In this episode, John Thackston, CEO of SOAR Performance Group, hosts Carl Herman, Director of Executive Education for The Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute at University of Houston.

Carl shares research on sales analytics and AI from Dr. Johannes Habel, Associate Professor with C.T. Bauer College of Business at University of Houston.

If you are a sales leader wondering where to start with AI, Carl discusses starting with 1) understanding your sales funnel, then 2) asking these questions: Where in your sales cycle do you lack knowledge or lack speed? And how can AI help in those areas?

Other Takeaways:

1. AI itself isn’t new, but it has become more accessible in the past year

2. The primary use case for AI relates to predictive analytics

3. These predictive analytics provide guidance and insight on what will happen in the future and what actions sales people and managers should take

4. The sales funnel is the foundation for applying AI – what accounts should I be calling on? What message will resonate? What is the communication style of the key stakeholders? What opportunities are likely to close? What is their likely price sensitivity? These are questions that follow the natural progression of the funnel and can be answered using AI.

5. AI is best used for parts of your sales funnel where you are currently lacking information or where things are slowing down due to repetitive tasks. 

About the Experts:

Carl Herman is Co-Chair of the Houston Advisory Board for the Sales Leadership Community. He has 45 years experience helping sales people build valuable relationships and sales managers build winning teams. For more information about Carl, visit his profile on Linkedin or his bio on the UH Website. 

Johannes Habel is Associate Professor with C.T. Bauer College of Business at University of Houston. He is a passionate researcher, educator, and keynote speaker on the digital transformation of sales as well as sales psychology. For more on Dr. Habel and his research, visit his profile on Linkedin or his bio on the UH website.

About the Hosts:

The hosts for the meeting are all 3 Chapters of the Sales Leadership Community (Atlanta, Chicago, and Houston).

Additional support from:

• Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business
• DePaul University’s Center for Sales Leadership
• University of Houston’s Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute
• SOAR Performance Group

About the Sales Leadership Community (SLC):

The Sales Leadership Community is a partnership between universities, executive sales leaders, and SOAR Performance Group to create a forum for best practice sharing and executive networking in local markets.

The Sales Leadership Community also creates networking and mentoring opportunities for senior sales executives with university students interested in sales careers.

Each community is led by an advisory board with representatives from companies in different industries and with different go-to-market models.

In addition to in-person and virtual meetings, there are online options for participation through a LinkedIn community and recordings from past events hosted by the Atlanta Chapter, the Chicago Chapter and the Houston Chapter.