New data reveals the rapid adoption of AI in enablement solutions, but not without implementation and integration challenges

Seismic, the global leader in enablement, released the findings of The State of AI in Enablement: 2023 Report. More than 600 full-time employees in a sales, enablement, or customer success role at the management level or above in the United States were surveyed, with findings indicating AI-powered enablement technology is a game changer for businesses looking to quickly and efficiently drive revenue growth as they continue to weather the economic storm.

“New data from Seismic reveals the rapid adoption of AI in enablement solutions – 93% see AI as a primary driver for increased enablement investment in 2024 – but not without implementation and integration challenges. Read more:”

The report found that go-to-market (GTM) leaders expect investments in AI to pay off in dividends, as 85% of respondents believe the fusion of AI and GTM strategy will lead to revenue growth for their organization. Among this group, leaders predict an average of 23% growth will be directly attributed to AI utilization over the next five years. The report also found that the majority of GTM leaders use enablement technology, and of those, 84% say that it’s mission-critical to achieving revenue goals. So it comes as no surprise that 89% of those who use the technology already have plans to further invest in 2024. These leaders anticipate enablement budgets to increase by 19% next year – a decision they largely attributed to the significant advancements in AI. What’s more: 93% agree that advancements in AI – and specifically the ways they can bolster enablement efforts – are a major driver for their company’s increasing investment in enablement technology going into next year.

However, the impact will not be immediate – overcoming challenges, driving adoption of new tech, and seeing results takes time. Over half (66%) of GTM leaders who have deployed AI tools report that they encountered initial hurdles before eventually realizing positive outcomes. Notably, 51% say that implementation and adoption are their greatest areas of concern in regards to using AI in enablement, which is why enablement tools like Seismic are critical to help facilitate seamless integration within a business’s revenue operations. But these hurdles certainly haven’t prevented the march toward progress, with 83% reporting they would like to deploy more AI solutions for their team within the next 12 months.

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“The past year has been wrought with market challenges, which makes AI-powered enablement technology more crucial for business success than ever before,” said Doug Winter, CEO and cofounder, Seismic. “The proof is in the pudding: When an organization’s enablement efforts are streamlined with AI technology, it drives greater GTM efficiency, operational optimization, and better buyer experiences – all of which translate into a stronger bottom line. At Seismic, we are leading the charge to define the future of AI-powered enablement and look forward to working closely with our customers and partners on this endeavor.”

Additional key report findings include:

• In 2024, a significant majority (93%) of GTM leaders who intend to boost their investment in enablement technology attribute their decision to the significant advancements in AI
• In fact, over half (54%) of GTM leaders say their organization already uses AI-powered tools for sales enablement
• The three top functions that GTM leaders are leveraging AI-powered enablement tools for are:
  • 53% use it for content analytics
  • 50% use it for content distribution
  • 48% use it for learning and coaching
• And businesses are reaping the benefits: 91% of those who have implemented AI tools say that their company has noted an increase in customer satisfaction since implementing AI into their enablement processes
• However, implementation of AI technology takes time and does not come without challenges. Of those who faced challenges, 54% report integration issues, 41% report a lack of understanding, and 34% report security or privacy concerns
• That said, the data is clear: the benefits far outweigh the challenges
  • 63% of GTM leaders believe that AI is the primary force behind evolving customer experiences today
  • 73% believe that companies that fail to effectively incorporate AI into their GTM processes will fall behind their competitors within the next three years

METHODOLOGY

Seismic conducted The State of AI in Enablement survey online between September 2 and 17, 2023. It reflects the opinions of 604 full-time employees in a sales, enablement, or customer success role at the management level or above in the United States and was conducted at 95% confidence with a +/- 4% margin of error.

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