How Sales Leaders Can Help Their Teams Use AI to Prepare Smarter
We asked the AI tool what it would do if it were a Sales Head to encourage sales teams to take to AI … Its response
You have a well-oiled sales team. They are adept at building relationships, asking the right questions, and closing deals. But what happens when they’re scheduled to meet a prospect from an industry they’ve never sold to before?
Suddenly they are not all that confident anymore. The preparation feels overwhelming. And if they’re not familiar with AI tools, they may not see a glimmer of hope.
As Head of Sales, this is your moment to lead the shift—not just in mindset, but in capability. AI isn’t a threat to your team’s expertise. It’s a tool that can amplify it. And the best part? Your salespeople don’t need to be tech-savvy or trained in prompting to start using it effectively.
Here are six simple ways your team can use AI to prepare for first meetings—even when they’re stepping into unfamiliar territory:
- Learn the Industry in Minutes
Encourage your salespeople to ask AI: “Explain the healthcare industry in simple terms.”
They’ll get a quick, digestible overview—perfect for understanding the basics before a call with a hospital procurement manager.
- Spot Common Pain Points
Prompt: “What challenges do retail businesses face today?”
AI can surface issues like inventory management, customer retention, or staffing—giving salespersons a headstart in identifying where your solution fits.
- Research the Prospect’s Business
Prompt: “Summarize what [Company Name] does and what their recent focus is.”
This helps sales professionals personalize their pitch and avoid generic conversations. Insights synthesized by AI from accessing all published data help stay focused on what’s important for the clients
- Generate Smart Discovery Questions
Prompt: “What are good questions to ask a [product] manufacturing company during a first sales meeting?”
AI can help your team move beyond surface-level questions and show genuine interest in the customer’s operations.
- Craft a Relevant Value Proposition
Prompt: “How can our analytics platform help a logistics company?”
Even if the salesperson doesn’t know the industry well, AI can help connect the dots between your product and the Customer’s needs.
- Practise the Pitch
Prompt: “Act as a CFO in a construction firm. How would you respond to this pitch?”
This role-play helps relationship managers anticipate objections and refine their messaging—without needing a live rehearsal partner.
Use Cases of Real Impact Across Industries
- A sales specialist of a software firm preparing for a meeting with a textile manufacturer can use AI to understand supply chain disruptions—and position the company’s analytics tool as a solution.
- Another salesperson representing a company offering Hospital Management System could rely on AI to learn about patient flow challenges—and tailor her pitch around operational efficiency.
Final Thought for Sales Leaders
Your team doesn’t need to master AI. They just need to start using it—and see how it makes them sharper, faster, and more confident. Sales teams just need to understand that they don’t have to become AI experts. They just need to be curious.
Encourage your team to try it before their next meeting. One well-placed question could turn the entire conversation towards a sales breakthrough
“Artificial intelligence is not a substitute for human intelligence; it is a tool to amplify human creativity and ingenuity”
– Fei-Fei Li, Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University and Founder, Human-Centred AI Institute, Stanford
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