When most people say they're “using AI,” what they really mean is that they are using Large language models (LLMs) to help them with written text. According to a recent Secret Source survey, 96% of respondents who claimed to use AI were only leveraging it for basic tasks like improving their writing or getting step-by-step instructions. Only 4% used AI for more strategic duties like monitoring performance, identifying potential issues or to generate their own AI Agents to help them with their work.
This led us to wanting to share more to how AI can be used within Sales, Marketing and Service roles that go beyond using it for basic admin.
Truly using AI means having intelligent agents working in the background, alerting you to issues, automating processes, and surfacing opportunities without you even being at your desk.
The future isn’t just AI or human; it’s a hybrid approach where AI and humans collaborate for maximum impact. (Secret Source Marketing)
If you’re a sales or marketing leader, here are actionable ways to use AI agents and automation to get ahead. These are not in order of priority, pick the ones that fit your needs and activate them today.
How can AI agents improve CRM data quality?
AI agents can monitor your CRM for incomplete records, flag data quality issues, and identify prospects going cold, before you even notice. CRM's that can help click
How can AI help spot sales bottlenecks?
AI can analyse deal velocity, highlight bottlenecks in your sales process, and alert you to opportunities that need immediate attention.
Can AI monitor internal team health?
AI can analyse sentiment in Slack, emails, and project updates to spot potential issues early, helping you do more with less time. Secret Source Specialists use this currently to find out more, book a discovery call or chat to us online Here
How does AI improve marketing attribution?
AI can continuously audit your attribution models, finding gaps where leads are lost between touchpoint, ensuring no opportunity slips through the cracks. Tools can track the journey and enable a marketing leader to put their investment into the channels that really work. To go one further, imagine being able to tell which top of funnel activities work seasonally or even more micro focussed than that!
Which project management tools use AI for predictions?
Platforms like Monday.com and Asana now have smart assistants that predict project delays, resource conflicts, and scope creep before they derail your campaigns. Secret Source ran a comprehensive procurement exercise for a proactive project management tool and have honed it over the last two years tailoring its capabilities to work the way we want it to.
How can AI scoring improve lead qualification?
AI can dynamically score leads in real-time based on behaviour patterns, not just static demographic data, helping you focus on the hottest prospects.
Can AI help with competitor analysis?
AI agents can scan for competitor mentions, pricing changes, and market shifts, giving you real-time intelligence while you focus on closing deals. There are ready-made tools in the market that can help you do this, or you can develop your own.
How can AI improve content marketing?
Before you hit publish, AI agents can analyse which content will resonate best based on your audience’s historical engagement patterns. Indeed, this article you are reading went through exactly this process to help bring you this content.
Are these AI capabilities already in my tools?
Most of these features are likely built into the tools you already use. The key is knowing how to activate and configure them for your business. If you’re unsure how to get started, let’s talk! (sorry, while this is a blatant plug for what it is the Secret Source team do, we do need to discuss it through thoroughly)
We don’t claim to know it all, and things in sales and marketing are moving at a pace! We are always curious to learn from others. What AI hacks have improved your day? How have you gone beyond ChatGPT and tapped into useful AI agents? Share your experiences in the comments!
Final Thoughts:
AI is more than just a writing assistant. By leveraging AI agents and automation, sales and marketing leaders can unlock new levels of productivity and insight. Start small, experiment, and see how AI can work for you, beyond just writing better emails.
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Secret Source don't just talk the talk, we have the badges to prove it! So, if you want sound advice on the latest and greatest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it is being used by Sales, Marketing and Service Professionals.