The perfect mix for sales transformation: Artificial Intelligence + Human Intelligence

Today’s environment is increasingly competitive and dynamic. To differentiate themselves and bring more value to the commercial activity, artificial intelligence (AI) and human intelligence come together in the processes seeking greater efficiency and effectiveness. While AI brings speed, large-scale data analysis, and predictive power, people bring empathy, intuition, creativity, and strategic judgment—skills that are essential to successfully carry out this transformation.

These are some of the conclusions of the observatory The perfect mix for sales transformation: Artificial Intelligence + Human Intelligence organized by elEconomista.es and Overlap. Antonio Ferrero, Chief Operations Officer at MediaMarkt Spain; Rogelio Bautista, Director of Business Clients in Zurich; Carlos Alarcón, Commercial Director at Pierre Fabre; Alberto López, Director of Operations at Porsche and Juan Ruiz del Portal, General Manager of Overlap Iberia.

Currently, according to experts, human intelligence accounts for 80% of commercial tasks, while the remaining 20% corresponds to what AI contributes. And, although they believe that it can change, the important thing is that the human percentage is the one that really brings added value to their activity. AI is a “tool at the service of people. It gives us the ability to analyze large amounts of data, but the person always has to be in the decision-making processes,” Ferrero said.

Range of opportunities

AI opens up a range of opportunities in business processes. It provides large volumes of data and predictions, which will allow companies to anticipate problems or difficulties in their activity. However, human action is paramount in business transformation and must go hand in hand with this technology. It is the people who interpret, contextualize, communicate, have a critical spirit and make decisions. “We believe that ours is a people’s business, so the knowledge and experience of the human being are really the dynamizers,” Bautista said.

Despite the fact that human presence has a prominent place, fears can arise among the workforce. However, the implementation of artificial intelligence in sales teams does not replace people, but is just another tool, a complement to their work. And it is that it allows you to identify patterns or complete databases. This saves people time, with which they can add value to their work and the relationship with customers. “Artificial intelligence is going to be a magnificent complement so that, using customer, product and market information, the time of salespeople is of higher quality,” said Ruiz del Portal.

In this regard, Alarcón explained that “when everything is automated, empathy becomes a superpower. Artificial intelligence can process millions of pieces of data, but it does not read between the lines or interpret silence in a negotiation relationship. Here is the empathetic superpower that we can enhance and empower by giving ourselves time.”

Thus, experts believe that the use of this technology allows certain human qualities to be reinforced. It is about empathy, leadership, organizational skills or active listening.

Leadership

Today, it is difficult to conceive of commercial work without the help of artificial intelligence. To this end, experts highlight the figure of team leaders and managers, since to implement this technology you need powerful, motivating leadership with organizational skills, who guide teams by dispelling their doubts, fears and offering the appropriate training for the use of the tools. In this sense, López stressed that “where leadership is powerful, these new tools are implemented first.”

Juan Ruiz del Portal, Managing Director of Overlap Iberia: “It will be a complement to ensure that the time of the sales representatives is of higher quality”

“Artificial intelligence is an umbrella in which many initiatives that have been in our sales teams for some time enter,” said Juan Ruiz del Portal, General Manager of Overlap Iberia. In this sense, the executive pointed out that “artificial intelligence is going to be a magnificent complement so that, using customer, product and market information, the time of salespeople is of higher quality”.

For Ruiz del Portal, the main challenge in combining AI with business processes is to understand “which are the tasks where this technology can help and make time more efficient and in which tasks the person has to do their best with capabilities that artificial intelligence does not offer”, such as empathy or connection with the customer.

The implementation of AI in sales processes and teams entails fears, like all transformation processes, and to overcome them, “you have to assess what the change will mean in your commercial organization from the point of view of processes, tools, culture and the skills that employees need to adapt to the new way of working”,  Ruiz del Portal pointed out.

In this process, the executive highlighted as a point of importance the figure of managers, leaders, and team leaders in the accompaniment of workers. “They used to manage people and now, in addition, AI is also going to be part of their team. In the end, leaders have a team and an assistant who gives information and help to workers, but you have to know how to lead with that component,” he concluded.

Antonio Ferrero, Chief Operations Officer at MediaMarkt Spain: “Artificial intelligence is a tool at the service of people”

“Artificial intelligence is a tool at the service of people. It gives us the ability to analyse large amounts of data, but the person always has to be involved in the decision-making processes,” said Antonio Ferrero, Chief Operations Officer at MediaMarkt Spain. MediaMarkt promotes that “any AI development must comply with ISO 42001, which guarantees that ethics and social impact are behind it“.

The integration of AI into business processes is a given. A chatbot has been launched on the MediaMarkt website to answer simple questions. In three months there are 350,000 interactions and 95% are resolved with customer satisfaction. Another example is that “through AI, the quality of an ad can be exponentially improved so that it is better positioned in less time”, something that previously involved a lot of time and many people, as Ferrero explained.

Rogelio Bautista, Director of Corporate Clients in Zurich: “It allows us to deliver better services and products to our customers and employees”

Harnessing and using artificial intelligence to gain efficiency is one of the keys to Zurich’s strategic cycle. This was explained by Rogelio Bautista, director of Business Clients in Zurich, who added that this allows them to “deliver better services and products to our customers and employees“. For the company, which celebrates 50 years of managing multinational insurance programs, AI is a key tool when it comes to obtaining information, interpreting it and transferring it to customers.

However, with more than 40 AI use cases in the group globally, “we believe that ours is a people business, so the knowledge and experience of the human being are really the driving forces,” he said. The executive considered that the “perfect combination that helps commercial leadership” is to unite “the power of artificial intelligence with the proactivity of customer vision”.

Carlos Alarcón, Sales Director at Pierre Fabre: “When all processes are automated, empathy becomes a superpower”

Carlos Alarcón, Sales Director at Pierre Fabre, considered that “we have the opportunity to use artificial intelligence for the benefit of the business and to reinforce and empower the human intelligence part.” However, Alarcón stressed that it must be taken into account that “when everything is automated, empathy becomes a superpower. Artificial intelligence can process millions of pieces of data, but it does not read between the lines or interpret silence in a negotiation relationship. Here is the empathetic superpower that we can enhance and empower by giving ourselves time.”

However, the executive pointed out that fears may arise on the part of the teams. On the one hand, the fear of replacement and, on the other, the correct use of artificial intelligence. “There is a lot of resistance to leaving certain tasks to AI, but we have to lose our fear and understand that it comes to help not to replace us,” he added.

Alberto López, Chief Operating Officer at Porsche: “Sales teams must be able to use AI as another collaborator”

Digitalisation is one of the pillars of Porsche’s strategy. Among its tasks is “the use of artificial intelligence to improve efficiencies and transform the sales and after-sales process in dealerships, ensuring a better customer experience,” said Alberto López, Director of Operations at Porsche.

AI in sales processes is transforming business, however, López stressed the importance of human connection, which is “basic and can never be replaced.” The representative of the automotive firm considered that “commercial teams must be able to use AI as another collaborator. This is going to be the success of the present and the future,” he added.

For López, the main challenge for managers is to manage the fear of teams of being replaced, so “you have to get involved in the processes and provide training to develop the right skills.” Where leadership is powerful, these new tools are implemented first,” he concluded.

Access the interview in El Economista here.