Funnel vision Episode 2 - how AI will change sales, how Services & Sales can work together and more

In this inaugural episode of Funnel Vision, hosts Richard Bounds and Leo Rogers welcome Erlend Asker, a seasoned Business Coach and Director at ERA Consulting, to discuss the profound impact of AI on modern sales. Erlend, with over 25 years in global leadership roles, including managing revenue streams up to 200 million Euros at companies like Sun Microsystems and Software AG, shares his extensive background and current focus on coaching founders and senior leaders to scale their businesses and navigate complex organizational changes. He emphasizes that while 1-to-1 coaching is crucial for individual performance, team-based coaching combined with skills development is vital for organizational transformation and high-growth businesses. Erlend highlights his proudest career achievement as seeing the people he mentored develop into "superstars," attributing much of this success to bridging the gap between sales and delivery, ensuring harmonious collaboration for winning business and successful project implementation. He stresses the importance of not confusing sales with delivery and always seeking win-win scenarios.

Erlend identifies the biggest change in sales as the shift from perpetual license models to consumption-based selling, which benefits customers by allowing them to pay for usage, aligning with adoption cycles. He notes that customer success has become paramount for securing annual recurring revenue and renewals. Discussing current sales challenges, Erlend points out the alarming statistic that sales managers often only know what their teams are doing for 6-8 hours a week, underscoring the need for more effective time utilization. He argues that AI will not replace salespeople but rather those who fail to adopt and leverage it. AI is increasingly used in Business Development Representative (BDR) roles for research, preparation, and understanding client business drivers. He cautions against "over-automating" to maintain authenticity, stressing that sales remain a human-to-human interaction. In the next five years, AI is expected to significantly boost productivity by 10-15% through real-time coaching, automated note-taking, and CRM integration, making it a critical tool for competitive advantage. Erlend advises new salespeople to deeply understand their clients' needs and underlying business problems, going beyond surface-level requests. He also reflects on his own career, wishing he had listened more and sooner, recognizing that continuous learning and asking the right questions are more valuable than having all the answers. He shares a humorous, albeit embarrassing, anecdote about showing up at the wrong office in the wrong city for a crucial client meeting, highlighting the importance of attention to detail even with the best intentions. Ultimately, Erlend views AI as the "next big wave" in technology, one that will fundamentally change how sales organizations operate, demanding adaptability and a focus on authentic human connection.