AI Shortens B2B Sales Cycles By 1 Week

A brand new report reveals that B2B gross sales groups more and more use AI to enhance effectivity and shut offers.

Commissioned by LinkedIn and performed by Ipsos, the survey included 1,250 gross sales professionals and located that AI is now a key a part of gross sales practices.

Right here’s what entrepreneurs have to know.

AI Adoption on the Rise

88% of gross sales professionals use AI weekly, and 56% use it each day. This pattern displays modifications within the gross sales discipline, the place groups should handle complicated shopping for processes.

Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn’s Chief Economist, notes that firms utilizing AI achieve a aggressive benefit.

“Corporations integrating AI are gaining a aggressive edge,” says Kimbrough within the report. “Groups that don’t embrace AI will fall behind.”

Microsoft’s Way forward for Work report additionally reveals that gross sales professionals see important productiveness will increase from AI.

Key Drivers Of Funding

98% of gross sales executives plan to take a position extra in AI this 12 months. They’ll concentrate on:

1. Gross sales intelligence
2. Gross sales enablement
3. AI-powered CRM instruments

Methodology Be aware:
Ipsos surveyed gross sales professionals in america, the UK, Germany, Australia, India, and Singapore, specializing in mid-market (200–999 workers) and enterprise (1,000+ workers) sectors spanning tech, finance, manufacturing, skilled companies, and different industries.

Prime Three Affect Areas

Sellers exceeding their targets are 2.5 occasions extra possible to make use of AI each day than these not assembly their objectives.

Researchers discovered three principal methods AI improves gross sales:

1. Discovering Leads
   1. 38% say AI helps to establish leads sooner and extra precisely.
   2. Sellers save a minimum of 1.5 hours weekly utilizing AI for lead analysis.
2. Customized Messages
   1. AI instruments allow sooner and extra tailor-made outreach campaigns.
   2. Sellers utilizing AI noticed a 28% improve in responses.
3. Gross sales Effectivity
   1. AI streamlines knowledge entry and scheduling in CRM methods.
   2. Almost 69% of sellers say AI shortens their gross sales cycle by about one week and helps them shut extra offers.

Wanting Forward

Dan Shapero, LinkedIn COO, advises firms to “begin small” and concentrate on delivering instant wins as a basis for long-term AI adoption.

This method resonates with the rising variety of gross sales executives (39%) who really feel “extremely assured” about their readiness for future challenges.

In sensible phrases, gross sales groups can start by:

• Automating routine duties like updating CRM information or lead qualification.
• Leveraging real-time insights for focused outreach (e.g., monitoring job modifications or firm information).
• Experimenting with generative AI to craft extra partaking prospect messages.
• Often coaching groups on new instruments to scale back resistance and easy adoption.

Dan Shapero, COO at LinkedIn, states:

“It’s too early to know what your AI technique is. I feel the query you ask your self is, “What’s my AI win?”. What’s the one factor that I can do with my staff proper now that’s going to create worth over the subsequent six months? As a result of the world is altering so rapidly, it’s considered one of these moments to start out small, to go massive over time.”

For extra insights, see the complete report.

Featured Picture: Screenshot from Linkedin ROI of AI report, March 2025.