The Green Sheet Online Edition
July 7, 2017 • 17:07:01
Virtual assistant uses AI for lead management, optimization
AI Assist, Conversica Inc.'s exclusive partner in the financial services vertical market, created the eponymous AI Assist, a solution that uses AI to optimize lead management. The AI-based software will engage a virtual assistant with prospective customers, initiating and continuing discussions throughout the lifecycle of every lead, company representatives stated. "We started using Conversica as a client and were quickly amazed at what it could do for our merchant cash advance business," said Roman Vinfield, President of AI Assist. "Right off the bat, we funded 15 deals off old dead leads, generating $35,000 on a $2,000 spend. This enabled us to increase our apps-in ratio from 21 to 34 percent, lowering our acquisition costs by 85 percent."
AI Assist said it has helped numerous organizations improve efficiencies and accelerate growth. Advanced AI customer service representatives tirelessly identify opportunities, developing credibility and trust with prospective customers. Companies even think of these customized avatars as people, due to their professional manner and human characteristics, Vinfield noted.
Personal, personable assistant
AI Assist can be white-labeled to fit an organization and brand identity; its humanized personality and voice have been shown to improve response and conversion rates. Following are some additional benefits the company detailed:
- Lead optimization and management: AI Assist continuously qualifies leads, crafting a pitch perfect response for each prospect, based on level of interest and ensuring that sales reps speak only to interested, qualified prospects.
- Honest feedback: AI Assist is friendly and approachable, putting prospects at ease, which makes them more honest in their responses.
- Intelligence gathering: Prospects respond readily to AI Assist, sharing critical information such as phone numbers, best times to call and intent to buy.
- Improved sales process: AI Assist follows up with prospects, handing off leads to sales reps, to ensure customer satisfaction. This also helps manage prospective customer expectations by preparing them to receive additional calls from sales staff.
- Fully trained assistant: AI Assist is fully informed and designed to continuously learn from customer conversations.
- Identification of opportunities: Designed to turn old leads into new opportunities, AI Assist can increase sales, get more value from existing leads and improve closing ratios. Approximately 60 percent of leads that re-engage with AI Assist are still in the market. The virtual assistant can also be used to cross-sell products and gather feedback on customer satisfaction, the company stated.
Seamless CRM integration
The automated sales assistant can be easily integrated with customer relationship management (CRM) applications and marketing automation tools such as Pardot, Marketo or Eloqua, to qualify leads and sales opportunities and enhance demand generation campaigns, AI Assist said.
Vertical industry focus
More than 15,000 sales representatives in multiple industries around the world are using advanced AI technology to boost revenue, prioritize their time and close more deals by improving the quality of their leads, the company stated. With AI Assist, finance and financial services professionals have gained more customers through better lead nurturing, tracking and conversion, as well as increased sales rep productivity. Following are additional ways AI Assist can help improve closing ratios. It can help merchant level salespeople:
- Communicate with all leads on a personal level
- Build a network of customers and sales channel partners to expand business
- Engage with every lead, ensuring that no lead falls through the cracks
- Schedule appointments for field teams
- Identify customers who may be interested in additional products and services, such as MCA, loyalty, and value-added applications
- Correspond with inactive leads and identify new opportunities
"We've all heard the expression, 'there's an app for that'," Vinfield said. "At AI Assist, we like to say there's a conversation for that." 
Website: www.aiassist.com/processing Contact: info@aiassist.com
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