There are myriad articles on artificial intelligence and its application in business. As AI continues to grow and permeate seemingly every aspect of business, it\u2019s important to cut through the noise and focus on where AI fits in your organization and how to best implement it.<\/p>\n
I’m the founder and CEO of an AI-based customer relationship management platform. Through this experience, I’ve learned a few ways leaders can determine their own approach to AI.<\/p>\n
How can AI benefit your business?<\/strong><\/p>\n For businesses that collect a lot of customer data at every point, being able to use AI to derive meaning from that data can help get ahead of the competition. You can spot trends early and identify areas where you’re losing revenue or where you could potentially gain revenue. You can then make data-driven decisions and quickly adapt to changes.<\/p>\n AI can also impact your CRM system and team productivity by helping identify leads, building effective nurture campaigns or personalizing the customer experience. (A number of companies, my own included, offer CRM and marketing AI solutions.)<\/p>\n Although there\u2019s some concern about AI replacing jobs, I believe there’s an opportunity for AI to help, not hinder, the performance of marketers, salespeople and customer service representatives. However, taking steps to introduce it successfully is critical.<\/p>\n How can you introduce AI in your business?<\/strong><\/p>\n Make sure you are clear on where in the business you want to use AI and what you hope it will solve for you. Keep in mind that you need to have enough data to make your AI investment worth it. Once you\u2019ve done that, train your employees on how it\u2019ll work. Remember: It\u2019s not a black box.<\/p>\n When introducing any new technology, it\u2019s always good to begin with a small project and work from there. Start with a hypothesis and a goal, and at the end, analyze how well you did and if you reached the right conclusions. The first project is really about the journey more than the end goal.<\/p>\n Finally, consider any challenges that might come your way. For example, there are two sides to managing AI expectations. Some people on your team might think it\u2019s awesome and will solve a lot of problems. Others might get scared, thinking it\u2019s going to replace their jobs.<\/p>\n Try to address the expectations and concerns of both extremes. AI is not going to solve everything, and in a B2B company, it most likely won\u2019t replace jobs. You have to tamp down both the enthusiasm and worries surrounding AI to ensure buy-in before you make it part of your business.<\/p>\n What technology do you need to implement AI for the first time? <\/strong><\/p>\n You can start by using available cloud computing resources, which can be helpful for small to midsized companies because you don\u2019t need to know a lot of underlying methodologies.<\/p>\n