Artificial intelligence boosts B2B sales performance

A recent Gartner study found that professionals who effectively use AI tools are 3.7 times more likely to meet their sales targets. The research, conducted between January and March 2024, surveyed 1,026 B2B salespeople and identified a strong correlation between technology proficiency and achieving business goals.

Effective AI use and sales results

This correlation does not mean that simply implementing a chatbot will automatically increase sales. What matters is the ability to form a genuine partnership with AI tools, integrating them into workflows rather than using them for isolated tasks only.

In practice, a salesperson can use AI to analyze a company’s data before a meeting, identify latent customer needs, or organize information from multiple opportunities. The technology also supports operational tasks, such as:

• summarizing meetings and conversations with customers;
• drafting questions for negotiations;
• adapting messages to different buyer profiles;
• organizing data on opportunities;
• identifying patterns in business information.

However, the machine-generated response still needs to be verified, contextualized, and adjusted by the professional.

Why AI can help salespeople

A significant portion of sales work involves tasks that do not directly relate to customer interaction. Data released by Salesforce in 2026 shows that salespeople spend about 60% of their time on non-sales-related activities. In this context, AI tools can take over repetitive tasks, freeing up time for activities that require human involvement.

A practical example is meeting preparation. Instead of manually gathering scattered information about a company, a salesperson can use an AI solution to organize the data and generate an initial briefing. It is then up to the salesperson to validate the information and decide how to apply it during the conversation.

AI does not replace business strategy

The Gartner findings should be interpreted as a correlation, not a cause-and-effect relationship. Other skills were also linked to a higher likelihood of meeting goals, such as tactical flexibility—the ability to adapt sales strategies—and so-called mentalizing, which involves interpreting buyers’ beliefs, feelings, and intentions.

Therefore, adding AI tools to one’s routine does not guarantee better results on its own. The professional still needs to know the product, understand the customer, evaluate information, and make strategic decisions.

Steps to incorporate AI into the sales process

For those working in sales, adopting AI tools can be a gradual process. A possible sequence includes:

1. Identify repetitive tasks, such as research, organization, and information recording.
2. Choose tools appropriate to the type of activity.
3. Create specific commands, providing context and purpose for the AI.
4. Verify the answers, especially when they involve customer or company data.
5. Measure the results, observing time saved, quality of contacts, and progress of opportunities.

More recent data reinforces this trend: Salesforce reports that 87% of sales organizations already use some form of AI. The Gartner survey, cited by the company, maintains the ratio of 3.7 times between salespeople who work effectively with AI and those who meet their goals.

For professionals, the focus should be less on the number of tools adopted and more on the ability to integrate AI into work in a consistent, verifiable, and goal-aligned manner.