Pete McChrystal

How Custom ChatGPT Recommends Next Steps to Drive Sales

Learn how an Enterprise Version of ChatGPT helps sales reps decide what to do next in sales situations

The Problem

I’ve talked to many, many sales leaders in my role as advisor and consultant in the sales and revenue enablement industry. From my research and discussions, the biggest two problems that face sales reps and managers are:

Where should I focus—meaning where should I spend my time?
What should I do next for each deal or situation?

This article is about answering question 2, what should a rep do next in each opportunity.

The question absolutely plagues sales reps—and entire teams. It’s the number one reason deals don’t move forward. Reps get stuck and just don’t know what to do next to get buyers to take the next step. Sometimes the answer is easy and obvious. Sometimes it’s not. What doesn’t work in all cases is to do nothing—which is all too often the case when a rep gets stuck.

Let’s dive into next steps and see how this new ChatGPT AI technology can help “break the ice” and get reps unstuck in deciding what to do next to move buyers forward in the deal.

The Power of Custom ChatGPT in Sales

Before moving forward, I’d like to quickly weigh-in on Large Language Models and ChatGPT AI technology. I’ve been producing technology that helps sales and marketing teams [revenue teams] operate more efficiently and effectively for many years now. But, we’re all now at a serious inflection point.

I have never seen any technology that has close to the same potential to help revenue teams, period. This stuff is absolutely amazing. It connects so many dots that before were simply left unconnected. It can make sense of data and information in seconds that before, even the most carefully crafted analytics and algorithms just could not. Its recommendations and insights are incredibly accurate and relevant. It’s ability to not only analyze, but to create content like personalized emails, business cases, and even personalized presentations for buyers is nothing less than astounding. And, don’t even get me started on what it can do for marketing….

Excited? Yeah, I’m pretty excited. Why? Because the industry I am part of [Sales or Revenue Enablement] can now bring more value to our customers than we ever could before. And not just more value—dramatically more value. And we can do it in a much more customized way—thanks to the breakthroughs in AI.

First, Why Reps Get Stuck

A Custom ChatGPT can look at the data and information surrounding a sales situation and quickly make sense of it, and then recommend logical next steps. It does so in seconds. Can reps do this manually? Yes. They can. And some do. But it’s not the norm. And it takes time to do it. So many reps don’t. They end up focusing on the deals where the next steps come easiest—where the is answer is a “no brainer” or when buyers actually push them to next steps. But what about all the deals where buyers would take the next steps if a logical next step was proposed, or if the information they needed was provided so they agree to the next meeting? And it’s moving those opportunities forward that make the difference between a healthy pipeline and one that’s starving for good, healthy deals.

How Custom ChatGPT Helps with Next Steps

A Custom ChatGPT sifts through the sales activity data and information [which that AI helps collect] to determine the status of the deal. It looks through recent emails, web meeting transcripts, notes in the CRM [if they exist, and probably don’t]. It uncovers things like buyers needs and questions they may have. If it doesn’t find sufficient information, it may ask to rep for help—which is only logical. Then, it helps the rep by writing a suggested email for the buyer and may even recommend content from their sales library to include. It may also recommend a phone script or meeting topics to cover with the buyer. In short, it “breaks the ice” and gives the rep a good starting point—mostly ready for action—to take the next step.

Benefits of Custom ChatGPT in Recommending Next Steps

It’s simple. More deals move forward. Less deals stay stuck. A Custom ChatGPT helps reps and managers move more deals forward faster. More deals get good, solid follow-up with logical next steps. Buyers don’t need miraculous information to move forward, they need relevant information and next steps. Custom ChatGPT AI provides this push.

When a rep gets up every morning, they get a list of deals with logical next step recommendations for every deal they should follow-up with that day. What a dream for a sales leader! No more relying on gut-feel, emotion, memory, or hoping they actually use the CRM. This technology takes us beyond all that. The AI analyzes the rep’s list of opportunities or accounts, and then creates a set of follow-up recommendations for each one.

Limitations? Maybe a Few, But Not Many

Are the recommendations perfect? Maybe not. That’s why they are “recommendations.” But how often are the rep’s next steps perfect? Let’s not let “Perfect” be the enemy of “Really, Really Good.”

“What about hallucinations? Doesn’t AI have these things called hallucinations?” Yes, it can. Hallucinations are guesses or extrapolations made by the AI usually when it doesn’t have the right information to work with. This can be prevented with the right guardrails that can be set up in your Custom ChatGPT solution.

Will This AI Replace Sales Reps Entirely?

Reps and their managers stay in-charge. This AI will not replace sales reps—especially in the complex sale—anytime soon. But it will give them a good shove, and a lot of needed assistance. Sales reps can take the recommendations, modify, change, or redo completely. The most important thing is that these suggestions by the AI give reps at least a starting point—something to shoot at. Which, in most cases is all they need to get moving to take the next step with a buyer.

How Custom ChatGPT Enhances Overall Sales Performance

The practical applications of Custom ChatGPT in suggesting next steps are endless. During initial prospecting, it researches buyers and assists in identifying key pain points and tailoring the approach. During the sales cycle, It studies past successful interactions to provide insights into the most compelling messaging and value propositions for each buyer. In the negotiation stage, it provides guidance based on successful past deals. Post-sale, it can help by suggesting up sell opportunities, renewals, or follow-up actions to nurture customer relationships.

Maximizing the Use of Custom ChatGPT in Sales

To truly harness the potential of Custom ChatGPT, it's crucial to follow some best practices. Feeding Custom ChatGPT with quality activity data is a really important. The good news is that the AI helps with data collection, but that’s another story. Regular fine-tuning of the information and integrating feedback from sales leaders refines the recommendations to align with your sales objectives. And that's part of the great power of this technology. You can easily make adjustments that impact what and how the system makes the recommendations. It’s like having the "strategy steering wheel" in your hands. Pretty amazing.

Getting Started

Sounds really good, but how hard is all this to get going? Actually, it’s not bad at all. Two connections points: to your CRM, and your email and calendaring system and your off to the races. If all you want the system to do is provide information and answers to product and sales questions, it’s even easier. But, if you’re going to do it, I would put the right information in to really get the great next step recommendations. That means information about your accounts and opportunities [CRM], and activity data [email and calendar data, i.e. Microsoft Exchange data].

As you go forward, integration of Custom ChatGPT into other sales systems and workflows is something you’ll want to consider for optimal use of this technology. But, that is certainly something to consider after you get going.

Looking at the Future of Custom ChatGPT in Sales

As technology advances, so does Custom ChatGPT. With potential improvements in natural language processing, machine learning, and data analysis, Custom ChatGPT's capabilities will continue to enhance. Integrating Custom ChatGPT with other sales tools and systems can further magnify its impact, leading to more efficient and effective sales processes.

Imagine this for a minute. I need a customized PowerPoint deck to present to a buyer at my meeting this afternoon. “Damn, I just haven’t had the time to get to it.” No sweat, with a Custom ChatGPT solution, I just ask. “Create a personalized presentation for Jill Thomas at Siemens. Please include her needs and some relevant product slides.”

“Boom.” It’s done. In your inbox. And it’s done in just a few seconds. In your branded, corporate-approved format. It looks like you spent a couple of hours putting it together. But you didn’t. Your Custom ChatGPT did it in about a minute.

Wrap Up

We are at a major inflection point. Custom Enterprise ChatGPT is transforming the sales landscape, offering personalized recommendations that boost sales success. From prospecting, through the sales cycle, into negotiation and post-sales activities, Custom ChatGPT is a valuable assistant, helping sales reps and leaders make informed decisions, take action, and achieve better outcomes. By implementing this new AI tech, sales teams can gain a competitive edge and drive revenue growth.

My strong recommendation to you is not to wait. Look into this technology and do it quickly. Top organizations are already moving. Get on the cutting edge of this trend. There is simple no reason not to.

Hope you have your best year ever.

Pete McChrystal

CEO, Accent Technologies