Hot trends

INDUSTRY NEWS

Hot trends

Things are definitely heating up…and we’re not even talking about the national heatwave, Taylor Swift, or The Barbie Movie. We are, of course, talking about Generative AI. Again. It seems like everywhere we turn, there’s another article about how it’s going to transform, well, everything. It will come as no surprise to learn that this transformative technology is at the top of Forrester’s list of The Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2023. However, you may be surprised by other entrants on the list. How about “Autonomous Workplace Assistants?” Or “Decentralized Digital Identity?” Will we be discussing them with ChatGPT-like fervor a year from now? If we are, this article will ensure that you’re a bit more informed than most.

Wrong answers only

Dial your mom. Sell Taylor Swift tickets. These responses may be celebrated as “wrong answers” to a meme about ways to close a deal on a cold call, but they’re not exactly helpful to a sales rep. If you’re a SalesOps leader, asking the wrong questions can be equally problematic. However, in this scenario, the stakes are much higher than the number of likes on a witty response. According to Gartner Sr. Director Analyst Tyler Huguley, asking the wrong questions can directly impact your team’s productivity. You can avoid that scenario by checking out the questions overstretched SalesOps leaders should ask themselves and senior leadership. The response may boost productivity, but they won’t be as funny as wrong answers.

AI junk

Model collapse could be a lot more serious than you think. Especially, if you think it has something to do with Paris Fashion Week. The model, or “mode collapse,” we are referring to here has to do with the training of the large language models that power Generative AI. It turns out that ChatGPT is so good at generating content that shady opportunists are using it to generate digital ad revenue with a huge volume of articles that appear helpful but are actually quite incoherent. According to the Wall Street Journal, the bigger problem stems from junk AI articles inevitably being used to train large language models. That’s enough to make anyone woozy – whether or not they’re under the bright lights of the catwalk.

IN THE GROOVE

Turning dreams into reality

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LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Bandwagoning AI

When your local team wins a major sports league championship. When Taylor Swift drops her Era’s Tour tickets. When people dump ice water over their heads for the ALS ice bucket challenge. Sometimes, it’s appropriate to jump on the bandwagon. Other times, you may want to think twice before you join in on the hype. Companies are AI-ifying their products left and right to stay up to date with recent technological advances. But, should you? Jumping in too quickly without ensuring customer data is 100% protected could be a recipe for a quick – and robotic disaster. Luckily, Salesforce wrote an article all about how to use AI without losing your customers’ trust. Check it out, this one is worth the hype.

Less is more

Sometimes it seems like our jobs demand more and more of us every day. Sellers know this to be true. Send more emails. Set more meetings. Make more calls. But not all sales activity is made equal. Your sales reps could send out thousands of automated emails with low open rates because they are not personalized. They could make hundreds of calls, but without perfecting their sales pitch, they might fall flat. Anthony Iannarino breaks down the difference between activity and effective activity, and how to drive pipeline with meaningful practices. No more activities just for activity’s sake. As the adage goes, less is more.

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