Jeannie should deploy in a very limited, experiential capacity. Pick a carefully selected group of customers, specifically younger and more tech-savvy ones that would likely be more open to AI. This will allow for any failures in the process to have a limited scope of impact, and give an easy out for the company to back out with at any point. Emphasize oversight of the AI functionality by a real, human salesperson: allow them to use it to brainstorm strategies, personalized services, and save time. A key insight here is that AI can be useful in many ways other than taking it all the way– replacing a human salesperson entirely. It would be a misstep to cut AI out of the process arbitrarily, but it would also be a misstep to throw AI in as a replacement for people entirely. This is especially true because it is almost guaranteed that competitors will use AI in some way in the near future– and they should not deprive themselves of the benefits that would come with that. Based on the real-time evaluation of where AI is useful in the workflow of existing salespeople, it will be best to incorporate AI in a way that minimizes risk and maximizes practical usefulness. Another important consideration here is client feedback. Having a small pilot size of using AI in the process allows for careful tracking and clear communication with clients. Listen to the ways in which AI enhances performance, but be equally attentive to the ways that AI might impact trust for potential buyers. Overall, I recommend a scaled testing period in which Jeannie and other executives are careful about using AI as a tool to improve workflow while maintaining human oversight.
