AI and Sales Productivity with James Underhill

In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan dive into the transformative potential of AI in sales with insights from James Underhill, Senior Director for Sales Innovation at MongoDB. The discussion covers how AI can enhance sales productivity across the funnel, from territory management to post-sale processes. James shares his experiences and strategies for using AI to help sales reps focus on what truly matters—building strong relationships and driving revenue. KEY TAKEAWAYS [00:01:19] The importance of reframing customer problems to build trust. [00:01:54] AI's role in contextualizing top-of-the-funnel data. [00:02:40] Middle-of-the-funnel AI applications: CRM and knowledge management. [00:03:19] Bottom-of-the-funnel AI uses: Renewal, upsell, and customer usage insights. [00:05:16] The distinction between what AI should be used for vs. what it can be used for. [00:06:51] AI as a tool for sales reps and leaders, not a replacement. HIGHLIGHT QUOTES [00:01:19] "When somebody helps to reframe a problem that I have in a way I hadn’t thought of, that’s when I know this is a great seller." [00:05:16] "It’s important to have the tools to augment the information you have, but decisions should still be made by people." [00:06:51] "The value proposition for AI is what it can do for the reps and sales leaders, not to them." Listen to the full episode through this link: https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/the-impact-of-ai-on-sales-with-james-underhill Check out John McMahon’s book here: Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4 Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Read Force Management's eBook: https://www.forcemanagement.com/roi-of-sales-messaging