Study: 84% sellers in Singapore believe AI for customer research is key to success

84% of sellers in Singapore believe AI for customer research will be key to future success. This signals an embrace of the use of AI, with 87% of sellers in Singapore saying that they want training on how to best use AI technology. 

This is according to LinkedIn's "Deep sales: the B2B sales playbook to boost revenue in 2024" report. The report shows that the three habits of top performers in sales organisations include 'prioritising high-potential accounts', 'investing in building key relationships' and 'finding hidden allies and intel for relevant outreach'. 

Don't miss: LinkedIn now allows companies to sponsor any organic content 

Sellers who exhibit these habits, according to LinkedIn, are known as 'deep sellers'. Of which, the report found that 14% of B2B sellers in Singapore are deep sellers. Additionally, almost 1 in 2 deep sellers in Singapore (48%) seek buyer feedback following an interaction. 

Utilising AI to research prospects

According to the report, B2B sellers in Singapore are increasingly relying on AI in their selling journeys to research prospects, identify targets, and find warm leads with buyers.

Deep sellers in Singapore are 1.7x more likely than shallow sellers to use AI to identify opportunities that are at risk. Additionally, 71% of deep sellers are already utilising sales intelligence tools to identify high potential accounts. This is significantly higher than shallow sellers (14%). 

“The best sales professionals do things differently. They practice the deep sales approach, assisted by AI, to get conversations with people that matter. That’s why companies are on the hunt for deep sellers who know how to use AI and sales intelligence tools," said Grace Kerrison, head of sales solutions, LinkedIn APAC. 

Human touch indispensable in the age of AI 

As technology evolves, B2B sellers have become focused on maintaining long-term relationships with buyers, added the report. 

Findings showed that 88% of B2B sellers and 72% of buyers in Singapore agree that meeting in-person before closing a deal is important. At the same time, 46% of buyers in Singapore said they will buy from the same sales professional even after changing companies. This, said the report, shows how important relationships are for sales success and lasting value. 

Similarly, AI has become critical for marketers. 

AI has dominated conversations in 2023, with investments in the technology on the rise within Asia Pacific. In fact, research by Daitaku forecasts a staggering 67% increase in AI and machine learning (ML) investments across the region by 2024.

This is especially since content creation has emerged as the top use case for generative AI among 89% of marketers in Singapore, with nearly seven in ten (68%) saying that content made using generative AI performed better than content developed without it.

Join us this coming 24 - 25 April for #Content360, a two-day extravaganza centered around four core thematic pillars: Explore with AI; Insight-powered strategies; Content as an experience; and Embrace the future. Immerse yourself in learning to curate content with creativity, critical thinking, and confidence with us at Content360!

Related articles:  
Study: 93.5% of brands prefer LinkedIn for social media marketing campaigns 
LinkedIn's Top 10 startup marketers in SG 
LinkedIn names new head of global marketing solutions for HK and Taiwan