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Todays B2B CEOs are tasked with a delicate balancing act: driving growth, improving efficiency, and creating seamless customer experiences, all while navigating unprecedented market complexity. Meanwhile, the revenue professionals responsible for executing these goals face their own challenges. Buying journeys have become increasingly labyrinthine, with big buying teams and long sales cycles. Seventy-seven percent of B2B buyers say their last purchasing decision was very complex or difficult, with more than 800 interactions on average with potential vendors. Misalignment across revenue teams compounds the issue, making it nearly impossible to deliver efficient, relevant, and cohesive buyer experiences. This complexity creates a cycle of inefficiency, where teams work harder to achieve diminishing returns. Fortunately, were at a pivotal moment in technology. AI and data advances are empowering organizations to simplify complex revenue cycles. Among these innovations, AI agents offer a promising solution. AI agents arent simple software add-ons. Theyre intelligent partners that enable teams to act faster, collaborate more effectively, and scale more strategically. Lets explore how CEOs can equip their teams with AI agents to achieve sustainable growth. AI agents are partners, not tools AI agents represent a significant evolution in business technology. Unlike traditional software, which passively waits for human input, AI agents actively analyze data, surface opportunities, make recommendations, and drive results in real time. For CEOs, this distinction is critical. AI agents dont just automate repetitive tasks; they perform work that aligns with strategic goals. From identifying early buying signals to optimizing customer engagement, AI agents seamlessly integrate into workflows to ensure every touchpoint is efficient, personalized, and impactful. In a world in which breaking down silos and acting on intelligence faster than competitors defines success, AI agents are the bridge between vision and execution. Why good data powers great outcomes AI agents are only as effective as the data that fuels them. AI agents are built on large language models (LLMs) trained on public data. That data can sometimes produce sketchy resultslike when Googles AI search raised (and then dashed) Disney fans hopes by describing the impending release of Encanto 2 because it pulled its data from a fan fiction site. The fallout of misinformation in business can do much more damage than simply disappointing movie-goers. Poor-quality data can lead to disjointed recommendations and faulty business decisions. Not only that, but if you only use public data to feed your AI agents, you’ll have the same output as everyone else relying solely on LLMs. The solution for this lies within a businesss own walls. Enterprises have massive amounts of data that LLMs have not seen. Feeding this data to AI agents allows them to produce differentiated, contextualized output. For instance, integrating intent data into a sales-focused AI agents diet yields personalized outreach based on individual prospects needs. It’s also important that the data AI agents use is clean, accurate, and comprehensiveand that it spans the entire revenue organization. Shared data ensures that AI agents can piece together the full picture of the buyer journeyfrom early intent signals to post-sale engagement. What CEOs get wrong about AI agents AI agents are difficult to implement. AI agents don’t necessarily require complex overhauls. Scalable, modular solutions make it easier than ever to adopt AI incrementally, starting with specific use cases and expanding as success builds.Example:Many of our customers quickly deploy our conversational email agent for one-use case (such as re-engaging closed/lost opportunities) and build from there. This enables teams to see the immediate value of AI agent-led contextual email conversations, while at the same time laying the foundation for broader adoption. AI agents are only about efficiency. While AI agents excel at streamlining processes, their real value lies in their ability to drive strategic outcomes across industries.Example:Johnson & Johnson uses AI agents in drug discovery to optimize chemical synthesis processes. AI enhances efficiency, but more importantly, it drives strategic advancements in pharmaceutical innovation by accelerating development timelines and improving cost-effectiveness. The ROI of AI agents: Real-world impact Harri, a global leader in workforce management technology for the hospitality industry, faced a challenge familiar to many CEOsthe need to scale engagement without increasing resources. To support their strong marketing team in generating demand, Harri implemented an AI agent through 6sense as part of its outreach strategy. The AI agent autonomously identified high-intent prospects and delivered timely, personalized messages at scale, enabling Harri to engage buyers more efficiently and effectively. The results: They generated more than $12 million in pipeline and $3 million in closed/won deals in just one quarter. Campaigns achieved a 34% view-through-rate (VTR) rate, far exceeding the initial goal of 20%. They scaled marketing efforts without compromising on personalized engagement. By scaling outreach, improving engagement, and targeting high-value opportunities, Harri took pressure off its team, while achieving significant growth and enhancing the buyer experience. Pave the way for smarter growth AI agents are still so new that CEOs who arent using them yet can get ahead of the competition by learning to incorporate them now. These agents simplify complexity, align revenue teams, and deliver results. By integrating AI agents, CEOs can create seamless, personalized buying journeys that meet todays expectations while driving growth. With significant AI advancements ahead, having a clear strategy is essential. By proactively adopting AI agents, organizations can address challenges and position themselves for sustained success in a rapidly evolving market. Jason Zintak CEO of 6sense.
Category:
E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are sometimes described as market distortion, inefficiency, or antithetical to meritocracy. Yet, we can see that equity-related initiatives have actually served our notions of meritocracy. Removing artificial barriers to hiring or investing in exceptional individuals is simply smart business. Cutting all things DEI from government may prove less smart, efficient, or efficacious. Barriers remain high for women, despite their advances. Women are outperforming men in so many areas. Since 2014, weve had a higher percentage of women who are college graduates compared to men. Increasingly, women earn the same or more than their husbands. And of course, on top of all of this, women continue to do the majority of household work within our homes. Equity means opportunity For some, this is a dire concern requiring new solutions for men to maintain ground. The emergence of the bro-verse is just one cultural manifestation of such fear. We also know that the U.S. president and conservative groups understand that gender roles are shifting because a large part of the presidents campaign was staked around this trend. Candidate Trump tapped into a fear and offered a shortcut, a leg up to individuals who arent receiving the same opportunities they once did (men), rather than relying on meritocracy to lift up those who deserve it. Others, recognizing the cost of lost potential, champion solutions that do not come at the expense of women. Whatever the motivation, we cannot claim that men are being left behindand something must be donewhile also dismantling diversity and equity programs across the federal government. We cannot recognize the value in helping certain groups and then say that targeted interventions designed for other groups are not necessary or might be harmful. Our very intention underscores what we know to be true. We are better when we remove barriers to full participation and remedy the effects of intentional and unintentional exclusions. Clearly, we understand that neither meritocracy nor efficiency can be achieved without our best contributors sidelined. Government investment needs dedicated public servants Consider Gladys West, PhD, a mathematician whose precise calculations of the Earths surface helped develop the technology we now know as the Global Positioning System (GPS). Her groundbreaking work was made possible through government investment and public service, as she played a critical role in the Navy developing technologies that benefit us all today. Many other technological advances that we cannot live without came from government investment. The obvious example is the internet, which was the result of a massive level of investment from the federal government. Elon Musk would likely have a different career without those federal dollars and Wests genius. Now I worry about who is being cut out of our federal agencies, all in service of efficiency and meritocracy. Who are todays innovators like West, who may not get a chance to invent the next revolutionary technology like GPS? If we truly care about meritocracy, we will stop this senseless disregard for talented, skilled, and knowledgeable federal public servants. We should ensure that those dedicated public servants especially women and people of colorcan continue their work building a better country for us all. Joe Scantlebury, JD, is CEO of Living Cities.
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E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Whats in a claim? Sometimes a product cant be defined by its claim, and that has become a huge problem for the consumer packaged goods industry. Take Dr. Bronners and Scrumbles, for example, which both recently announced theyre dropping their B Corp certification for what they perceive to be weakening standards that allow greenwashing. The changing claims landscape What B Lab Global has done is admirable. In 2006, they set out to recognize businesses that were a force for goodmeeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. They deserve credit for their part in starting a global movement that redefined the role of business in society and helped usher in a new era of capitalism where purpose and profit are both priorities. But something pivotal happened along the way that revolutionized how deeply were able to understand products, yet B Corp and many of todays product claims dont account for it: the proliferation of data. Consumers initially saw the “B” and assumed it signified health, sustainability, or ethical practices. But as access to information increased, people started digging deeper. And what did they find? Sometimes, not much. The B Corp label, like many generic claims, became an umbrella term indicating different things to different peopleor nothing at all. A consumer reckoning is here This problem isn’t unique to B Corp; its a symptom of a larger consumer reckoning. Consider the term “clean beauty.” It lacks a standardized definition, leaving its meaning up to interpretation. For some, it equates to products with safe ingredients; for others, it might be about sustainable packaging. But even safe and sustainable are too vague to tell us what we really want to know, such as if a fragrance is allergen-free or if its packaging is compostable. Shopping has almost become a guessing game; but its one the modern consumer refuses to play. I had my own aha moment when I was pregnant with my first daughter and started to become hyperaware of what ingredients and materials were in the things I was putting in and on my body. Through my extensive research, I quickly discovered how much of what were exposed to is toxic to human health and even started an Excel spreadsheet of what to avoid, that I consulted every time I made a purchase. Its what led me to found Novi Connect, which gives brands and retailers the tools to provide data, signals, and even stories to consumers about their products. Ten years ago, this might have sounded excessive. But today, more consumers are demanding this level of transparency. They want clarity and precision, not ambiguity, and its time for brands and retailers to deliver. The power of granular data Heres the good news: They can. With the proliferation of data and AI, we’re rapidly moving beyond binary labels and embracing a world of sophisticated, specific product attributes. This granularity allows brands and retailers to cater to the nuanced values of their customers. My favorite illustrative example of how this can show up is glycerin. Glycerin is one of the most benign, noncontroversial ingredients and is present in almost every product we use. But based on how its made, it can cater to consumers with very different values. If its derived from plants, that means its vegan; but that also typically means its derived from palm oil. Was the palm oil responsibly sourced? If so, that claim can be made to provide assurance that no deforestation or unfair labor practices were used in the production of the glycerin. Or, maybe no palm was used and the glycerin was derived from a less common feedstock like coconut oil. Now a palm-free claim can be made, which might be important to those looking for products that align with their environmental values. These are the questions shoppers are asking, and theyre demanding verified answers before deciding where to spend their money. The retailer responsibility While consumers are driving this change, the onus is on brands and retailers to embrace it and figure out how to make it work for their customer, and ultimately, their business. Its important to note that there’s a delicate balance between presenting information for a seamless shopping experience and providing detailed product claims. Amazon is a poster example of what this can look like. They use the green leaf symbol to provide a high-level signal and draw the customer in, then also allow you to explore the details of why a product earned that designation. Their program includes 55 unique certifications a product can qualify for. That might sound overwhelming; but it takes into account that not all shoppers care about the same things, and not all certifications are relevant for all products. With this system, its easy to identify products that meet your personal criteria, whether youre focused on ingredient health and safety; carbon emissions and reduction; agriculture and how products are grown and processed; and so forth. You can see how this approach respects the buyers need for both simplicity and depth. And Amazon is strengthening their bottom-line in the process, driving double digit increases in both page discovery and sales with their badge program. Thats how you align purpose and profit. When companies properly leverage data to enable people to shop with purpose by aligning purchases with beliefs, it creates a more personalized shopping experience that keeps the customer coming back. In today’s market where there are endless options and instant access to information, loyalty is paramount. After all, if you don’t have repeat customers, you don’t have a business. So the choice is clear: Embrace transparency or risk irrelevance. The future of retail belongs to those who empower consumers with the truth. Tell them exactly whats in a claim. Kimberly Shenk is cofounder and CEO of Novi Connect.
Category:
E-Commerce
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