Strategic Go-To-Market Blog | Six & Flow

AI Adoption and its Impact on our Roles

Written by Manveen Kaur | 02 December 2024

AI is transforming the way we work, and that too at a speed only a few of us could have imagined. Take ChatGPT for example, it hit 100 million active users in just two months, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. If that’s not a sign to start leveraging AI, what is? 

From addressing the fear of AI adoption to why delaying AI adoption is costly for your business, we will explore the impact AI has on your role. And if you're here with us till the end of the blog, you'll also find out how to effectively integrate AI into your go-to-market strategy to ensure sustainable growth.

 

Why AI, and Why Now?

I think we've had enough about how AI is not a distant possibility anymore, so let's skip that.

Today’s AI tools are more accessible, intuitive, and impactful than ever. Take, for instance, Breeze - HubSpot's New AI - HubSpot's New AI that is context-aware, accessible and powers the entire customer platform to support sales, marketing, and customer service.

Businesses that wait to integrate AI risk falling behind more agile competitors who use AI to scale efficiently, optimise resources, and provide better customer experiences. While you’re stuck handling repetitive tasks, your competitors are focusing on strategic growth.

The time to act is now.

 

 

How AI is Transforming Professional Roles

AI isn’t here to replace you; it’s here to enhance what you do. Let’s break it down role by role:

 

Sales: Building Relationships, Not Just Closing Deals

Sales teams have traditionally spent hours on repetitive tasks like qualifying leads and scheduling follow-ups. AI tools like Breeze AI agents can handle these mundane activities, freeing you to focus on building meaningful relationships with prospects.

This shift allows you to prioritise customer value, not just hitting your targets. AI helps you deliver personalised, high-touch experiences that resonate with buyers, fostering trust and loyalty.

 

Marketing: Creativity Meets Efficiency

Ever been paralysed by writer’s block? AI can help. Tools like Breeze Content Agent can generate first drafts, saving you time and energy. Instead of spending hours crafting the perfect paragraph, you can focus on refining the message to align with your brand and audience.

AI also helps you analyse data more efficiently, identifying what works and what doesn’t in your campaigns.

The result? Engaging, targeted content that drives results faster.

 

Customer Service: Focus on Complex Issues

Customer service teams often deal with an overwhelming volume of tickets, many of which are simple, repetitive queries. AI-powered customer agent can handle these straightforward issues, allowing you to concentrate on more complex problems that require a human touch.

This doesn’t just benefit your clients—it benefits you, too, by reducing stress and improving your ability to provide exceptional service where it matters most.

 

 

Here's why delaying AI adoption is costly for businesses

Delaying the adoption of AI can have far-reaching consequences, from direct financial losses to missed opportunities for growth and innovation. Let’s break this down into direct, indirect, and opportunity costs:

1. Direct Costs

  • Labour Inefficiencies: Without AI, your team spends significant time on repetitive tasks like data entry, manual follow-ups, or basic content creation. These tasks are not only time-consuming but also costly when calculated against employee wages.
  • Operational Bottlenecks: Manual processes slow down workflows, leading to delays that directly affect revenue, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
  • Higher Hiring Costs: As your business grows, failing to leverage AI means needing to hire more staff to handle increased workloads, significantly adding to payroll costs.

 

2. Indirect Costs

  • Burnout and Employee Dissatisfaction: Teams overwhelmed by monotonous tasks are more likely to experience burnout, leading to higher turnover rates and additional costs for recruiting and training new hires.
  • Customer Attrition: Slow response times and lack of personalisation - issues AI can mitigate - frustrate customers, making them more likely to leave for competitors who provide better experiences.
  • Data Inaccuracy: Without AI to streamline and validate data management, businesses are prone to errors that can compromise decision-making and strategy execution.

 

3. Opportunity Costs

  • Missed Competitive Edge: While your competitors embrace AI to optimise their operations and improve customer engagement, your business risks falling behind in innovation and market relevance.
  • Lost Market Insights: AI-powered analytics provide critical insights into customer behaviour, market trends, and operational efficiency. Without these, you miss opportunities to refine your strategies and capitalise on emerging trends.
  • Scaling Challenges: Businesses that hesitate to adopt AI face difficulties scaling efficiently, which can stunt growth and limit revenue potential.

 

The cost of waiting isn’t just about what you lose today—it’s about the compounded impact of missed opportunities over time.

 

Still Unsure about Adopting AI?

It’s natural to feel uneasy about AI’s growing influence. Concerns about job security or the loss of human creativity are valid—but they miss the bigger picture.

AI isn’t about replacement; it’s about augmentation. It takes over the mundane so you can focus on what really matters. Sales reps can build deeper connections, marketers can craft more impactful campaigns, and customer service teams can focus on resolving complex issues.

Embracing AI also opens up opportunities to learn new skills, making you more versatile and valuable in the workplace. AI is your partner, not your competitor.

 

 

How AI Enables Sustainable Growth

One of the most compelling benefits of AI is its ability to help you grow without hiring at the same rate. By automating repetitive tasks, AI allows businesses to do more with less. This doesn’t just boost productivity; it also improves job satisfaction by enabling employees to focus on meaningful, rewarding work.

For example:

  • In sales, fewer hours spent on admin means more time nurturing client relationships.
  • In marketing, automation provides the bandwidth to focus on creativity and strategy.
  • In customer service, AI frees up resources to handle critical, high-value interactions.

This shift isn’t just about saving costs; it’s about building a happier, more engaged workforce.

Check out this video from our Growth Summit 2024, when Mark Barry (HubSpot) along with Maegan Toups (Airswift) shared the stage to talk about the impact of AI and how it can be leveraged to drive sustainable growth:

 

 

 

Your Next Steps: Assessing and Integrating AI into Your Strategy

Before moving any further, you need to assess your AI maturity and ensure it aligns with your broader business goals.

1. Assess Your AI Maturity

Use frameworks like our AI Maturity Model to evaluate where you stand.

  • Foundation: Are your current processes, systems, and data infrastructure robust enough to support AI?
  • Alignment: Does your AI strategy complement your business objectives, industry needs, and growth goals?
  • Readiness: Do you have the skills, tools, and organisational buy-in to adopt and scale AI effectively?

 

2. Integrate AI into Your Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy

The future isn’t just about using AI to write blogs or automate sales sequences—that’s just the beginning. AI can transform every aspect of your GTM strategy:

  • Data Optimisation: Use AI to clean, enrich, and manage your data, ensuring accurate insights for decision-making.
  • Content Personalisation: Tailor marketing content to your ideal customer profiles (ICPs) and awareness stages at scale, enhancing engagement and conversions.
  • Improved Forecasting: Leverage AI to refine sales forecasts, anticipate challenges, and seize opportunities.
  • Enhanced Customer Support: AI-powered tools can help your team resolve customer issues faster and more effectively.

 

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. Begin with a pilot project, measure its impact, and build confidence across your team. Starting small allows you to refine your approach before scaling AI throughout your organisation.

 

The Tipping Point

We’re at a critical juncture. AI isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have to stay competitive and achieve sustainable growth. By embedding AI into your GTM motion and broader business strategy, you’re not just keeping pace with change—you’re leading it.

Take the time to assess your AI maturity, optimise your processes, and start small. With the right foundation, AI can act as a powerful amplifier, helping you unlock your team’s potential and scale your business like never before.