Why Your Sales Team Should Embrace AI, According to an Executive Who Closed Deals for Snapchat, Meta, and Samsung

John Imah honed his craft selling products and ideas for top-tier tech firms. Now he's striking out on his own.

By Sydney Sladovnik

If there's one thing John Imah has learned from his decade-long career helping tech giants like Samsung, Twitch, Meta, and Snap, with business development and marketing, it's how to tell--or rather, sell--a story. 

"Whether it's an anecdote that humanizes the technology or a statistic that captures the market opportunity," says the serial entrepreneur, "the goal [of sales] is to leave the room with the audience not just understanding but believing in the vision." The trick, he says, is knowing how to read a room in the first place: "If I'm walking in the room with business people," says Imah, "I can craft the messaging to be more [about the] business but also still get the point across about the product," he says. "Tailoring the tone doesn't mean diluting the content; it's about making it resonate."

Imah's entrepreneurial journey "started at 7," he says, when he dismantled his parents' computer and put it back together, to his surprise, perfectly. From there he would launch and sell two gaming companies before the age of 18 and spend the next decade in business development roles at those aforementioned tech companies.  

Now, Imah is selling himself. As the founder of an AI-powered B2B retail and e-commerce company that's still operating in stealth mode, Imah has helped orchestrate a multimillion-dollar raise for the Los Angeles-based startup, which is set to officially launch later in 2024. He spoke with Inc. about his sales experience and four more strategies he's applying to his new business: 

Solve a problem 

Imah adds that entrepreneurs should view selling as a way to solve problems, rather than create them: "I've always approached sales with a mindset that focuses on the solution, not just the product. It's about identifying the client's pain points and presenting a product not as an item but as a story that fits into their narrative. This approach turns transactions into relationships and products into solutions."

Working in the technology industry specifically, there are a lot of questions that surround new product integrations, which is why it's so important to understand the product or service being sold, and who it's being sold to. Leveraging that knowledge will not only help brands sell their businesses--whether that be to customers, investors, or more into the brand--but will also help them collect feedback and better solve the problem at hand.  

Research everything

Along with educating consumers, business owners also need to educate themselves on what's current and trending in the world, with a focus ahead, Imah adds. "I'm always looking for more information: seeing where the world is going, what I should care about, what I shouldn't care about, how technology is evolving, and so forth. That really helps me sort of adapt and understand what my next move should be." 

Embrace AI

Add AI to your research list. Regardless of the industry, business owners would be wise to learn as much as they can about AI and how to implement it for sales. One use of AI that Imah says he's particularly fond of are tools that can analyze customer data to predict buying patterns and preferences. It's essentially like having a "crystal ball" to peek into customers' minds, he says, allowing brands to tailor their approaches to customers' needs.

"What's so cool about [AI] is the speed that it moves," Imah says, noting that other products in technology have historically taken years to improve, whereas AI has had an incredibly rapid adoption. "My piece of advice is to learn all you can. You should embrace AI."

It's natural to look at a new piece of technology with negativity, and even resentment, because it's new and there's a lot left to learn about it. But Imah believes it will be part of business, whether that's on remote controls or on computers, in every industry. And business owners should use this time now to learn everything they can about it. 

Be Patient 

It's natural to be excited about the product or service you're selling, Imah explains, especially as a founder. What can be frustrating is waiting for the business to catch on. 

"When you have a really good product or an idea, you want everyone to move as fast as you because you just want people to use it. And in many cases, sometimes you have to be a little patient," Imah says, noting how people were hesitant to use Uber when it first launched because the idea of being in a stranger's car worried some--now it's used by 150 million people monthly. 

Being scared of something new is a natural human response, especially when it comes to technology and businesses, he adds. 

Sometimes the best solution really is to be patient while customers warm up to the idea. Business owners can use that time to keep educating their audience, and educating themselves about the industry they're in.