Reinventing Sales Management in the Age of AI

By Michael McGowan

“Every Company Should Have Its own “Sales Gym.” Equip your Salespeople as A-Players in their Market Environment by Reinforcing Selling Skills using AI.” ELAvate and Salesably can build your functional “sales gym.”

Mike’s Note: Michael McGowan and Vidal Graupera are my “sales AI gurus.” Michael’s insight and experience in collaborating with Vidal Graupera of Salesably has accelerated my sales practice to incorporate practical AI for real ROI for sales training and on boarding results. Let’s gain from his insights he posted on LinkedIn. I have edited and added some content for clarity.

With the advent of AI, many sales organizations are under more competitive pressure, but there is a new pressure now: With the advance of AI, will "sales" even exist as we currently understand it? Let’s review the changes Michael Mc Gowen envisages AI is exerting on sales management and the impact on sales teams.

From Maintenance to Growth
AI is already gnawing away at a whole range of so-called "sales" work that has always constituted the majority of sales roles. Account servicing, account management, answering queries, sending information, jumping on inbound enquiries, and order-taking are all being replaced by technology, tools and non-sales roles. The impact?

There are now fewer things to be busy about in a sales role, leaving only the real work of sales - the pursuit of revenue and market growth. And that requires sales expertise and skills, not charisma nor fashionable empathy and EQ attributes. An analogy may be the person who comes to the gym decked out in the latest sports fashion, but never achieves any healthy improvement from all the equipment in the gym. Salespeople also need to regularly “work out” to build on the selling skills, market and product knowledge, to run the sales race in the market place.   

Buyers are Already (Well) One-Up on Vendors and Sellers
When vendors were "one-up" on buyers, sales management meant managing a team of personalities. There was an unspoken buyer-dependency that the seller relied on. Today, buyers are one-up on vendors and sellers; buyers have already discovered that ChatGPT can give them more perspective in 60 seconds than a salesperson can give them in 60 minutes. This requires sales management focused on market & product knowledge and selling skills acquisition leading to application.  There won't even be time for this to be a trend; it's already a necessity requiring a rethinking of the sales management model, away from managing personalities to promoting and equipping for the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Sales management should be in the business of wealth creation, for the company, employees, the sales team and all related dependents rather than "looking after sales." Effective use of AI in sales management can accelerate knowledge, skill and revenue “wealth.”

The Passive versus The Productivity Sales Management Model
The vast majority of sales management is based on a passive, non-interventionist model. It assumes - hopes - that the experience and the personality of the seller will do all the heavy lifting. The Productivity Model is where sales management focuses on coaching for the sales role first, and equips sellers to execute the role reliably to create long term customer loyalty.

Traditional sales management is passive, sit in the office, and intervene only when needed. The Productivity Model approach to sales management assumes you're probably already behind and your lunch is about to be eaten.

1. Hit the Ground Running versus Onboarding as a Standard

The Old Model: Hire based on personality and (industry) experience. The new hire is expected to figure stuff out and hit the ground running (possibly the most common line in sales job adverts).
The New Model: Onboarding is not a formality; instead it’s a gate to the “sales gym.” Every new hire must pass a structured onboarding designed to ensure their success - in your company, and not any company. You’re not - fully - hired until you’ve proven you can understand and competently and fluently articulate the company’s unique and differentiated value employing sales communication skills with relevant solution knowledge. The Productivity Model prioritizes sales managers to focus on the role first, and equips sellers to execute the role reliably. Using AI for this function accelerates on boarding sales skill and motivation success.

2. Emergency Intervention vs. Scheduled Development

Old Model: Sales managers are reactive. They step in only when performance tanks or disputes arise, typically about commissions. Managers resolve rather than coach, innovate or develop salespeople.
New Model: Managers proactively run a cadence of scheduled training, and expertise and skills acquisition; not generic sales tips, but real skill development in selling the company’s unique value. It's not mandatory, but it's meaningful - and by invitation to those who consistently work out in the “sales gym.”

3. Conversation Motivation vs. Coaching Relationship

Old Model: Motivation is superficial; pep talks, war stories, and informal ride-alongs. Or these days, listening into recorded calls and sharing personal wisdom about better magic words the salesperson should have used.
New Model: Motivation comes from a tailored coaching relationship. The most important relationship is no longer between salesperson and customer, but between salesperson and manager. The sales manager must demonstrate through his/her coaching that supporting the salesperson success is a WIN3 for the salesperson, manager and of course the customers.

4. Sales as an Island vs. Sales as the Integrator

Old Model: Sales is isolated. Most of the company doesn't understand or care how it works. Sales and salespeople are enigmas, mysteries and best ignored.
New Model: Sales management becomes the commercial growth engine. It aligns the entire organization around the company’s value proposition. Sales management becomes the reliable engine, protecting growth and livelihoods. Being a salesperson is a worthy profession supported by the total organization.

Thanks Michael McGowan for your valuable insights. You can connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmg2506/

Sales Productivity starts with the acquisition and mastery of the specific knowledge and skills needed to articulate and sell the company's unique value to create long term loyal customer relationships.

See how creating an AI “Sales Gym” can accelerate your salespeople’s success and deliver a real solid ROI on sales training and sales manager coaching.  Our AI-based “Sales Gym”  can help onboard a new sales hire to a fluent level, in days and multiply the impact of your sales managers coaching for sales success.

Let ELAvate build you a functional “sales gym” in your company.
Contact me michael.griffin@elavateglobal.com

Michael J Griffin
CEO of ELAvate
Your Sales Gym Coach
Servant Leader – Trainer
+65-911894008