Want to get involved in the hype surrounding ChatGPT for sales but need help to leverage its full potential?
In this article, you’ll learn seven ways to use ChatGPT to achieve more high-converting sales activities in less time. We’ll also share three best practices for using ChatGPT responsibly and effectively.
What is ChatGPT for sales?
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that can converse with people, analyze data, write code, proofread text and more.
It’s a form of generative AI (meaning it can generate content) created by research lab OpenAI.
Salespeople can use ChatGPT to answer questions, summarize information quickly and handle customer interactions (when used as your site’s chatbot).
For example, a sales representative with an upcoming meeting may ask the tool for inspiration on a prospect’s pain points.
ChatGPT helps a salesperson save time and scale activities like customer research, outreach, content marketing and sales training. In fact, according to our 2024 State of Sales and Marketing report, 76% of sales and marketing professionals believe that AI will support their team.
How does ChatGPT generate sales content?
ChatGPT uses a computer model called a “neural network”, designed to mimic how the human brain works. The type of network that powers ChatGPT is known as a large language model (LLM).
The “GPT” in ChatGPT stands for “generative pre-trained transformer”:
A “transformer” is a type of neural network
“Generative” refers to the model’s ability to generate text
“Pre-trained” is the process it goes through before being used
ChatGPT works by learning patterns from data to make predictions or decisions. Pre-training helps it understand natural language and generate responses to questions and prompts.
While ChatGPT’s LLM has many use cases for sales teams, you must first consider some crucial usability and security factors.
3 best practices when using ChatGPT for sales processes in 2024
From data privacy to fictitious statements, the rapid rise of AI in the sales world has involved significant trial and error that’s still unfolding.
When protecting your professional reputation, it’s critical to understand and navigate these pitfalls diligently.
Here are three best practices for getting the most out of ChatGPT to benefit your business.
1. Include as much context as possible in prompts
Prompts (the text you type into ChatGPT for the specific output you’re looking for) should be detailed. The more context you give, the more relevant your answers will be.
For example, you could ask ChatGPT, “How do I find leads?” To yield more specific results, include details about your business category, industry and audience.
Attach links and upload documents to your prompts to provide the software with more information.
You can ask ChatGPT to:
Take on a role (e.g., “You’re a sales rep at a large company that sells accounting software. Your goal is to get more sign-ups for our free trial…”)
Explain a complicated concept (e.g., “Explain neural networks to me in simple terms”)
Stick to a particular tone (e.g., “Please keep responses friendly and uplifting”)
Keep explanations concise or lengthy (e.g., “Please explain in 1–2 lines”)
Use specific formatting like bullet points or tables (e.g., “Please open with one paragraph and then use single-line bullet points”)
While detailed prompts are beneficial for more relevant answers, each prompt and output text can use a maximum of 4096 tokens (at the time of writing).
According to ChatGPT itself:
While adding context and detail yields a more specific output, the more you give, the trickier it can be to process and respond to each aspect.
If you ask ChatGPT to do four things at once to three different text sectionssections of text, it could misinterpret which request relates to which section.
It may help to break up your specific needs into multiple prompts so you can explain them more clearly.
2. Avoid sharing any sensitive information
AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT self-learn to improve over time. Whatever you type in and send is stored in the software’s “memory”, so it can respond more accurately to you and other users in the future.
You’ll get the most out of ChatGPT when you share first-party data from customer relationship management (CRM) software like Pipedrive. (We’ll cover this in more detail soon.)
However, team members must consider security and privacy implications when sharing data with conversational AI.
Note: You can turn off the “Improve the model for everyone” setting within the tool to prevent ChatGPT from sharing and learning from your input.
In fact, around 11% of what employees paste into ChatGPT is considered sensitive data. While it may not sound like much, this equates to a lot of information that anyone might be able to access.
The number of mistakes also appears to be rising. Within two months in 2023, sensitive data leaks per 100,000 employees increased by 60.4%.
You can help avoid these incidents by implementing a company- or department-wide AI policy, which may include:
Not sharing sensitive information without consent
Regularly reviewing AI-generated content to ensure it meets company standards
Avoiding generating misleading or biased information
Escalating complex or sensitive inquiries to humans (if you use ChatGPT as a chatbot on your site)
Your AI policy must also ensure that ChatGPT usage complies with local data protection regulations.
For example, the legal and technology industries are heavily debating whether ChatGPT complies with European GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) laws. Failure to do so can lead to severe fines and legal repercussions for users.
Legislation is likely why 54% of companies plan to implement more robust data privacy controls for their AI tools, according to a Twilio report.
You should also clearly inform people whenever AI has created the content or they’re interacting with it (e.g., via your site’s chatbot).
In addition to appearing more transparent, this stipulation is already becoming a legal requirement for companies operating in places like the EU.
Note: Learn about other types of conversational software that don’t rely on AI, like Pipedrive’s Chatbot.
3. Add a personal, human touch to your AI-generated content
As AI-generated content becomes more popular, so do AI detectors. Editing ChatGPT outputs is essential for your content to remain trustworthy with readers, search engines and buyers.
For example, Google has started to crack down on sites that produce large amounts of AI content.
In 2024, the search giant deindexed hundreds of websites (removed them from search results).
According to experts, all affected sites showed signs of AI-generated content. Half used AI to generate 90–100% of their posts.
To clarify, using ChatGPT to create helpful, high-quality content that answers users’ questions is okay. Using AI tools to generate hundreds of low-quality articles and pages isn’t.
Editing AI outputs isn’t just about staying on the right side of search engines. It’s also about making your content feel more personal and human so people can relate and want to buy from you.
The Twilio report mentioned above claims that almost 90% of leaders believe personalization will critically help their business succeed in the next three years.
It’s also crucial to double-check facts in any ChatGPT outputs you’ll be using for sales and marketing purposes.
According to creators, generative AI tools like ChatGPT can “hallucinate”. In other words, they make statements that sound plausible but are untrue.
The tool even warns:
While some AI tools like Gemini offer sources for their data, ChatGPT doesn’t. You can use Gemini and similar platforms or search engines like Google to confirm factual accuracy.
To benefit most from ChatGPT, use it as a research assistant to inspire your content whenever you get stuck.
How to use ChatGPT to streamline sales workflows (including prompts)
Use ChatGPT responsibly to help your team create more relevant content at scale and handle crucial yet repetitive tasks.
Here are seven ways to use ChatGPT to save time on activities that drive sales.
1. Researching your audience
ChatGPT can help salespeople create more detailed buyer personas and ideal customer profiles (ICPs). You can use a mix of internal and external information to pinpoint key characteristics of prospects most likely to convert.
For example, ChatGPT can analyze historical sales data to identify common traits among your top customers (e.g., industry, company size and category of products they favor).
Here’s the type of data you can feed ChatGPT from Pipedrive.
Salespeople can use the resulting insights to tailor their outreach and marketing strategies more effectively to different groups of prospective customers.
ChatGPT prompts for audience research
For each of the prompts below, remember to give ChatGPT context. Tell the tool a bit about your company and what you sell, or give it a role.
For example, you may open with:
Asking if ChatGPT understands your request increases the likelihood of an accurate and relevant response.
In the same or following prompt, give the tool more detail about what your product or service does.
Here are some prompts you can use after you’ve done so:
1. “Based on the following data, describe our ideal customer’s typical demographic and behavioral traits: [insert or attach data].”
2. “What are the common pain points for customers in [industry/sector]?”
3. “Generate a buyer persona for a [insert size of company] company looking to improve their [insert JTBD].”
4. “List the top five challenges our target customers face in [specific market].”
5. “Identify the primary goals and motivations of our ideal customer in [specific industry]."
You can also use each following prompt to build upon the last. For example, you can add more context, ask for more details on a point or request formatting the following output in a certain way.
Use prompts to specify what you want or don’t want for the most accurate answers.
How to effectively use ChatGPT for audience research
As well as starting every prompt by explaining who you are and what you sell, you can make the most of ChatGPT for audience research by:
Using CRM metrics and data. Enrich prompts with information from your CRM system to create the most accurate personas and profiles.
Involving other teams. Supplement data with marketing and support team insights to better understand customer needs, preferences and pain points.
Knowing your audience more deeply will allow you to provide a more personalized, relevant customer experience.
For example, you may contact a group of buyers who love a particular product feature to highlight a new service that enhances it.
Qualtrics research shows that if you make your customers happy, they’ll trust and purchase from you more often.
2. Conducting a competitive analysis
ChatGPT can help your team gather information on competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, strategies and market positioning. Instead of researching for hours and potentially missing essential insights, the tool can give you an overview in seconds.
For example, ChatGPT can pinpoint a company’s unique selling proposition and the challenges its recent marketing campaigns promise to solve.
Let’s say you offer cybersecurity solutions. ChatGPT identifies a competitor promoting AI-driven threat detection to address customer concerns about evolving cyber threats.
With this knowledge, you can identify opportunities to update or differentiate your product and develop new sales strategies.
ChatGPT prompts for competitive analysis
Paid users can search the web in real time with ChatGPT’s Browse with Bing feature. If you only want to use the free version, you can ask questions about brands you already know about.
Here are some prompts you can use to analyze competitors in your industry:
1. “Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of [Competitor] in [specific industry].”
2. “What are the unique selling points of [Competitor]?”
3. “Generate a list of the main products and services [Competitor] offers.”
4. “Compare our pricing strategy to [Competitor]’s.”
5. “What recent trends or innovations has [Competitor] adopted?”
Combine these insights with your own research and knowledge for a 360-degree view of the competitive landscape.
How to effectively use ChatGPT for competitive analysis
To analyze competitors accurately, ensure that ChatGPT pulls information from the correct sources. You may also need to supplement the tool with details beyond its scope.
Here are two ways you can do so:
Include website links. Add links to your prompts to ensure ChatGPT uses the correct source for accurate data (e.g., if two companies have the same name, it may refer to the wrong one).
Add real-time searching. Supplement ChatGPT insights with real-time searching AI (e.g., Perplexity or Gemini) to get the latest information in a rapidly changing market landscape.
To find new competitors, use search engines, industry reports or specialized market research tools (e.g., Crayon or Similarweb).
For example, you could search for software that solves the same pain point as you (e.g., “CRM for nonprofits”).
Once you have these names and links, input them into ChatGPT using the above prompts and methods to analyze and compare them.
3. Creating personalized outreach for lead generation, scoring and nurturing
ChatGPT helps salespeople create more personalized and relevant outreach content for lead generation, qualifying and beyond.
For example, you can generate sales email templates, social media messages and cold call scripts that appeal to recipients at each stage of their customer journey.
Let’s say you want email follow-up ideas for someone who downloaded one of your whitepapers.
ChatGPT suggests a drip campaign of four ideas over two weeks.
You could then ask it to elaborate with a copy template for each day, tweaking it further with tone suggestions and additional personal details.
ChatGPT prompts for outreach
ChatGPT can help you create outreach for people just learning about your company as well as for those almost ready to buy.
Adding context helps the tool understand which sales funnel stage the lead is in (e.g., lead scoring or nurturing) and tailor communications accordingly.
Here are some examples of prompts for outreach:
1. “Write a compelling cold email template for introducing our [product/service].”
2. “Generate a LinkedIn message for [insert profile] to engage this potential customer.”
3. “Create a script for a cold call to a prospect in [specific sector].”
4. “Suggest subject lines for an email campaign targeting [target audience].”
5. “Draft a follow-up email for prospects who have shown interest in our [product/service].”
6. “Provide tips for crafting a personalized Instagram message to connect with this potential client: [add link].”
If you aren’t happy with an output, simply ask the tool to provide a few alternatives until you are.
How to effectively use ChatGPT for outreach
CRM data provides detailed information about each lead, such as their preferences, past interactions and purchase history.
Allowing ChatGPT to access these insights helps it generate more personalized messages that resonate with each recipient.
For example, you could send a group of leads a case study showing how your product solves pain points similar to theirs.
Here are three ways you can streamline this process further:
Keep all outreach in one place. Use features like Pipedrive’s Campaigns and Messaging Inbox to centralize communication efforts across email and social media.
Experiment with style. A/B test different outreach message versions to see which resonates best with your audience. Track campaign success with a dedicated tool’s analytics (e.g., Campaigns).
Add personal details to prompts. Use Pipedrive’s contact management features to include personal information for more relevant outputs.
Sales teams can use CRM insights and ChatGPT to make outreach efforts more targeted and efficient, improving the chances of converting leads into customers.
Find more of the best leads fast with your lead qualification ebook
4. Simplifying technical or complex ideas
ChatGPT can help salespeople simplify and explain complex or technical concepts. It’s trained to understand and generate text, making it ideal for breaking down jargon.
For example, a B2B sales rep trying to score a lead may have trouble understanding the potential customer’s complex enterprise resource planning (ERP) product.
Instead of spending hours researching and digesting information, they could send ChatGPT the link and ask it to explain in simple terms.
ChatGPT can grasp a topic’s context and core elements in seconds, picking out the essential points without overwhelming you with details.
ChatGPT prompts for simplifying ideas
You may have heard of the popular ChatGPT prompt, “Explain [topic] to me like I’m five years old”.
Here are five more alternatives for breaking down complicated topics into more accessible language:
1. “Explain [technical concept] in simple terms for a non-technical audience.”
2. “Create an analogy to describe how [complex feature] works.”
3. “Draft a brief overview of [technical product/service] for a sales pitch in really simple language.”
4. “Summarize the benefits of [customer’s complex solution] in layman’s terms.”
5. “Provide a simple explanation of how [technology] can solve [specific problem].”
The nature of these prompts means you don’t have to give the tool a lot of context to get the desired answers. Instead, pick out key phrases or terms you’d like to learn more about.
How to effectively use ChatGPT for simplifying ideas
If you’re struggling to explain your own complex products to customers, use ChatGPT for the same purpose.
Here are three ways you can take it further:
Use graphics. Complement explanations with diagrams or infographics on your site or content to enhance understanding.
Ask friends and family. Ask those without product knowledge for feedback on your new, simplified descriptions.
Compile training materials. Create a knowledge base of simple breakdowns your sales team can use when selling.
Depending on your topic knowledge or experience, ChatGPT can also provide explanations that suit you.
Whether you’re a beginner, expert or somewhere in between, you can give the tool context to explain the subject with just the right amount of detail.
5. Crafting copy for sales enablement content
ChatGPT can provide the foundation to generate persuasive and engaging copy for sales enablement materials like explainer videos, pitches and product descriptions.
For example, you may want to create a video sharing the latest features of your supply chain management software.
Give ChatGPT some details about your company, its tone (friendly but professional) and target audience (logistics managers and supply chain directors) and ask it to draft a script.
Here’s what that could look like.
In this case, “Hello and welcome!” and the following sentence are unnecessary. To get straight to the point, open with “As logistics managers and supply chain directors” instead.
While outputs won’t ever be the finished product, you can use them as building blocks. Refine them with additional prompts to sound more like your brand and add specific product details to communicate the value proposition effectively.
ChatGPT prompts for sales enablement
Sometimes, the most challenging part of creating content or copywriting is staring at a blank page.
ChatGPT can inspire you with ideas and suggestions for building the final draft.
Here are five ways you can ask ChatGPT for help with sales enablement content:
1. “Write a script for an explainer video about our [product/service] for a LinkedIn post.”
2. “Create a pitch for our [product/service] targeting [specific audience].”
3. “Draft a product description highlighting the key features and benefits of [product].”
4. “Generate a sales presentation outline for [product/service].”
5. “Write a case study template for those who have used [product/service].”
If you’re unhappy with any outputs, refine your query in the following prompt. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to make the output shorter or more engaging.
ChatGPT often works better if you give it a guide by uploading a document. For example, you could ask it to use one of our free downloadable templates to create a sales presentation.
Download the Sales Presentation Templates ebook
How to effectively use ChatGPT for sales enablement content
Maximizing the impact of ChatGPT in your sales enablement efforts is about more than just generating content. It’s about enhancing and tailoring that content to fit your unique needs.
Here are three more ways you can build on ChatGPT’s suggestions:
Use ChatGPT as a foundation. Add storytelling techniques and visuals to make sales materials more engaging and memorable.
Match your brand identity. Include details in prompts that describe your brand’s story, personality and tone. Tweak generated content so it sounds more like your company.
Keep track of what works. Note where you use specific enablement materials in your pipeline management software to assess their effectiveness in closing deals.
Let ChatGPT take care of drafting content while your team focuses on talking to more prospects and boosting sales.
6. Transcribing sales meeting notes
ChatGPT can transcribe and summarize sales meeting notes to capture key points and make follow-up actions more straightforward.
Instead of relying on memory or writing reminders, your reps can be fully present during recorded meetings and assess crucial insights later.
For example, you may ask ChatGPT to transcribe a meeting, highlight the potential customer’s main pain points and suggest what to do next.
In this example, the AI pinpoints a need to agree on a new CRM system and approve the terms of a strategic partnership.
Instead of forgetting something vital or spending time later deciphering notepad scribbles, ChatGPT allows reps to swiftly act on the meeting outcomes and complete clear next steps.
ChatGPT prompts for transcribing
You can ask AI for full rundowns of recorded calls or to summarize the most crucial talking points.
Here are five ways you can ask ChatGPT to transcribe your meeting notes:
1. "Transcribe the following sales meeting recording: [insert recording/transcript].”
2. “Summarize the main points discussed in this meeting: [attach file].”
3. “List the action items and responsible parties from our last meeting.”
4. “Highlight the key takeaways from the sales call with [client].”
5. “Provide a summary of the client’s feedback and concerns from the meeting.”
Remember to review transcriptions for any instances where AI has struggled with certain accents or background noise. You may need to fill in the blanks in these cases for an accurate overview.
How to effectively use ChatGPT for transcribing
Cloud-based AI tools are available that can “attend” virtual meetings and transcribe them in real time. However, you may have concerns about how confidential recorded data is stored, managed and shared.
You can use ChatGPT once meetings have concluded alongside these three tips:
Review and edit transcriptions. Before sharing transcriptions with ChatGPT, read the content and remove anything sensitive for accuracy and privacy.
Stick to structured templates. Organize meeting notes clearly and logically by giving ChatGPT the same set prompt each time.
Follow up on key points. Combine your CRM with project management software like Pipdrive’s Projects to ensure timely follow-ups on action items and meeting feedback.
If you’re not discussing sensitive topics, you can combine your CRM with third-party transcription tools (e.g., Fireflies.ai or MeetRecord) to keep everything in one place.
7. Practicing role-play for sales training
You can use ChatGPT to simulate typical scenarios salespeople are likely to face. Doing so allows your sales team to exercise and refine their techniques without the pressure of being customer-facing.
Reps can hone skills like negotiating, upselling, objection handling and closing through repeated practice.
For example, some potential customers may express concern about your product’s pricing. ChatGPT can take on a support role and allow reps to explore different strategies for overcoming objections.
As the technology is available anytime, sales teams can practice whenever it’s convenient for them.
Reps can also ask for immediate feedback and improvement suggestions to tweak their strategy there and then.
ChatGPT prompts for sales training
New to experienced reps can benefit from learning how to sell through ChatGPT. While beginner sellers may get the most out of it, seasoned team members may learn to explain concepts in new, imaginative ways.
Here are five ways you can ask ChatGPT to role-play for sales training:
1. “Simulate a role-play scenario in which a customer in [industry] has objections about our pricing.”
2. “Create a negotiation scenario where the customer wants additional features at no extra cost.”
3. “Generate a common sales objection and a suggested response for our [product/service].”
4. “Draft a script for handling a difficult customer unhappy with our service.”
5. “Simulate a closing conversation with a prospect on the fence about purchasing.”
The more details you give the tool about your product and company, the more realistic and helpful the role-playing will be.
How to effectively use ChatGPT for sales training
Integrating ChatGPT into your sales training program is a cost-effective way of providing reps with selling experience without direct customer interaction.
Here are three ways to make the most of the tool:
Use real-life scenarios. Take real-world data and common objections from your CRM to make role-play sessions more practical and effective.
Incorporate in-person training. Ensure reps are fully prepared for in-person interactions by practicing human-to-human alongside ChatGPT.
Make role-play a weekly exercise. Regularly practice different scenarios to build reps’ confidence and improve their skills as they go.
Implement ChatGPT in your training sessions to boost each rep’s sales performance and give prospects more confidence in your company over time. You’ll help build a team that can handle all scenarios and sell more products.
Final thoughts
By effectively applying ChatGPT for sales with the above prompts and tips, you can leverage its full potential and get the most relevant outputs every time.
Just remember that AI won’t be able to solve every challenge and isn’t the only tool you need. For example, in our 2024 State of Sales and Marketing report only 7% of respondents said they would entrust both relationship-building and team management to AI.
Implementing data from a CRM system like Pipedrive also ensures that your sales efforts are personalized and data-driven, making it easier to convert leads.
Try Pipedrive free for 14 days to start closing more deals in less time.
