The use of artificial intelligence or AI is much more common than most people realize. Although we are far from the threshold of most sci-fi films and the development of programs and robots that can take over the world, the average person interacts with some form of AI on a daily basis.
When you enable predictive speech in your word processing platform, that is a simplistic form of AI. The software is able to identify what you are most likely to say within the context of the sentence you are writing and complete it for you. Every time you turn to an automated assistant on your smartphone to help you spell a word, dig up a historical date or define something, you are using AI.
Businesses, both small and large, are increasing their use of artificial intelligence for a variety of tasks. If you want to implement the use of this useful technology in your company, here are just a few ways that it can help.
Sales and Marketing
More and more companies are using AI to enhance their sales and marketing strategies. Although many have voiced concerns that AI will take human jobs in this area, the fact is that the technology is so effective at increasing sales that many businesses employing it are actually planning to hire more salespeople.
Even small businesses can use AI to enhance their email marketing efforts. Just as programs such as Grammarly use AI to correct your spelling and grammar, more advanced systems can help marketers to craft sales emails that are specific to the company’s brand. They can also identify words and phrases specific to a customer base that will increase views of emails and make content more valuable.
Large sales companies often use AI to comb through massive databases and identify which products a specific customer is likely to be interested in based on their previous purchases and then send them offers for those items. AI is why after you purchase pampers from an online retailer, you suddenly start getting emails and notifications for other parent-centric purchases.
Customer Service
In the customer service realm, the most common AI being used is chatbots. These AI-generated agents can be programmed to take care of a multitude of customer needs and inquiries. Chatbots can take care of simple questions, facilitate returns and update customer information.
For companies that do not have the budget to have a customer service department that stays open 24 hours a day, chatbots can provide a valuable solution for business owners and customers alike. Because there will always be customer needs too complex to be addressed through automation, when the chatbot encounters requests or queries that are not within the scope of its programming, it automatically connects customers with a live agent for assistance.
Repetitive Processes
Even companies with robust sales departments are finding that using AI in conjunction with their CRM can free up their valuable human assets to do the tasks that most impact the business’s bottom line. AI can assist salespeople in scheduling meetings, identifying the most valuable targets and even give suggestions on the best sales strategy to use based on its ability to quantify huge amounts of customer data. You can also use AI for mundane but essential tasks such as data input, account updates and producing standard forms.
Artificial intelligence programs can take on the tasks of a low-level assistant in a corporate meeting. It can record notes on the meeting and provide a detailed summary of the meeting afterward. If you prefer, an AI assistant can even provide a word-for-word transcription of a business interaction, from a face-to-face encounter to a telephone call.
Artificial intelligence is already commonplace, and although people may opine the difficulty in getting human contact when contacting businesses today, the reality is that they also love the convenience and quick action offered by AI components to customer service. The use of AI will only increase in the business world in the years to come, and although it is unlikely to eradicate the need for human employees, it may replace the function of low-skilled jobs leading to the need for people to pursue more specialization in their career choices.
