Sellers Win with Conversational Intelligence Tools

AI helps salespeople gain deeper insights and close more deals.

Uncovering meaningful and actionable information about a buyer can be tough - especially if there’s a ton of data to sift through and you don’t have software to help you.

However, there is hope! According to Gartner, 60% of organizations use conversational intelligence tools to help them uncover customer insights faster and on a much larger scale.

So, what is conversational intelligence? How does it work? And does it really benefit sellers?

Let’s dive in.

So, what is it, and how does it work?

Conversational intelligence software collects conversations, analyzes them, and interprets the speech and text data from those interactions. Examples of the most common types of conversations include emails, phone calls, and meetings/presentations.

This technology uses machine learning, AI, and sentiment analysis to understand buyer intent, and according to MarketsandMarkets, the AI market is projected to grow to $49.9 billion by 2030.

Simply put, conversational intelligence is about understanding the customer on a deeper level. There are a lot of tools on the market that do this, with a few popular options being Gong, Clari Copilot, and Salesloft.

Features and capabilities vary, but most software comes standard with:

Call recording
Transcription
Real-time analysis

More comprehensive tools will offer additional perks like:

Forecasting and initiatives
Pipeline management
CRM and workflow integration
Customizable alerts and playbooks
Post-call summaries and automated notes
Sentiment and engagement tracking

Why is it important?

There’s no such thing as a quick and easy sale. In fact, there are more people involved in the buying process than ever before, including executive stakeholders. They not only have high expectations, but they also have competing needs and goals that sellers need to keep on top of.

There’s a lot of tech out there, and when it comes to building trust with buyers and closing the deal, conversational intelligence software is one of the most useful items in a seller's toolkit. Teams using CI software to understand customer needs have seen a 48% improvement in customer ratings.

Buyers expect to be heard and understood, and leveraging the data found in conversational intelligence allows sellers to remain competitive and give their customers more attention.

Actively listening during calls (allowing AI to take notes for you) and providing detailed follow-up is just the start. Reps can take it even further by using AI to formulate call summaries, access important moments during demos, easily share information internally with their team, and identify areas where they can improve their conversations in the future.

Knowledge is power(ful)

With a clear decline in brand loyalty and an increased focus on the customer experience, getting in front of the buyer before the competition does and proving continued value throughout the partnership has become even more paramount.

Things are easier with software that provides access to real-time insights. It helps remove the guesswork, increases positive engagement, and keeps customer preferences and needs at the forefront of every interaction.

Relationship building throughout the entire sales process is the key to success, and conversation intelligence can provide sellers with the information they need to achieve their goals, including:

Call ratios
Competition
Upsell opportunities
Real-time feedback
Sentiment
Key topics and trends
Pain points, like pricing or missing features
Questions asked

Saving time = making money

Efficiency and effectiveness are super important because sellers have a lot to do.

Between responding to emails, nudging prospects, doing follow-up calls, nurturing new leads, and confirming meetings - well, let’s just say the cup runneth over.

And with some reps spending an average of 12.1 hours each week writing and customizing emails, they need tools that help alleviate the workload, shorten the deal cycle, and increase their win rates.

Tools that capture conversations between sales reps and prospects have become standard in the industry, and according to a 2024 Gong Labs report, sellers who use this type of tech have seen a 26% increase in win rates. Also, a 2021 Forrester report noted that companies that invested in Gong saw a 481% return on investment, as well as other notable benefits, including:

Reduced time spent on low-value tasks, saving $4.2M over three years.
Reduced time spent on low-value tasks, saving $4.2M over three years.
Increased sales manager productivity, saving 400 hours each year.
Reduced time for onboarding by 50%.

Conversational intelligence tools enable sellers to do more - not just by uncovering clear insights and crafting follow-up emails, but with pitch personalization and post-meeting analysis. Beyond that, sellers can use the tech for continued coaching, following best practices, and uncovering successful, repeatable processes.

Here’s an example…

Let’s say a sales rep is pitching refrigerated lockers to a large multifamily housing provider. Here are some basic details:

Residents are allowed to have items delivered to the clubhouse.
The lockers will be located at the clubhouse.
The buyer has concerns about pricing and future maintenance.
There is also some worry about security and access to the fridges.

Armed with this information, sellers can utilize conversational intelligence tools to:

Uncover the main function or purpose of the refrigerators. Is it primarily for groceries, or are there residents with refrigerated medications or beauty products who would like their items stored until they can retrieve them?
Uncover the exact objections and concerns regarding price. For example, is it too high? Can they get better pricing with a competitor?
Review topics not necessarily talked about during the qualifying call. For example, is there a warranty? Is there a preferred vendor they can work with to save money?
Gather ways to counter objections. One of their concerns is security. Do they have a secure room for the refrigerators? Do the refrigerators have security features (pin code locks, separate storage sections, etc)
What is the cost of their inaction? Are they losing potential residents because of it? Is this an amenity/convenience their competitors offer, and do they have FOMO?

By leveraging the insights uncovered in emails and during calls, the seller can position the refrigerators as a high-value investment and proactively address buyer concerns with a clear plan.

It’s the smart thing to do

AI is transforming how we do business - there’s no getting around that - and with Forrester reporting that gen AI will increase productivity by approximately 50%, adopting conversational intelligence software is not only good for sellers and buyers, it’s also good for brands, too.

Unsure about conversational intelligence software? Want to chat with people who have real-world experience using it? Join The Enablement Squad and get insights from subject matter experts, sellers, and enablement leaders.