AI for Sales: My 4-Step System for Running a Smarter Process

I used to dread the post-sales-call routine. You know the one—frantically typing notes while trying to remember exactly what the prospect said about their budget, timeline, and technical requirements. By the time I finished documenting everything, I'd lost another 30-45 minutes that could have been spent talking to another potential client.

That all changed when I started combining the Sales Acceleration Formula I learned from Mark Roberge (HubSpot's former CRO) with modern AI for sales tools. The result? A sales system that's not just more efficient—it's fundamentally more effective at converting prospects into clients.

Today, I want to walk you through exactly how I've built this system and how you can adapt it for your own business.

The Problem: Sales Without a System

Before diving into the solution, let's acknowledge the core problem. Most of us treat sales like a purely human art form—something that requires creativity, empathy, and intuition. And while those elements are certainly important, treating sales as entirely subjective makes it:

1. Inconsistent and difficult to scale

2. Time-consuming with excessive manual work

3. Challenging to measure and improve objectively

This is especially true when selling complex services like AI consulting, where technical qualification and strategic fit are critical factors.

I realized I needed to be more tech-forward in my approach—not just in the solutions I was selling but in how I was selling them. Here's the system I developed.

Step 1: Create Your AI for Sales Playbook

Everything starts with structure. Rather than relying on general guidelines or loose frameworks, I documented every aspect of my sales process:

• Exactly what questions I ask during discovery calls

• What information needs to be collected at each stage

• How I qualify opportunities (more on this shortly)

• What the next steps should be based on qualification

• All my follow-up sequences and timing

This isn't just a theoretical exercise—it's a practical document I refer to constantly. For example, when I'm on a discovery call, I know that my goal is to gather enough information to:

• Assess BANT qualification (Budget, Authority, Need, Timing)

• Evaluate AI readiness (more on this below)

• Recommend a specific next step (proposal, technical exploration, or nurture)

Having this playbook doesn't mean I sound like a robot. It simply ensures I don't miss critical information and can focus my attention on the prospect rather than worrying about what to ask next.

Step 2: Use AI for Sales to Automate Documentation

This is where the magic really happens. Rather than scrambling to take notes during calls or spending 30+ minutes afterward typing everything up, I use AI tools to handle the documentation for me.

My current stack includes tools like Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai, and occasionally Grain, which:

• Record and transcribe the entire conversation

• Automatically extract key moments and insights

• Identify the prospect's specific pain points and objectives

• Flag potential objections or concerns

• Generate a structured summary that fits my CRM format

The output includes everything I need:

• The prospect's goals in their exact words

• Technical limitations they're facing

• Team capability gaps they've mentioned

• Budget parameters and decision process

• Timeline expectations and constraints

What used to take 30-45 minutes now takes less than 60 seconds to review and approve. The time savings alone has transformed my productivity, allowing me to have more meaningful conversations instead of doing admin work.

Step 3: Apply an AI for Sales Scoring System

Standard qualification frameworks like BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timing) are useful but incomplete—especially for complex AI implementation projects. That's why I've developed a dual-scoring system that adds an "AI Readiness" component.

For BANT, I evaluate:

• Budget: Can they invest appropriately in AI solutions?

• Authority: Is my contact empowered to make decisions?

• Need: Is there a genuine business challenge AI can solve?

• Timing: Is there urgency to move forward soon?

For AI Readiness, I assess:

• Current experimentation: Have they tested AI for sales solutions already?

• Understanding: Do they have realistic expectations?

• Data readiness: Is their data structured and accessible?

• Team capabilities: Do they have technical resources?

• Cultural readiness: Will their team adopt new processes?

I assign numerical scores to each element, creating a total that determines my next actions:

• 80+ points: Move directly to proposal

• 60-80 points: Schedule a technical deep dive

• Below 60 points: Place in a nurture sequence

This removes the subjectivity from qualification and creates a data-driven approach to pipeline management. Being tech-forward in your qualification process means being honest about what opportunities are truly ready for your solutions.

Step 4: Leverage AI for Sales Coaching

Even after years of sales experience, I know I can always improve. That's why I use AI tools to analyze my calls and provide feedback on:

• My talk-time ratio (ideally, I should be listening more than speaking)

• Questions asked (did I cover all the essential areas?)

• Language patterns (am I using effective communication techniques?)

• Next steps clarity (did I establish clear actions?)

This creates a continuous improvement loop where each call makes me slightly better at the next one. The cumulative effect over time has been remarkable—both in terms of conversion rates and my own professional development.

Putting It All Together: My Complete System

What makes this approach work isn't any individual element—it's how they function together as an integrated system:

1. The structured playbook ensures I'm consistent and thorough

2. AI for sales documentation eliminates busywork and improves accuracy

3. Dual-scoring creates objective qualification standards

4. AI coaching helps me continuously improve

The result is a sales process that's not just more efficient but fundamentally more effective. I'm having better conversations, qualifying more accurately, and converting at a higher rate—all while spending less time on administrative tasks.

Could This Work for You?

If you're still selling without a system, manually documenting calls, or qualifying based on gut feeling, I believe you're making things harder than they need to be.

Being tech-forward isn't just about the solutions you sell—it's about how you sell them. By applying AI for sales to your process, you can create a more efficient, effective system that scales with your business.

Want to discuss how this might work in your specific situation? I'd be happy to share more details about my implementation. Book a consultation and let's explore how you could adapt this system for your needs.