Listless with the lingo? Yea...you, me ...and him!

Humans love to categorize things - Categorization drives the use of labels & lingo, and has reached epidemic proportions. We end up looking as confused, bemused and unamused as this guy (although we don't know whether giraffes share our passion for categorization.)

The Sales Lingo Labyrinth

Navigating the world of sales terminology & technology can sometimes feel like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube blindfolded. Every week, new buzzwords and concepts are thrown into the mix, lots of them mean the same things, and all of them promise to revolutionize selling. We've seen the emergence of everything from RevOps, Sales Engagement Platforms, and Conversational Intelligence, to Social Selling Tools, Predictive Sales Analytics, and Sales Ops Tech. It's a smorgasbord of terms that can leave even the most seasoned seller scratching their head.

But let's cut through the jargon. The crux of all these fancy terms is pretty simple: helping salespeople sell better. And that's where Sales Enablement comes in. Think of it as the Swiss Army knife in the salesperson’s toolkit. It's about arming your team with the right tools, info, and skills to win that sales battle.

Unpacking Sales Enablement

Sales Enablement isn’t (or shouldn't be) just a buzzword to throw around in meetings to sound smart. It's about equipping sales teams with everything they need to engage customers more effectively. This includes content, tools, knowledge, and insights. You need have your own company definition, and it's less important what that definition is, as its is that you actually have one and have agreed upon it!

However, with the advent of AI, we’re witnessing a new king of the jungle: Sales Enablement AI. This isn't your run-of-the-mill robot trying to sell you a used car. It's about using AI to make sense of the increasing demands, and the vast amounts of data & insights to provide actionable, practical advice to sales teams.

Shadow Seller come on down!

Imagine Shadow Seller as that wise-cracking sidekick in a buddy-cop movie – always ready with a witty comeback, but also with the smarts to back it up. Shadow Seller takes the chaos of the sales process and turns it into a walk in the park.

Shadow Seller is more than just another tool in the toolbox; it’s the tool that makes all the other tools look good. It’s your personal sales Yoda, offering advice, strategies, and even drafting your meeting agendas. It’s like having your own personal coach who's read every sales book ever written, and delivers the advice at the point you engage with the prospect - not 3 months ago (you do know that human beings forget 75% of what they learn within 24 hours!).

Cutting Through the Noise

The sales world is often guilty of overcomplication. We've all been there – sitting through endless sales training, nodding along while instructors talk about ideas we already know, using words we don't understand. Shadow Seller says, “Enough of that!” It’s not about piling more and more onto the salesperson’s plate; it’s about serving up just what’s needed, when it’s needed - "concise advice in the right amounts, right place, right time."

Shadow Seller takes a stand against the “more is better” mantra. It’s like having a filter that sifts through the endless sand of information and finds those few golden nuggets that can actually make a difference in your sales approach.

The AI Advantage

So, what makes Shadow Seller stand out?

• First, it's all about speed and relevance. The platform uses AI to deliver fast, contextually accurate insights. It’s like having a crystal ball, but instead of vague predictions, you get precise, actionable advice.

• Second, Shadow Seller AI uses existing AI models (like the renowned GPT-4) to provide nuanced advice. This isn’t just a robot regurgitating facts; it’s a platform that understands the subtleties and complexities of the sales process, enabling you to create preference from the "get-go."

The Bottom Line

In a world where salespeople are expected to be part-superhero, part-mind reader, and part-entertainer, Shadow Seller brings a sense of sanity. It’s a tool that acknowledges the absurdity of expecting sales teams to juggle a dozen roles while still hitting their targets.

Shadow Seller is about getting back to basics. It’s a no-nonsense approach in an industry often bogged down by its own cleverness. With Shadow Seller, you’re not just getting another sales tool; you’re getting a revolution in how sales is done.

Shining the light

In the end, Shadow Seller isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s more like it’s putting those fancy, high-tech tires on the wheel to make the ride smoother. In the ever-evolving circus of sales technology, Shadow Seller stands out as a beacon of simplicity and efficiency. It’s a reminder that sometimes, less really is more.

So, if you’re tired of navigating the labyrinth of sales technology, maybe it’s time to let Shadow Seller AI take the wheel. After all, in the world of sales, who couldn’t use a wise-cracking, AI-powered sidekick?

Shadow and the duality of ai. Both a painkiller and vitamin in B2B Sales

I don’t usually write multiple blogs in the space of a few days but Andy Kessler’s article in the WSJ this morning has compelled me. Kessler is discussing concern, on the one hand, around ai, and the excitement on the other. Kessler uses a Silicon Valley investment metaphor (that of painkillers and vitamins) to help us in our categorization. Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m always warning against using these kinds of extreme positions and how humans gravitate toward them They make our lives easier (or we think they do). The question here is using Kessler’s advice, how does Shadow stack up? Vitamin or painkiller? Net contributor, or net destroyer? I think its both, and here’s why.

AI's Rollercoaster Ride in 11 Months

In a mere 11 months since OpenAI's ChatGPT was introduced, the AI landscape has expanded exponentially. New players and capabilities have emerged, extending beyond text into uncharted territories. The question that lingers: Will generative AI steal our jobs, lead to human extinction, or create unprecedented wealth? The answer, as always, is complex.

Some perspective:

• Sam Altman's Vision: UBI and Existential Risks - Sam Altman, the mind behind OpenAI, envisions a future where AI shoulders an increasing share of human work. He predicts that by 2031, AI's profits could fund a universal basic income (UBI) of $13,500 per year for every American, even without them lifting a finger. Yet, Altman remains acutely aware of the grave existential risks AI brings to the table.

• Venture Capitalist Vinod Khosla's Bold Prediction - Vinod Khosla joins the conversation, boldly declaring that within a decade, AI could handle 80% of 80% of today's jobs. However, he overlooks the fact that AI has the potential to create 80% more and better jobs, not just displace existing ones. And to quote Leslie Neilson in Naked Gun, "there's only a 50% chance of that."

Shadow as the Perfect Balance

Shadow embodies the duality of AI as both a painkiller and a vitamin in the realm of B2B sales. Here's how:

• Painkiller Aspect: Streamlining Sales Operations

Shadow acts as a painkiller by automating some mundane sales tasks, allowing sales professionals to reclaim their time and focus on higher-value activities. It enhances efficiency, and effectiveness. It's the tool that eases the burdens and time constraints sellers confront. As we say; it helps sellers be better prepared, faster and with less effort. It a poster child for the idea of “working smarter, not harder.”

• Vitamin Aspect: Fueling Revenue Growth

Shadow AI, in its vitamin role, empowers B2B sales teams to basically “be better.” You’d think if that’s true, sellers using Shadow will win more, therefore boosting revenue. Shadow provides personalized insights and recommendations that lead to higher conversion rates. And it’s not that Shadow is always sharing something you didn’t know (so all you cleverest people in the room can relax) they’re sharing subtleties and nuances. They’re reminding us, in this world of cognitive overload, about fundamental thoughts and ideas that are often forgotten or ignored.

Roy Bahat's Perspective: Looms, Slide Rules, and Cranes

Venture capitalist Roy Bahat offers a refined perspective, categorizing AI projects as looms (replacing workers), slide rules (assisting humans), or cranes (extending human abilities). Again, it’s hard to pick one category, it often depends on how you use such tools and how good you are at using them. Shadow is a slide rule AND a crane, assisting and extending the capabilities of sellers, not replacing them.

Shining a light - Shadow AI's Dual Role in B2B Sales

In the evolving realm of AI, Shadow embodies a delicate equilibrium. We are both a painkiller, streamlining sales for efficiency, and a vitamin, fueling effectiveness and success that leads to revenue growth. Our multifaceted nature extends beyond categorization, acting as both a slide rule, aiding daily tasks, and a crane, elevating capabilities.

We mentioned duality earlier, so not to wrap things up too dramatically, but maybe ai is even more similar to us, in that it possesses its own duality. You know, like Matthew Modine, as Pvt Joker, pointed out in Full Metal Jacket when being asked about having "born to kill" on his helmet and a peace symbol on his uniform - "you know the Jungian thing."

When Timing Isn’t Everything - The Timing Trouble in Traditional Training

Imagine a salesperson we'll call Jack. Jack just sat through a week-long sales boot camp (in person or otherwise). By Friday, his brain is like a sponge that's been left under a running faucet—dripping with excess information and incapable of soaking up another drop. Jack, like so many in his field, is a victim not just of bad timing in training, but also the corporate belief that when it comes to training, more is always better. Spoiler alert: It's not.

When Just-in-Time Beats Just-in-Case

Traditional sales training operates on a "just-in-case" model. It's the equivalent of learning how to fix a tire before you even know how to drive—sure, it might come in handy someday, but by the time you need it, you'll probably have forgotten which tool does what. Contrast this with the "just-in-time" model, which is like having a mechanic show you the ropes when you're roadside with a flat. This method ensures that learning is immediately relevant and applicable, and is becoming more available with AI-powered sales coaching tools.

The benefits of just-in-time learning aren't just anecdotal. The Forgetting Curve—a concept first introduced by psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus—demonstrates that without reinforcement, we start losing the memory of learned knowledge in a matter of days. In fact, research suggests that within one hour, people will have forgotten an average of 50 percent of the information presented. Within 24 hours, this number rises to 70 percent, and if a week passes without that knowledge being applied, up to 90 percent could be lost. That’s not just a curve; it’s a cliff.

Imagine we plot Jack's training retention on a graph. It wouldn't be a slow, gentle slope but a steep dive, like a rollercoaster when you've just reached the peak and are bracing for the drop. Now, that’s the type of adrenaline rush you want your sales team to avoid - right?

Cognitive Overload: When More is Less

Then there’s the information overload. It’s the age of big data, but bigger isn't always better, especially when it comes to learning. Cognitive load theory tells us that our working memory has limits. Bombard it with too much information, and you'll jam the gears. Sales training is full with too much information, and crammed with complexity.

In our age of multitasking myths, cognitive overload is the supervillain. It swoops in when we pile up the sales techniques, sales methods, strategies & tactics, industry insights, pollical know-how, psychology, neuroscience, expecting sellers (young & old) to switch gears at lightning speed. But here's the kicker: A study published in the journal 'Computers in Human Behavior' found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced significant performance drops. In terms of sales training, this means that the more we dump on our trainees at once, the less they’re actually learning. It's like expecting Jack to learn to juggle while riding a unicycle. Entertaining, yes. Effective? Not so much. And as our window of opportunity to spend time with prospects continue to close – we have to be at our best when these opportunities present.

It's complicated…and expensive

There's a peculiar badge of honor that traditional sales training seems to pursue—complexity. Somewhere along the line, we started to measure the effectiveness of a training program by how intricate it could become. Instead of sticking to the core principles of sales—connection, understanding, solution, and closure—we've entangled the process with a labyrinth of techniques, acronyms, and processes that would make even Da Vinci's head spin. This convoluted approach may have succeeded in making sales training seem like an arcane art only accessible to the few with a Rosetta Stone, but in reality, it has done a disservice to many sales professionals. They're often left with a toolbox so overstocked and disorganized it's nearly impossible to find the right tool when the moment of truth arrives in front of a potential client. Simplicity is the soul of efficiency, especially in AI sales coaching tools, but traditional sales training has forgotten this, opting instead for a complex system where less could truly be more.

Shining the light

So, what’s the takeaway? The old approach to sales training needs to be put out to pasture. Instead, it's time to water the garden gently—with targeted, timely readiness thinking, ideas and tools that get sellers better prepared, faster and with less effort. Let's give Jack and his colleagues what they need when they need it, so that information is a tool they use, not a flood they feel will drown them.