The world of sales is entering a new phase: one in which AI technologies are empowering companies to act faster, sell smarter and ultimately become more profitable. But how quickly are smaller businesses adapting, what’s stopping some from capitalizing on the benefits of AI, and how can you ensure your company keeps apace with the most AI-savvy organizations?
AI is already popular, Pipedrive research shows
Pipedrive’s The State of Sales and Marketing Report 2023/24 surveyed salespeople, founders and CEOs worldwide to understand key sales trends affecting them, which included research into the benefits of AI-powered technologies and how businesses are responding to AI developments.
When asked “Which automation tools or technology do you use in your role?”, 35% of respondents said “AI tools” – this is encouraging, as the same number cited email marketing automation tools which have been available for much longer.
Both technologies ranked higher than activity-based workflow automation (23%) and automated lead generation (22%). Less common were quote and proposal automation (15%) and analytics and forecasting automation (13%). CRM software with automation capabilities came out top, with 81% of respondents reporting using this in their roles.
Which automation tools or technology do you use in your role?
Smaller businesses have been quicker to adopt AI
According to our report, the uptake of AI technologies is even higher among smaller companies.
A sizeable 42% of respondents in businesses with up to 10 employees reported use of AI, with the figure at 37% in companies with up to 100 employees. Compare this with just 23% for businesses with more than 100 employees.
When Pipedrive asked respondents which technologies would have the biggest positive impact on their work, 38% chose AI tools – the highest figure of all the options presented. CRM software with automation capabilities was in second place (34%) and automated lead generation came in third (33%).
In your opinion, the adoption of which technology by your company could have the biggest positive impact on your work?
How AI is helping US small businesses to “punch above their weight”
Separate research published by the US Chamber of Commerce in 2024 found that almost all (98%) of small businesses in the US are using an AI-enabled tool of some sort. It also discovered that use of generative AI tools such as chatbots and image creation had doubled (40%) in the space of a year.
Senior Vice President of the Chamber’s Technology Engagement Center, Jordan Crenshaw, commented:
What practical advantages do AI tools offer?
AI can help businesses of all sizes in all kinds of ways, including:
Automating tasks. Doing away with repetitive and/or time-consuming manual actions and freeing up time for other work
Chatbots. Supporting lead generation, follow-up activities and customer support
Streamlining sales processes. Identifying potential customers, predicting their needs and providing customized solutions
Customer data analysis. Helping to create targeted, personalized marketing campaigns based on demographics, location and past purchases
Content creation. Generating product descriptions and marketing copy, writing blog articles and posting on social media
Inventory management. Forecasting customer demand
Optimizing pricing strategies. Analyzing historical sales data, market trends and competitors’ prices
New AI technologies are developing all the time, with big changes forecast for the coming year alone.
Wood’s colleague Dan Priest, US Chief AI Officer at PwC, says the biggest winners will be those businesses that place AI at the center of their operations.
What barriers are there to greater AI adoption?
According to our report, approximately one in every three respondents are already using AI and an even higher percentage feel positive about its potential.
However, further analysis by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Insights Unit, working in partnership with specialist recruiter Pertemps Network Group, considered whether ”nervousness” and a lack of digital infrastructure might be preventing a higher uptake.
The concern is that many companies lack the skills, understanding, support and/or guidance to fully embrace AI at this time.
Their Employment Trends Report 2024, which surveyed businesses across the UK, found:
43% of firms have no plans to use AI technologies
Customer-facing businesses were less likely than business-to-business companies to adopt AI, with 50% stating they have no plans to use it
The manufacturing sector was least likely to be currently using AI (19% of companies), with nearly half (49%) also saying they had no plans to adopt it
The BCC report advised companies at the start of their AI journey to:
“Identify small, manageable projects that can benefit from automation or AI-driven insights. This could include automating routine tasks, using chatbots for customer service, or leveraging data analytics for decision-making. As you gain experience and confidence, gradually expand your AI initiatives to more complex areas of your business.”
How the US government is helping smaller firms to adopt AI
The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers online resources, including information and digital tools, and has a nationwide network of local resource partners ready to assist with AI. Its Small Business Innovation Research Program provides funding for research and development, including AI-focused endeavors.
As reported by Fedscoop, the Biden administration requested $3bn in the 2025 budget to propel AI application development, procurement and integration across federal agencies. The aim of this is to create opportunities for small businesses and develop and implement AI solutions in collaboration with the government.
Other initiatives include support from the private sector. Google is one company providing free AI training to small businesses. For example, its $10m grant to the Small Business Development Center (a partnership between the SBA and local educational institutions) has facilitated AI training clinics and scholarships to help smaller firms boost their efficiency via AI.
OpenAI has gone in another direction, creating “OpenAI’s Economic Blueprint” which outlines “policy proposals for how the US can maximize AI’s benefits, bolster national security, and drive economic growth.”
The document covers subjects such as:
How AI can help in the education sector and how to educate people about AI
The importance of increased spending on national power infrastructure
Why OpenAI is committed to working with the US government
The role of governments in maximizing AI’s potential
Following the June 2024 publication of its Digital Revolution report, the British Chambers of Commerce made a number of recommendations for the country’s new government. These recommendations provide valuable insight into how governments across the world can work with business to increase uptake of AI technologies, particularly with respect to small businesses.
The report recommended that:
The government should appoint an AI champion for SMEs who will help spearhead a program to improve business use of artificial intelligence
The government should explore social tariffs for lower-income areas, to enable more people to access broadband services – including small businesses
Wireless network infrastructure should be strengthened through a pro-investment policy framework supported by a planning regime that unlocks the UK’s 5G ambitions
The government should work with the insurance industry to create a reinsurance pool that underwrites cyber risk for business
Martha Lane Fox, President of the British Chambers of Commerce and Chair of the Business Council, called for clear action on AI.
Meanwhile, Priya Guha MBE, Venture Partner at Merian Ventures and Chair of the Digital Revolution Challenge Group, highlighted risk protection:
In January 2025, the UK government published its AI Opportunities Action Plan, supported by leading tech firms, which are believed to have committed £14bn towards numerous projects. These include ‘AI growth zones’ around the UK and a new supercomputer it’s hoped will boost the UK’s computing power twentyfold by 2030.
It’s clear AI already has a significant role to play in improving growth for businesses and nations alike. However, like all technology, it requires careful and considered application.
How Pipedrive’s AI CRM can help your business
Pipedrive’s AI-powered CRM software includes a range of the most advanced AI features to take the manual work out of sales, simplify communication between colleagues and with customers and, ultimately, close more deals. These features include but aren’t limited to:
AI Sales Assistant, which saves time by identifying patterns and recommending high-potential deals and next actions to prioritize
An AI email creation tool, which crafts quick, personalized emails from simple prompts, boosting efficiency and response rates, aiding faster deal conclusions and inspiring leads to convert
An AI email summarization tool, which condenses emails into brief summaries, letting users quickly grasp the essentials, save time and reduce overload
An intelligent search tool, which enables salespeople to use natural language to find relevant third-party tools in Pipedrive’s marketplace
AI deal summarization, which enables users to generate deal status summaries, providing an overview of deal interactions and quick context
AI app recommendations tailored to each business, helping users to optimize usage of Pipedrive’s CRM platform
By automating data analysis and workflows, predicting customer behavior, formulating and personalizing customer interactions and improving decision-making, you’ll improve operations and customer engagement and increase sales.
Final thoughts
Undoubtedly, AI has an integral role to play in the future of sales and companies who ignore its myriad benefits risk being left behind. Smaller businesses are already ahead of the curve in terms of implementation, but it’s important for companies of all sizes – and their respective governments – to do all they can to ensure workforces are ready and able to embrace AI technologies.
With Pipedrive, you can be confident that, whether you’re looking to implement our AI CRM platform or simply integrate external AI apps into your current Pipedrive CRM, you’re well placed to embrace the AI revolution. Try Pipedrive free for 14 days to see how it can help you.
