How to sell artificial intelligence software in 2023 - from 5 leading AI scale-up executives.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the business world. However, AI scale-ups often undervalue the need to build strong sales and marketing teams that can effectively define, communicate and sell the value of their AI solutions to both potential customers and potential employees. There are unique challenges faced within AI tech scale-ups.
We asked industry leaders within the sector for their views on how to ‘sell’ AI and this is what they said:
Director, Product & Marketing at Rainbird. Rainbird is a no-code intelligent automation platform that enables you to scale human knowledge and automate decisions.
“At Rainbird AI, our experience has shown that it is critical to have a strong empathic approach to sales and marketing. It’s vital to listen effectively before communicating the transformational value of our next-generation symbolic AI platform.
At Rainbird we understand that people can get excited about technology but only buy solutions that solve their problems. Our sales and marketing teams excel in showcasing how Rainbird’s responsible AI addresses a wide range of market problems through the application of human-centric decision intelligence.
By emphasising key differentiators and focusing on the “why” rather than the “how,” our messaging resonates with clients across various industries, ultimately driving the successful adoption of innovative AI-driven change.
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Co-founder & CEO at Waggle, recent Techstart 202. Waggle is an AI copilot that helps managers know exactly what to do and when to do it to drive their team to perform.
“People buy solutions to their problems, the tech that is hidden behind the solution. Therefore, and because AI is soon to be commoditised, we should still focus on selling solutions to our customers’ problems, powered by AI”
VP Data & Analytics at Gelato. Ex-VP Data at Healthily. Healthily is the world’s first medically approved self-care platform designed around the user. Combining responsive AI with trusted insights and tools
“The way you sell AI is building and developing an exceptional product that you can’t argue with, something that is obviously useful to many, and I think that’s what something like ChatGPT proves, it’s valuable and remarkably useful.”
Founder of Miigle+. M+ is a platform that fosters conscious consumerism by leveraging artificial intelligence to help consumers find sustainable brands at the point of research or purchase.
“One of the main reasons why companies struggle to sell AI is because they over-index on the data aspect and not enough on the human benefits. Moreover, when talking about those human benefits, they are quickly correlated to an increase in bottom line revenue or decrease in cost. What we must realise is that whether it is a B2B or B2C sales process, we are still selling to humans, one process just has more key stakeholders than the other, so creating an emotional connection with the buyer(s) is still a necessary step.
The type of industry in which the AI technology is being leveraged also matters, and how the value proposition is communicated should also be tailored to the audience in those industries. Communication is just as important as the list of features or solutions, particularly when it’s a technology like AI that many people don’t understand and feel apprehensive about.
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Head of Digital at Hoptroff. Hoptroff is a B2B SaaS AI/ML technology company that develops products to support fintech, telecommunications, metaverse, IT cybersecurity, crypto, DLT, gaming, e-commerce and broadcast media.
“Any new technology that’s so disruptive is bound to make people uneasy, and that’s certainly true with AI. Developing AI and AGI has been the great dream of the tech industry. Now, with the arrival of ML and large amounts of computing power, sophisticated AIs are a reality, and they will get better very fast.
Broadly speaking, clients who understand the ways in which AI can assist with automating business processes; gaining data-driven insights; and engaging with customers are quick to buy AI/ML technology. In fact, they actively search for new AI/ML products and services in order to take gradual steps for significant changes in the not-too-distant future. One example of this is using AI to connect web2 and web3 data to help companies understand their users better and create personalised experiences.
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Differentiate the company from competitors by focusing on the why, not the how. People want to work for exciting leaders and companies with a mission driven agenda, more than the technology capability itself.
Avoiding AI-speak when speaking to candidates - translate complex concepts into practical steps to achieve business results without jargon, especially for sales and marketing hires.
Hire sales and marketing talent who already have a track record of success in AI. This is both obvious and difficult, but is possible with the right value proposition.
Identifying marketing executives who can clearly explain the complex value proposition of AI solutions and define the product/market fit.
Smaller companies can take advantage of the recent downsizing in Google, Facebook and Amazon. Lots of great candidates are available AI experience, and they are more open than ever to join a smaller company.
Create an open diverse culture to attract individuals with different backgrounds. Don’t overlook bright candidates from software industries who have a strong interest in AI.
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