302 - How to Leverage AI to Grow Your Sales Business with Richard Harris and John Barrows

I have a really special, unique interview for you today where I’m bringing back two of my most popular past guests, Richard Harris and John Barrows, to talk about something we’ve never talked about on the podcast before - AI and sales.  If you’re a client or a longtime listener, you know that my personal passions are really around helping you master your inner mental game for business and sales success, so that’s what we really talk about a lot here on the show.  With that said, if you listened to episode 300 you heard me talk about how committed I am to just being of service wherever I’m being led right now and following the nudges, and I have been bombarded lately with questions and opportunities around AI in sales, so I followed the nudge and wanted to bring you two real experts on the topic today. I know both John and Richard through the Salesforce Sales Influencers program, and I reached out to both of them directly to ask that they come on and speak about this topic because they are both really on the forefront of helping their clients keep up with the rapidly evolving business and sales climate we’re in today, and learning how to implement AI in a powerful way to grow their value in the marketplace, as well as revenue.    Show Notes: [3:35] - John and Richard share a bit about themselves and their background. [5:56] - This episode was recorded in May of 2023 but it is a rapidly evolving technology. [7:30] - AI will help you write things to appeal to every type of client and can be used in every part of the funnel. [8:42] - The biggest areas of supporting the sales process right now are research, writing, and follow-up. [10:13] - To John, it matters to him that he has the final input into his writing. AI doesn’t know your voice or brand. But he lets AI do a lot of the heavy lifting. [12:27] - AI takes information from the entire internet which is important to remember that some things may not be accurate. [13:58] - Unfortunately, AI is making leadership lazy. [15:04] - We are always going to crave human interaction, but the upcoming generation is growing up with it and feeling a real connection. [18:12] - John references a recent study in generational differences in people wanting to work with sales reps and the regret they had without one. [20:40] - The experience of Covid unintentionally shifted perspective on what is necessary to be in-person. [21:40] - What can you do that a computer can’t? [22:53] - Richard uses LinkedIn tools to exemplify some of the benefits to leverage his time. [24:22] - Elyse admits that she has had some hesitation using automation tools to create content. [26:31] - We don’t like spam because it’s irrelevant, but John thinks that in the near future, our emails will be exactly tailored to each of us. [29:10] - What are some good points about AI? John and Richard are using some AI tools in their businesses now as entrepreneurs. [31:23] - The impact on efficiency is the key. [33:54] - The quality of the prompt and input given to AI tools like ChatGPT, determines the quality of the results. [35:41] - Richard describes some of the things he has had ChatGPT help him with in business including writing and reviewing contracts. [38:30] - Richard has an idea on the show to help with his email campaigns. [41:21] - There are a lot of platforms that will soon have AI integrated tools, like Microsoft programs and Google Suite programs. [42:57] - Richard lists some tools and companies to keep an eye on as they develop even more. [43:52] - Is it really AI or is it aggregating a bunch of false information? [45:43] - We have overengineered the sales process. Learn the fundamentals to keep your business acumen human. [48:12] - So much of what Richard and John teach are life skills, not just sales skills.   Connect with Richard and John: JBarrows.com