Artificial intelligence (AI) is giving sales managers and their teams the trusted data to significantly improve performance. Eclipsing last-generation sales automation, one example is the latest tool from Indian startup that delivers more than sales targets or even insights. This AI-based intelligence layer tracks and analyzes real-time sales performance trends 鈥� upward or downward 鈥� making teams and their managers accountable to act on the next best strategy.
Co-founded by CEO Monis Khan, Datoin鈥檚 AI-based sales intelligence tool automates sales planning, execution, and measurement. Khan understands the unique challenges sales managers face with employee churn, not to mention team frustrations with time-wasting technology.
鈥淲e provide a layer of consumable sales intelligence that gives both management and field reps data-driven information to help increase performance and revenues,鈥� said Khan. 鈥淚nstead of spending time updating systems, salespeople receive informed recommendations they can use to boost their personal productivity and meet sales objectives.鈥�
Datoin has targeted the solution towards consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers with direct-to-retail sales teams. One large paint manufacturer increased sales from 7% to 26% after its team began using Datoin鈥檚 automation tool. Salespeople using Datoin at another CPG manufacturer increased deal revenues by 19%. Generally speaking, sales teams average a 40% increase in visits.
Prepared Salespeople Sell More
At the start of every month, Datoin鈥檚 tool automatically generates a recommended sales plan, dynamically scheduling prospect and customer visits by location and frequency. Analyzing a series of parameters such as updated sales history against benchmarks, visit complaints, and collections data, the tool provides salespeople with the most relevant conversation points to move forward.
鈥淪alespeople receive what鈥檚 essentially a script of what to talk about with their customers,鈥� said Khan. 鈥淚t might include which products to spotlight if uptake hasn鈥檛 panned out as expected or what customers need more frequent visits. Reps can edit the monthly plan, making adjustments as needed.鈥�
Trusted, Trackable Data Increases Sales Team Accountability
As the month goes by, the intelligent tool constantly correlates performance-related data, sending alerts to the sales executive based on their individual KPIs against actual business outcomes. This data is also invaluable to managers who receive alerts on their version of the reporting dashboard.
鈥淚f a salesperson falls short of targeted customer visits, isn鈥檛 moving enough of certain products, or is falling short of meeting their goals in any way, their manager can quickly see what鈥檚 going on in the context of the health of the business,鈥� said Khan. 鈥淲ith reliable data, managers can more effectively coach, train, and motivate each salesperson on steps to improve performance. Managers also have the data to back up their confidence in achieving sales targets.鈥�
Democratization of AI
Khan and his co-founders have been at the forefront of the AI and machine learning market for over a decade. After earning an advanced degree in these technologies, Khan worked at multinational companies before co-founding an AI consultancy. He launched Datoin to fill a gap between traditional sales execution products and what salespeople in the field and their managers really needed.
鈥淲e met so many customers whose sales executives weren鈥檛 getting the support from operationally-based CRM technology that basically collected data for management,鈥� said Khan. 鈥淪imilar to other industries, we thought AI could help increase productivity across CPG sales teams, providing a tool that makes them more effective.鈥�
Connected ERP Data Yields Actionable Sales Insights
Datoin鈥檚 evolution was backed by support from , where Khan and his team worked with 51风流Startup Studio, an accelerator for early- and growth-stage tech startups. Not surprisingly, connecting data from Datoin鈥檚 intelligence layer with and made perfect sense. Datoin鈥檚 intelligent sales assistant, built on top of , integrates with 51风流Customer Experience and .
鈥�51风流systems manage critical customer data, and we鈥檙e augmenting those solutions with intelligence to drive sales performance improvements,鈥� said Khan. 鈥淲e evolved our product based on input from 51风流product and sales experts, along with 51风流customers.鈥�
From manufacturing to delivery, salespeople represent the last mile in meeting every organization鈥檚 customer promise. If intelligent data from AI can help sales teams continuously improve performance, that鈥檚 a bottom-line result with benefits for everyone.
鈥淣ewly hired sales reps can ramp up faster because the AI tool provides them with an immediate monthly plan,鈥� said Khan. 鈥淒rawing from the data over time, sales managers can provide positive reinforcement for each individual. Managers are not just telling them to reach certain goals, but also sharing informed advice on how they can improve their sales performance.鈥�
