommendations to upsell, and more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Sales forecasting accuracy: <\/strong>From highlighting pipeline red flags to projecting closed deals, AI can deliver insights to help shape revenue-generating sales strategies. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Prospect\/customer communications: <\/strong>Teams are tapping generative AI grounded in trusted customer data to write personalised emails to prospects \u2014 saving time trying to craft a message manually.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    However, there are some obstacles to successful AI implementation. In the UKI:<\/p>\n\n\n\n