Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable - Practical Application of AI for Industrial Sales and Marketing
Are you sick of hearing about AI yet? You know there's lots of smoke and mirrors - many applications that have just slapped AI in the domain.
And there are plenty of risks to consider from hallucinations to private and confidential data and more.
But there are also amazing use cases, and many middle-market industrial manufacturers are hesitating to leverage those. Often the sales and marketing teams are hesitant. Management may be unfamiliar and, therefore, unable to give specific instructions. Yet the companies that can organizationally unlock the potential of AI for industrial sales and marketing stand to leapfrog competitors.
Rick Kranz has an interesting perspective and model. He's run a manufacturing business and a sales team. And he's run a marketing agency. And now he is building a community that helps sales and marketing contributors, as well as managers and leaders, to ideate and build AI tools for sales and marketing - together, for collaboration on debugging and deploying them.
It's proving to be a really effective way to help companies unlock the opportunity. Listen in to my full conversation with Rick where we talk drumming and music, digital and inbound marketing, industrial marketing and manufacturing, and take a deep dive into AI for industrial sales and marketing.
Connect with Rick for his ongoing insights on AI for Sales & Marketing.
Check out Rick's AI Marketing Automation Lab website | | | |
AI Tools for Sales & Marketing - Rick Kranz on Industrial Growth Institute Episode 65
Episode Recap
Summary
Rick Kranz is in the podcast studio this week to delve into the practical applications of AI in marketing and sales. He emphasizes the importance of community and collaboration in adopting AI technologies.
Ed and Rick discuss his diverse career journey, the significance of building practical AI solutions for businesses, and the evolving landscape of marketing strategies in the age of AI. The conversation also highlights:
- changing buyer behavior
- the future of sales and marketing as influenced by AI tools and technologies
- practical applications of AI in marketing and sales
- how small and mid-sized businesses can leverage AI tools to enhance their processes
- the role of executives in understanding AI capabilities
- the future of AI in the workforce.
The discussion also touches on engagement strategies on platforms like LinkedIn and the significance of having guardrails in AI systems to ensure effective implementation.
Takeaways
- Midsize industrial manufacturers need to engage with AI at multiple levels.
- Community plays a crucial role in adopting AI technologies.
- Discipline and methodology are key to mastering any skill, including AI.
- Small businesses can leverage AI to compete with larger firms.
- The traditional marketing playbook is evolving with AI advancements.
- Sales and marketing are increasingly interconnected in the buyer's journey.
- Buyers are using AI to streamline their research and decision-making processes.
- AI can automate entry-level tasks, changing the landscape of marketing jobs.
- The AI Automation Lab is designed for business owners and sales professionals to learn and implement AI solutions.
- Weekly sessions include co-build and troubleshooting sessions provide the most value to participants.
- Community brainstorming enhances problem-solving.
- AI can assist in content creation and writing.
- Engagement on LinkedIn requires strategic thinking.
- Executives should observe AI applications to trigger ideas.
- Guardrails in AI systems prevent mistakes.
- Small businesses can automate grunt work with AI.
- Practical applications of AI can save time and resources.
- The future of AI should focus on enhancing human capabilities.
Takeaway Quotes from Rick Kranz
- "It's about methodology and discipline."
- "AI is taking over entry-level tasks."
- "Get your salespeople on LinkedIn."
Outline
00:00 Introduction to AI in Marketing and Sales
02:16 Rick Kranz: A Multifaceted Career Journey
07:12 The Importance of Community in AI Adoption
11:49 Building Practical AI Solutions for Businesses
15:55 The Role of AI in Small Business Marketing
20:50 The Evolution of Marketing Strategies with AI
25:42 Understanding Buyer Behavior in the AI Era
30:16 The Future of Sales and Marketing with AI
34:23 Buyers' Use of AI in Their Workflows
38:02 The AI Automation Lab: Purpose and Membership
40:00 Collaborative Building and Troubleshooting in AI Systems
42:46 Community Support and Practical Learning
46:02 AI in Content Creation and Writing
48:58 Engagement Strategies on LinkedIn
52:00 The Role of Executives in AI Adoption
55:02 Guardrails in AI Systems
57:56 Practical Applications of AI in Small Businesses
01:01:03 Resources and Roadmap for AI Marketing Automation
01:04:02 Future Predictions for AI in Business
Buyers are Changing, AI is Accelerating the Change, We Need to Change Too
Buyer behaviors are changing quickly. That means we need to evolve our marketing and sales.
