How generative AI is changing sales?

Published: 7/11/2025

The world of sales is undergoing a massive transformation, driven by the rapid advancement of generative AI. A recent study by Salesforce, in partnership with YouGov, surveyed over 1,000 sales professionals to understand how they're using and perceiving this groundbreaking technology. This blog post will dive into the key trends and takeaways from this research, offering valuable insights for sales leaders and professionals looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Key Findings:

1. Generative AI boosts sales productivity and efficiency

The report reveals that sales professionals are optimistic about the impact of generative AI. A majority (58%) believe that generative AI helps or will help them increase their productivity. They estimate that it saves, or could save, them around 4.5 hours per week. Moreover, 56% of salespeople anticipate that generative AI will help them increase sales, and 61% believe it will improve customer service.

Sales professionals are already utilizing generative AI for various tasks, including:

Creating basic content (82%)

Analyzing market data (74%)

Automating sales communications (71%)

Creating sales reports (68%)

Building sales plans and strategies (68%)

2. Sales teams face challenges in generative AI adoption

Despite the enthusiasm, the adoption of generative AI in sales is lagging behind other departments like marketing. Only 35% of sales professionals are currently using or experimenting with generative AI, compared to 51% in marketing.

The report identifies two primary reasons for this:

Trust gap: 73% of sales professionals express concerns about new security risks introduced by generative AI, and nearly half (49%) believe that generative AI outputs can be inaccurate.
Skills gap: Many sales professionals feel unprepared to leverage generative AI effectively, with only 47% stating they know how to maximize its value at work.

3. The need for trust and ethical considerations

To increase trust in generative AI, sales professionals emphasize the importance of:

Human oversight: 68% of sales professionals believe that generative AI lacks human contextual knowledge, and 56% consider human oversight crucial.
Data security: 63% of sales professionals are concerned that their company's data is not adequately set up for generative AI.
Ethical use guidelines: A majority (54%) of sales professionals stress the need for ethical-use guidelines.

4. Demand for training and skill development

Sales professionals are eager to learn and adapt to generative AI. A significant 56% believe that generative AI will transform the skills required for their jobs. 63% expect their employers to provide opportunities to learn how to use generative AI, but 67% report that their employers currently do not offer such training.

Generative AI presents a tremendous opportunity to revolutionize the sales industry, boosting productivity, efficiency, and even sales revenue. However, to fully harness its potential, companies must address the trust and skills gaps by prioritizing ethical considerations, data security, and comprehensive training programs. By taking these steps, businesses can empower their sales teams to effectively utilize generative AI and achieve unprecedented success.

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