ChatGPT: what it is and how it affects productivity

Since its appearance, ChatGPT has been a topic of conversation due to its great ability to quickly generate elaborate texts based on the information it finds online, in a far more convincing way than other bots previously.

ChatGPT has also arrived with quite a bit of debate, since the texts the tool creates, although very convincing, can include inventions. After all, as artificial intelligence, it does not have its own judgement.

This has generated concerns. However, there are many studies that have verified that applying ChatGPT can bring multiple benefits. In this regard, it has been studied that, in the business context, it can be an important competitive advantage.

In fact, the results indicate that the tool presents its maximum usefulness when used by expert professionals in the subject, who can review the AI's texts. Specifically, it can be a good way to improve the productivity of sales teams to increase sales.

But, knowing the risks of the tool, how can it help us in sales? Below, we present 4 advantages of applying ChatGPT in your sales team.

Advantages of applying ChatGPT in sales teams

ChatGPT offers several advantages for sales teams, which can positively influence the increase in productivity:

1. Increased efficiency

An important advantage of ChatGPT is that it can greatly reduce the time that salespeople invest in repetitive or low-value-added tasks. This can be answering customer queries, scheduling appointments and follow-ups, searching for information, etc.

For example, ChatGPT can quickly answer the questions that customers may ask daily and that have easy answers and provide detailed and specific information about the services the company offers.

Chatbots can reduce by 80% the time customers spend searching for information about a product or service. – Stanford University

The speed of response and the fact of being available 24 hours a day facilitates the work of both Administration and Sales, and allows them to dedicate more time to strategic and high-value tasks. This, in the end, results in greater customer satisfaction.

64% of consumers consider 24-hour availability to be one of the best features of chatbots. – Gartner

2. Cost reduction

This automation of repetitive tasks, moreover, causes a reduction in the company's costs.

By improving the team's efficiency, the company can reduce costs of hiring support staff without this affecting performance.

Studies have verified that salespeople dedicate 20% of their time to searching for information to prepare the visit with the customer.

Thus, ChatGPT, by making information about products and services easily accessible, reduces costs, both in physical media such as paper - which makes searching for information difficult - and in the time needed by salespeople.

In addition, consistency in dealing with the customer and access to information can eliminate common errors, which avoids extra expenses.

3. Personalisation of the customer experience

One of the main advantages of ChatGPT, but also of AI in general, is its ability to personalise the service it offers.

ChatGPT is an excellent opportunity to offer customers personalised recommendations, according to their needs and preferences, automatically.

Thus, for example, AI can use a database about customers to suggest to the salesperson the most appropriate information and content to prepare the sales visit and to use during it.

The 75% that addresses them by name, knows what they have bought previously and offers them personalised recommendations. – Accenture

4. Generate an effective sales pitch

Finally, one of the things in which ChatGPT can be most useful is in providing ideas and suggestions for preparing sales pitches.

Although it has a great ability to write precise texts, it has been verified that one of its strengths is in reducing the time dedicated to “brainstorming”. That is, ChatGPT offers a good base for preparing documents such as the sales pitch, reports, product descriptions, etc.

Thus, the sales team has a good base on which to work. By dedicating more time to reviewing and correcting, and less to conceptualising the document, it is possible to ensure the quality of the texts in less time.

With idea generation, ChatGPT can help members of the sales team with their sales pitch, as it can be trained to:

• Provide convincing and persuasive arguments for speeches
• Identify weaknesses and strengths based on previous speeches and product characteristics
• Personalise the speech according to the occasion, adapting to the needs and preferences of the specific customer

The result is a more effective and targeted sales pitch, which, by being achieved automatically, increases sales performance without the need for a large investment of time and resources.

Should you apply ChatGPT to your company?

In summary, studies suggest that ChatGPT brings companies benefits that can translate into significant improvements in the effectiveness of sales teams and the customer experience.

Advantages that are especially important in a competitive business context, in which companies need to find ways to improve their performance and keep up with the latest developments.

Therefore, applying ChatGPT to your company could be a positive investment and a good way to stand out from the competition. This is especially so if a good adoption of the tool by the sales team is encouraged.

Although Artificial Intelligence can be very useful, it is much more so in the hands of expert salespeople, who know what information to ask ChatGPT for and have sufficient knowledge to review it and make the most of it in customer visits.