Chatgpt and selling physical products

2 years ago

Originally Posted by bubbashrimp

Chatgpt is a great tool for content and research.

I am just wrapping my arms around it but perhaps someone has more understanding and time using the software so here goes.

My company sells industrial maintenance chemicals (think hydraulic fluids for example) to federal, state and city agencies.

The current method of sales is by way of a sales person calling up said agency and speaking with the individual who does the purchasing and talking to them about selling them a 50 gallon drum for hydraulic fluid. The salesperson takes the order on the phone plus the payment - usually by credit card and processes the order.

My question is - can chatgpt be used to makes sales of such physical products as apposed to a salesman?

Perhaps chatgpt can't perform all of the functions of open to close of the sale but if the front end of customer contact and sell an item - with other functions by a human to follow - this would streamline the process.

Thought I would ask if anyone has any first hand experience with this as it would be useful.

Any and all constructive comments will be appreciated.

Thanks

Is this a commodity? I believe it is. In this situation unless you have some leverage through bundling of products for better pricing, just in time delivery or other supply advantage, lowest price will rule.

Chat could write emails for outreach that you could automate. Much of competition is not with your opponents, but rather because the customer does not know you exist.

The buyer may be interested in developing a second source of supply. What can you share about the state of this industry? Is the fluid easily available or hard to find? Is it stockpiled in the customer's country and are you a native supplier in case of war (this has mattered in some industries I've worked in such as power or police)? Is there an advantage you can bring to bear?

To the buyer, who is probably a professionally trained Purchaser with the aim of providing the best delivery at the lowest cost to their employer, your fluid is just another SKU. Perhaps if your Chat-written sequence can tie in how other people in the customer's organization are impacted by this fluid that could be an educational standout to get attention.

So potentially you could use Chat to start a different kind of conversation with the buyer, and Stand Out. I suppose you could have some kind of automated chat app as well, giving the purchaser a different kind of buying experience which would also stand out.

I'll leave it to others who have goofed around with Chat more than I have for other ideas.

Thanks

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bubbashrimp

2 years ago

Thanks for your comment Jason,

Yes these items are commodities - chemicals all being used in industry that they must have. Not much means to stand out from the crowd so to speak as hydraulic fluid is the same the world around - using that as an example so yes price is a big influence.

The customer is either a "Buyer" for the company of a Department Head that does the buying of the respective product and understand any of the technical requirements. Yes a second supplier is a wise move and this is a selling point that is brought up with the customer. The products are all sourced in N. America so shipping is good in that its not coming from overseas.

These are busy folks so I suspect that I may be asking too much of Chatgpt as it is strong in content creation - research and writing but the Buyers does not really need to read about a product he has been buying for the last 4 years unless there is a new advancement in the formula or the equipment manufacturer recommends a new product of course.

I am looking for a means of reducing dependance on a salesforce but don't think its there at this time but I could be wrong. Dealing with 22 salespeople is time consuming amongst other things - hahah.

Thanks again for your thoughts

Thanks
1 reply

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GordonJ

2 years ago

A local regional supplier of cleaning/maintenance chemicals grew from the back seat of a car into the largest company around. Their customers seem to match yours.

A lot of local Gov't types, cities, counties, regions, schoolboards, and a lot of Dept. Heads as the buyers...or as I like to call them, Kings of their fiefdoms.

These people, like to be wined and dined, gifted, and enjoy their power over you and they see salespeople as a pipeline to keeping their kingdoms in tact, and this is done via PEOPLE. As busy as these types are, check with those 22 sales people, or check their expense accts for dinners, lunches, golf outings, etc.

One way might be able to cut the sales force, is via Semi-Annual EVENTS, where your customers can come and feast and flex amongst their peers.

I hope I am wrong, but to see this type of face to face (direct) business being taken over by AI, isn't in the cards anytime soon. I suspect pricing in your biz is competitive, and maybe it boils down to which of your competitors gives the nicest swag, or offers to bend the knee when at their thrones.

Instead of a sales call, how about a monthly gift for every buyer, be it a fruit of the month, meat of the month, or just a knick knack or two, let AI dig deeper into your customer data base and do the work of finding out more about them, and then arm your remaining sales force with personalized reasons for their customers to remain with you, and not your competition.

GordonJ

Originally Posted by bubbashrimp

Thanks for your comment Jason,

Yes these items are commodities - chemicals all being used in industry that they must have. Not much means to stand out from the crowd so to speak as hydraulic fluid is the same the world around - using that as an example so yes price is a big influence.

The customer is either a "Buyer" for the company of a Department Head that does the buying of the respective product and understand any of the technical requirements. Yes a second supplier is a wise move and this is a selling point that is brought up with the customer. The products are all sourced in N. America so shipping is good in that its not coming from overseas.

These are busy folks so I suspect that I may be asking too much of Chatgpt as it is strong in content creation - research and writing but the Buyers does not really need to read about a product he has been buying for the last 4 years unless there is a new advancement in the formula or the equipment manufacturer recommends a new product of course.

I am looking for a means of reducing dependance on a salesforce but don't think its there at this time but I could be wrong. Dealing with 22 salespeople is time consuming amongst other things - hahah.

Thanks again for your thoughts

[ 2 ] Thanks

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bubbashrimp

2 years ago

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for your comments.

Yes indeed they are the Kings of their Fiefdom as you say and they like it.

As to the idea of sponsoring an event/conference - not sure we can implement that as we sell all over the country so we don't have any critical mass in any one geo. This also goes directly to the sales folks doing any schmoozing on the golf course of lunches.

The sales force is totally driven by outbound phone calls. Call - pitch - close - on to the next.

We do have promos as you mentioned such as 3 night vacation certificates at a Vegas hotel or Disney, NASCar baseball hats and so on. We are however sensitive not crossing a line that may represent a conflict of interest but a baseball cap is not a problem.

Appreciate your thoughts/comments.

In the back of my mind is - "If it ain't broke don't fix it" and we just continue to maintain the Human Resource in spite of its challenges.

Tks

[ 1 ] Thanks
1 reply

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DABK

2 years ago

Call me cynical, but I think many of these people could easily be convinced to go to your event if it is in Florida in winter...Las Vegas too.

AI, in my opinion, would be good at things like writing an email to Pete, your salesman for Atlanta, and remind him it's time to call Company A because it's been x weeks days since they bought Item B, so they are about to run out and send him an email to send the buyer at Company A asking how's about we talk Tuesday or Wednesday bout your Item B? Or, just send that email to Company A's Buyer on Pete's behalf, and an alert to Pete that it was sent.

Then a series of emails, daily?, about this to Pete till Pete gets off his ass and makes the call.

Originally Posted by bubbashrimp

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for your comments.

Yes indeed they are the Kings of their Fiefdom as you say and they like it.

As to the idea of sponsoring an event/conference - not sure we can implement that as we sell all over the country so we don't have any critical mass in any one geo. This also goes directly to the sales folks doing any schmoozing on the golf course of lunches.

The sales force is totally driven by outbound phone calls. Call - pitch - close - on to the next.

We do have promos as you mentioned such as 3 night vacation certificates at a Vegas hotel or Disney, NASCar baseball hats and so on. We are however sensitive not crossing a line that may represent a conflict of interest but a baseball cap is not a problem.

Appreciate your thoughts/comments.

In the back of my mind is - "If it ain't broke don't fix it" and we just continue to maintain the Human Resource in spite of its challenges.

Tks

Thanks

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bubbashrimp

2 years ago

Thanks for your comments.

I agree that Chatgpt could be used to write engaging emails to a customer.

I guess however I come to your comment about writing the email on behalf of Brian differently, why do need Brian I'm doing his work for him - haha.

Sadly I don't think there is an application where I can reduce my dependency of the human element of the business with Chatgpt - at least not in the next 5 years - haha

Sales people are safe for now at least with the wave of AI coming out.

Thanks again for your comments.

Thanks
1 reply

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DABK

2 years ago

Because you would need fewer Brian's to cover the same Buyers.

Originally Posted by bubbashrimp

Thanks for your comments.

I agree that Chatgpt could be used to write engaging emails to a customer.

I guess however I come to your comment about writing the email on behalf of Brian differently, why do need Brian I'm doing his work for him - haha.

Sadly I don't think there is an application where I can reduce my dependency of the human element of the business with Chatgpt - at least not in the next 5 years - haha

Sales people are safe for now at least with the wave of AI coming out.

Thanks again for your comments.

Thanks

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prasanth1964

2 years ago

Since ChatGPT is trained on the diversity of data the output in the form of responses could matter when it comes to mapping your product or service. In other words the artificial intelligence component of the application should concur with your business for the customers and the potential buyers to know about its existence.

Thanks

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aduttonater

1 year ago

Ask chat gpt to write you a sales ad for hydraulic fluid to federal and state agency's. Copy, paste, and win.

Thanks

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Chatgpt and selling physical products

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