AI Shortens B2B Gross sales Cycles By 1 Week

A brand new report exhibits that B2B gross sales groups more and more use AI to enhance effectivity and shut offers.

Commissioned by LinkedIn and performed by Ipsos, the survey included 1,250 gross sales professionals and located that AI is now a key a part of gross sales practices.

Right here’s what entrepreneurs have to know.

AI Adoption on the Rise

88% of gross sales professionals use AI weekly, and 56% use it every day. This pattern displays adjustments within the gross sales area, the place groups should handle advanced shopping for processes.

Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn’s Chief Economist, notes that firms utilizing AI achieve a aggressive benefit.

“Firms integrating AI are gaining a aggressive edge,” says Kimbrough within the report. “Groups that don’t embrace AI will fall behind.”

Microsoft’s Way forward for Work report additionally exhibits that gross sales professionals see important productiveness will increase from AI.

Key Drivers Of Funding

98% of gross sales executives plan to speculate extra in AI this yr. They’ll give attention to:

1. Gross sales intelligence
2. Gross sales enablement
3. AI-powered CRM instruments

Methodology Notice:
Ipsos surveyed gross sales professionals in america, the UK, Germany, Australia, India, and Singapore, specializing in mid-market (200–999 staff) and enterprise (1,000+ staff) sectors spanning tech, finance, manufacturing, skilled providers, and different industries.

Prime Three Influence Areas

Sellers exceeding their targets are 2.5 occasions extra doubtless to make use of AI every day than these not assembly their targets.

Researchers discovered three principal methods AI improves gross sales:

1. Discovering Leads
   1. 38% say AI helps to determine leads sooner and extra precisely.
   2. Sellers save at the very least 1.5 hours weekly utilizing AI for lead analysis.
2. Customized Messages
   1. AI instruments allow sooner and extra tailor-made outreach campaigns.
   2. Sellers utilizing AI noticed a 28% improve in responses.
3. Gross sales Effectivity
   1. AI streamlines knowledge entry and scheduling in CRM programs.
   2. Almost 69% of sellers say AI shortens their gross sales cycle by about one week and helps them shut extra offers.

Wanting Forward

Dan Shapero, LinkedIn COO, advises firms to “begin small” and give attention to delivering rapid wins as a basis for long-term AI adoption.

This method resonates with the rising variety of gross sales executives (39%) who really feel “extremely assured” about their readiness for future challenges.

In sensible phrases, gross sales groups can start by:

• Automating routine duties like updating CRM data or lead qualification.
• Leveraging real-time insights for focused outreach (e.g., monitoring job adjustments or firm information).
• Experimenting with generative AI to craft extra partaking prospect messages.
• Recurrently coaching groups on new instruments to cut back resistance and clean adoption.

Dan Shapero, COO at LinkedIn, states:

“It’s too early to know what your AI technique is. I feel the query you ask your self is, “What’s my AI win?”. What’s the one factor that I can do with my workforce proper now that’s going to create worth over the following six months? As a result of the world is altering so rapidly, it’s considered one of these moments to begin small, to go massive over time.”

For extra insights, see the full report.

Featured Picture: Screenshot from Linkedin ROI of AI report, March 2025.