There are many blanket statements about AI floating around the internet, one being, "AI will replace all sales reps." While that sentiment is out there, I want to be realistic with you—humans buy from humans.
My new G2 Research Insights Report, "AI's Impact on Sales: Smarter GTM Motions for Lasting Customer Connection,” dives deep into how AI is set to revolutionize sales, not by replacing people, but by acting as an invaluable teammate.
Think of AI like a video assistant referee (VAR) in sports: it’s there to help make the right decisions in near real time, not to take over the game entirely. AI will streamline processes, provide incredible insights, and unlock massive productivity gains — but it's not a magic bullet for a broken go-to-market (GTM) motion.
With this in mind, my report leverages exclusive G2 survey data, insightful expert interviews, and thorough market analysis to dissect exactly how all sellers should be using AI throughout the sales process. Ultimately, we found that while AI can and should be incorporated across acquisition, retention, and expansion to help sellers win alongside their customers, sales' ability to engage effectively will still hinge on relationships and value.
Four key trends for maximizing your GTM engine
Now, let’s explore the four key focus areas of the report, which are increasingly important for maximizing GTM engines.
1. Accelerating pipeline growth: Strategy over quantity
Pipeline is the lifeblood of any business. Findings from a G2 survey of global B2B software buyers underscore this, with respondents reporting their organizations use AI for: AI SDRs (44%), outreach personalization (43%), and account and contact research and planning(42%). All of the most common applications of AI in sales today relate to pipeline development.
This is why firmographic and demographic data alone aren't enough to truly resonate with prospects. Successful organizations "aim small, miss small" by identifying unique data points, rather than trying to sell to their entire total addressable market (TAM) with generic messages.
Plus, forget the "spray and pray" approach – it's no longer effective. Sales reps can use AI-powered tools to scan company and contact information for unique, relevant data in real time, enabling true personalization.
2. Friction kills: AI will, and should, revolutionize the buyer's experience
The way B2B software is bought and sold is changing rapidly. One thing is crystal clear: buyers now demand a better, frictionless experience across multiple channels.
In many cases, the best experience wins out over the best product or the cheapest option. It is crucial to guide the buyer through their journey, especially during longer stages like research and evaluation.
There’s a lot to unpack here, including that speed-to-lead isn't an advantage anymore; it's a requirement to win. Our G2 survey found that vendor responsiveness and support was the third-highest factor influencing a buyer's final software selection (15%), right behind security/compliance and pricing (both 17%).
This explains why AI SDRs (which handle both inbound and outbound leads) were the top use case among our survey respondents. In fact, AI SDRs are becoming widely adopted, particularly in enterprises. This is likely because they can conduct multi-turn conversations, recalling past interactions with prospects to move conversations forward. This eliminates frustrating, repetitive qualification calls that waste buyers' valuable time.
3. Customer retention and expansion: How AI can be the saving grace
Acquiring new customers is harder than ever. As AI simplifies lower-value administrative sales processes and customer acquisition costs (CAC) rise, businesses need to prioritize maximizing customer lifetime value (CLV).
AI is empowering salespeople to build comprehensive profiles for prospects and customers, leading to deeper relationships and accelerated customer success. That being said, renewals are becoming even more difficult to score, due to the increasing number of solutions on the market and heightened customer expectations. Proven ROI and high-quality customer support are the top two reasons customers renew, both cited by 33% of respondents in our survey.
To help achieve ROI, businesses should use AI as a "temperature gauge" to cross-reference the initial business case and track customer objectives and goals. AI can also enable Customer Success Managers (CSMs) to track customer sentiment through support tickets, emails, calls, and interactions — helping to identify upsell and expansion opportunities.
Despite this, no sales or success would be possible without the product team. Well-oiled GTM machines integrate product insights to ensure roadmaps align with customer needs and expectations. Two out of three B2B software buyers now actively consider AI capabilities when selecting software, and 88% of power users are willing to pay a premium for those capabilities.
4. Sales leadership: Coach, forcast, and unlock growth through AI
At the end of the day, AI is only as powerful as the data that drives it, and many organizations aren't leveraging activity capture to the fullest extent, leading to blind spots. Only 17% of B2B software buyers use activity capture today, compared to 40% who use sales forecasting and deal intelligence.
To eliminate these blind spots, leadership should consider taking advantage of AI-powered coaching and training tools. These solutions can consolidate historical sales coaching by providing superior tech to support reps and guide them in near real-time, ensuring they follow best practices. And with low-latency AI coaching, businesses can reduce onboarding time, ensure sales methodologies are followed, and increase the bandwidth of mid-level managers.
AI is only as powerful as the data that drives it. For accurate forecasting and reduced "hallucinations," generative and predictive AI rely on an updated CRM and accurate customer interaction data captured across all touchpoints.
Predictions and prescriptions for 2025
I'm incredibly excited for you to dive into the full report. My hope is that "AI's Impact on Sales: Smarter GTM Motions for Lasting Customer Connection" will be a valuable tool in your arsenal, helping you navigate the evolving sales landscape.
I've combined exclusive G2 survey data, extensive online research, G2 review data, and qualitative insights from interviews with key B2B executives to provide a balanced and informed perspective on how AI can help you build meaningful, longstanding customer relationships.
Download the full "AI's Impact on Sales: Smarter GTM Motions for Lasting Customer Connection" report to get actionable strategies for intelligent B2B customer connection, and stay tuned for future reports in our G2 Research Insights series!
by Palmer Houchins
by Mike Weir
