Sales Predictions (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
If you’re not making your customers smarter and better informed through your interactions, you’re not adding val- ue. And if you’re not adding value, you’re irrelevant. AI Is Changing How Customers Research You While skepticism about AI-generated content will con- tinue to increase – and rightfully so – the use of AI for re- search is exploding. More and more customers are using tools like Claude and Perplexity (my favorite AI tools, FYI) to research you, your company, and your products before they ever talk to you. They’re finding sources, reading re- views, and gathering information faster and more compre- hensively than ever before.
Here’s what that means for you: Salespeople should regularly research themselves, their companies, and their products to see what AI is saying about them. Go into Claude or Perplexity right now and ask what it knows about your company. Ask about your products. Ask about common complaints or issues. See what comes up. Be- cause I guarantee your prospects are doing exactly that before they agree to meet. Customer Expectations About Pre-Call Prep Once upon a time, salespeople could walk into a call fat, dumb, and happy, knowing almost nothing about the customer and still succeed. You could ask incredibly ba- sic questions like “What do you do here?” and customers would patiently explain their business to you. Those days are over. Research is too easy now. Information is too ac- cessible. Customers expect you to have done your home- work before you waste their time. This doesn’t mean you stop asking questions – Inves- tigation is still where 80 percent of the sale is won or lost. But here’s the shift: Use research for the basics and con- firm, then shift into “asking to learn” mode for the specifics. Instead of asking, “What are the biggest trends you see in your industry?” try this: “I did some research, and here are the trends I found in your industry. How close did I get, and how are those affecting you specifically?” This approach demonstrates both knowledge and curiosity. It shows you cared enough to do research, and you’re smart enough to know that research only gets you so far – you still need their specific insights.
Quality Leads = New Customers
Read the articles in Board Converting News every week to learn about the people, places and machinery that will open the doors to new or repeat business.
Len Prazych at 518-366-9017 lprazych@nvpublications.com
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22 March 9, 2026
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