{"id":126256,"date":"2025-06-03T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/2025\/06\/03\/embracing-an-ai-first-strategy-to-revolutionize-sales\/"},"modified":"2025-06-03T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T13:00:00","slug":"embracing-an-ai-first-strategy-to-revolutionize-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/2025\/06\/03\/embracing-an-ai-first-strategy-to-revolutionize-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"Embracing an AI-first strategy to revolutionize sales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Microsoft, we embrace the role of customer zero. We believe we should be the first to adopt and prove the transformative power of AI through tangible, meaningful results. With our own AI journey guiding us, we can share insights and benefits to support our&nbsp;customers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As COO of Microsoft Americas, I have seen firsthand how generative AI is revolutionizing sales. My sales enablement and operations team leverages AI to empower sellers, identify market opportunities, optimize processes, and more. With this technology at the core of our own sales efforts, Microsoft sellers are engaging customers more strategically and accelerating business&nbsp;outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"empowering-sellers-with-ai\">Empowering sellers with AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI offers sellers a competitive advantage. In sales, building personal relationships with customers is key to understanding their needs and identifying opportunities to deliver value. However, repetitive tasks consume a significant amount of time. In fact, our research shows that <a href=\"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/prod\/sites\/658\/2024\/07\/How-Microsoft-is-reinventing-Sales-with-Microsoft-Copilot.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">70% of sellers\u2019 time<\/a> is spent on administrative and non-selling&nbsp;duties.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Generative AI removes some of this administrative burden and empowers sellers with new data-driven insights. With a simple prompt, <a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/copilot\/copilot-for-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft\u202f365 Copilot for Sales<\/a> can summarize past communications, highlight potential areas of concern for the customer, and assist the seller with crafting personalized&nbsp;messaging.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gathering information across multiple data sources typically takes hours. With Copilot for Sales, information is not only right at the seller\u2019s fingertips, but it\u2019s also summarized and broken down into key, actionable insights. This data helps sellers go into meetings feeling more confident and approach companies with customized solutions that support their specific business&nbsp;goals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Intralox, a global leader in conveyance solution technologies, is <a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en\/customers\/story\/23850-intralox-microsoft-365-copilot-for-sales#section-block-body\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">streamlining its selling processes<\/a> and empowering sales teams with insights that elevate the customer experience. By using Copilot\u2019s AI-powered communication tools and embedded access to <a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/dynamics-365\/products\/customer-service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft Dynamics\u202f365 Customer Service<\/a>, sellers can now focus on the most critical accounts and opportunities. \u201cCopilot [for Sales] enhances customer relationships and increases customer value by streamlining communication and making interactions more intuitive and meaningful,\u201d says Andrew Koehler, Commercial Systems and Operations Manager at&nbsp;Intralox.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Microsoft, we are harnessing Copilot in our daily workflows to prioritize tasks, gather customer data to inform our approach, and prepare for\u00a0meetings.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Elevate your sales strategy with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Insights from industry leaders\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/Ft4Nw0AMmQ4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reimagining-business-processes-with-ai\">Reimagining business processes with&nbsp;AI&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most exciting shifts we\u2019re seeing is how sales teams use generative AI to work more efficiently and effectively. Sellers\u2014like many workers\u2014move between multiple applications throughout the day, from communication products like <a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/microsoft-teams\/group-chat-software\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft Teams<\/a> to customer relationship management (CRM) apps such as <a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/dynamics-365\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dynamics\u202f365<\/a>. Copilot works across applications, helping sellers remain in the flow of their work by providing access to CRM data and customer insights from the communication tools they use the&nbsp;most.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The impact is significant. In one business group, sellers using Copilot generate 9.4% more revenue per seller and achieve 20% higher close rates. Sales opportunities are also <a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/worklab\/ai-is-already-changing-work-microsoft-included?msockid=1d89a02b9bf96e7932ceb5569a876f0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">up 5%<\/a>. Imagine these numbers in a multibillion-dollar business with thousands of&nbsp;sellers!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI-driven assistants like <a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/blog\/2025\/03\/05\/new-sales-agents-accessible-in-microsoft-365-copilot-help-teams-close-more-deals-faster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sales Chat and Sales Agent<\/a> complement Copilot for sales tasks. Our sellers interact with Sales Chat using natural language to compile data, answer questions, and help generate customer analytics within minutes. Sales Agent takes actions and automates repetitive workflows, completing administrative functions that previously fell to our sales&nbsp;teams.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mike DeSilver, Vice President of Customer Success, at Microsoft Americas, explains how our teams are using Copilot and agents to automate tasks and uncover new insights in this\u00a0video.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Leveraging Copilot for enhanced data insights and productivity\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/XjRauFcSS7Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"unlocking-the-full-potential-of-ai\">Unlocking the full potential of&nbsp;AI&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI adoption is accelerating. In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/worklab\/work-trend-index\/2025-the-year-the-frontier-firm-is-born\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">24% of leaders<\/a> report that their companies have already deployed AI. However, to fully realize the return on investment, dedicated training and skilling is&nbsp;key.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI requires a different skill set. With our sellers, we use tools such as learning paths, contests, team champs, and more to help them build the skills that are key to driving successful adoption. We make it a priority to promote a culture of curiosity and experimentation that helps employees with mastering AI basics, building habits, and uncovering practical, role-based&nbsp;applications. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These efforts are working. Every week, I monitor utilization rates across the Americas with the <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/viva\/insights\/org-team-insights\/copilot-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft Copilot Dashboard<\/a>. As AI adoption has grown, so have the benefits. On one team, sellers are averaging four hours per week in time savings. What could you do with another four hours in your week? Now imagine this time savings across your entire&nbsp;company.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re at the beginning of this journey, you don\u2019t need to start from scratch. Take advantage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/adoption.microsoft.com\/en-us\/copilot-for-sales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">templates for adoption and training<\/a> that we use ourselves to skill&nbsp;sellers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bending-the-innovation-curve-with-ai\">Bending the innovation curve with&nbsp;AI&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Embracing an AI-first strategy is about more than adopting cutting-edge technology. It\u2019s about empowering our sales teams to find new ways to connect with customers and deliver value. It\u2019s about rediscovering the joy of meaningful work, capitalizing on business opportunities, and driving&nbsp;growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are here to help you explore the possibilities, define your strategy, and take the first step toward innovating for an AI-first future. To learn more about AI transformation in sales and how your organization can get started, please consider the following&nbsp;resources:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/info.microsoft.com\/AM-HWBR-VDEO-FY25-04Apr-16-Ask-the-Experts-Supercharge-Your-Sales-Team-with-AI-Powered-Success-SRGCM14176_LP01-Registration---Form-in-Body.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ask the Experts: Supercharge your sales team with AI-powered success<\/a>: Watch this on-demand webinar to discover practical AI tips for\u00a0sellers.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/events.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft365?language=English&amp;clientTimeZone=1&amp;search=training%20for%20sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft events catalog<\/a>: Explore additional learning opportunities to revolutionize sales with&nbsp;AI.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adoption.microsoft.com\/en-us\/copilot-for-sales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft\u202f365 Copilot for Sales<\/a>: Begin your AI adoption&nbsp;journey.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Microsoft, we embrace the role of customer zero. We believe we should be the first to adopt and prove the transformative power of AI through tangible, meaningful results. With our own AI journey guiding us, we can share insights and benefits to support our&nbsp;customers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":127702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_classifai_error":"","_classifai_text_to_speech_error":"","_innovation_original_canonical_url":"","_alt_title":"","ms-ems-related-posts":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[2197],"content-type":[118],"industry":[],"job-function":[],"topic":[1647],"coauthors":[1392],"class_list":["post-126256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-microsoft-in-business","content-type-thought-leadership","topic-ai-resources"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Embracing an AI-first strategy to revolutionize sales | The Microsoft Cloud Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore how generative AI is revolutionizing sales and driving efficiency with Microsoft in Business.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/2025\/06\/03\/embracing-an-ai-first-strategy-to-revolutionize-sales\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Embracing an AI-first strategy to revolutionize sales\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The AI revolution in sales is here! In this Microsoft in Business blog, learn more about how generative AI tools are driving real business outcomes by empowering sales teams with rich customer insights.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/en-us\/microsoft-cloud\/blog\/2025\/06\/03\/embracing-an-ai-first-strategy-to-revolutionize-sales\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Microsoft Cloud Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-03T13:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Embracing an AI-first strategy to revolutionize sales\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"The AI revolution in sales is here! In this Microsoft in Business blog, learn more about how generative AI tools are driving real business outcomes by empowering sales teams with rich customer insights.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@MSCloud\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@MSCloud\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"Tracy Galloway\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/03\\\/embracing-an-ai-first-strategy-to-revolutionize-sales\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/03\\\/embracing-an-ai-first-strategy-to-revolutionize-sales\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/tracy-galloway\\\/\",\"@type\":\"Person\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/tracy-galloway\\\/\",\"name\":\"Tracy Galloway\"}],\"headline\":\"Embracing an AI-first strategy to revolutionize sales\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-03T13:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/03\\\/embracing-an-ai-first-strategy-to-revolutionize-sales\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":954,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/03\\\/embracing-an-ai-first-strategy-to-revolutionize-sales\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\\\/en-us\\\/microsoft-cloud\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/157-cropped2-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Microsoft in Business\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"video\":[{\"@type\":\"VideoObject\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=Ft4Nw0AMmQ4\",\"description\":\"At Microsoft, we embrace the role of customer zero. We believe we should be the first to adopt and prove the transformative power of AI through tangible, meaningful results. With our own AI journey guiding us, we can share insights and benefits to support our&nbsp;customers.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAs COO of Microsoft Americas, I have seen firsthand how generative AI is revolutionizing sales. My sales enablement and operations team leverages AI to empower sellers, identify market opportunities, optimize processes, and more. With this technology at the core of our own sales efforts, Microsoft sellers are engaging customers more strategically and accelerating business&nbsp;outcomes. \\n\\n\\n\\nEmpowering sellers with AI\\n\\n\\n\\nAI offers sellers a competitive advantage. In sales, building personal relationships with customers is key to understanding their needs and identifying opportunities to deliver value. However, repetitive tasks consume a significant amount of time. In fact, our research shows that 70% of sellers\u2019 time is spent on administrative and non-selling&nbsp;duties.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nGenerative AI removes some of this administrative burden and empowers sellers with new data-driven insights. With a simple prompt, Microsoft\u202f365 Copilot for Sales can summarize past communications, highlight potential areas of concern for the customer, and assist the seller with crafting personalized&nbsp;messaging.&nbsp;&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nGathering information across multiple data sources typically takes hours. With Copilot for Sales, information is not only right at the seller\u2019s fingertips, but it\u2019s also summarized and broken down into key, actionable insights. This data helps sellers go into meetings feeling more confident and approach companies with customized solutions that support their specific business&nbsp;goals.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nFor example, Intralox, a global leader in conveyance solution technologies, is streamlining its selling processes and empowering sales teams with insights that elevate the customer experience. By using Copilot\u2019s AI-powered communication tools and embedded access to Microsoft Dynamics\u202f365 Customer Service, sellers can now focus on the most critical accounts and opportunities. \u201cCopilot [for Sales] enhances customer relationships and increases customer value by streamlining communication and making interactions more intuitive and meaningful,\u201d says Andrew Koehler, Commercial Systems and Operations Manager at&nbsp;Intralox.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAt Microsoft, we are harnessing Copilot in our daily workflows to prioritize tasks, gather customer data to inform our approach, and prepare for\u00a0meetings.\u00a0\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nhttps:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=Ft4Nw0AMmQ4\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nReimagining business processes with&nbsp;AI&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nOne of the most exciting shifts we\u2019re seeing is how sales teams use generative AI to work more efficiently and effectively. Sellers\u2014like many workers\u2014move between multiple applications throughout the day, from communication products like Microsoft Teams to customer relationship management (CRM) apps such as Dynamics\u202f365. Copilot works across applications, helping sellers remain in the flow of their work by providing access to CRM data and customer insights from the communication tools they use the&nbsp;most.&nbsp;&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nThe impact is significant. In one business group, sellers using Copilot generate 9.4% more revenue per seller and achieve 20% higher close rates. Sales opportunities are also up 5%. Imagine these numbers in a multibillion-dollar business with thousands of&nbsp;sellers!&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAI-driven assistants like Sales Chat and Sales Agent complement Copilot for sales tasks. Our sellers interact with Sales Chat using natural language to compile data, answer questions, and help generate customer analytics within minutes. Sales Agent takes actions and automates repetitive workflows, completing administrative functions that previously fell to our sales&nbsp;teams.&nbsp;&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nMike DeSilver, Vice President of Customer Success, at Microsoft Americas, explains how our teams are using Copilot and agents to automate tasks and uncover new insights in this\u00a0video.\u00a0\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nhttps:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=XjRauFcSS7Y\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nUnlocking the full potential of&nbsp;AI&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAI adoption is accelerating. In fact, 24% of leaders report that their companies have already deployed AI. However, to fully realize the return on investment, dedicated training and skilling is&nbsp;key.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAI requires a different skill set. With our sellers, we use tools such as learning paths, contests, team champs, and more to help them build the skills that are key to driving successful adoption. We make it a priority to promote a culture of curiosity and experimentation that helps employees with mastering AI basics, building habits, and uncovering practical, role-based&nbsp;applications. &nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nThese efforts are working. Every week, I monitor utilization rates across the Americas with the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard. As AI adoption has grown, so have the benefits. On one team, sellers are averaging four hours per week in time savings. What could you do with another four hours in your week? Now imagine this time savings across your entire&nbsp;company.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nIf you\u2019re at the beginning of this journey, you don\u2019t need to start from scratch. Take advantage of the templates for adoption and training that we use ourselves to skill&nbsp;sellers.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nBending the innovation curve with&nbsp;AI&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nEmbracing an AI-first strategy is about more than adopting cutting-edge technology. It\u2019s about empowering our sales teams to find new ways to connect with customers and deliver value. It\u2019s about rediscovering the joy of meaningful work, capitalizing on business opportunities, and driving&nbsp;growth.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nWe are here to help you explore the possibilities, define your strategy, and take the first step toward innovating for an AI-first future. To learn more about AI transformation in sales and how your organization can get started, please consider the following&nbsp;resources:&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nAsk the Experts: Supercharge your sales team with AI-powered success: Watch this on-demand webinar to discover practical AI tips for\u00a0sellers.\u00a0\\n\\n\\n\\nMicrosoft events catalog: Explore additional learning opportunities to revolutionize sales with&nbsp;AI.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nMicrosoft\u202f365 Copilot for Sales: Begin your AI adoption&nbsp;journey.&nbsp;\",\"uploadDate\":\"2025-06-03T13:00:00+0000\",\"name\":\"Embracing an AI-first strategy to revolutionize sales\",\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i.ytimg.com\\\/vi\\\/Ft4Nw0AMmQ4\\\/hqdefault.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"VideoObject\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=XjRauFcSS7Y\",\"description\":\"At Microsoft, we embrace the role of customer zero. We believe we should be the first to adopt and prove the transformative power of AI through tangible, meaningful results. With our own AI journey guiding us, we can share insights and benefits to support our&nbsp;customers.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAs COO of Microsoft Americas, I have seen firsthand how generative AI is revolutionizing sales. My sales enablement and operations team leverages AI to empower sellers, identify market opportunities, optimize processes, and more. With this technology at the core of our own sales efforts, Microsoft sellers are engaging customers more strategically and accelerating business&nbsp;outcomes. \\n\\n\\n\\nEmpowering sellers with AI\\n\\n\\n\\nAI offers sellers a competitive advantage. In sales, building personal relationships with customers is key to understanding their needs and identifying opportunities to deliver value. However, repetitive tasks consume a significant amount of time. In fact, our research shows that 70% of sellers\u2019 time is spent on administrative and non-selling&nbsp;duties.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nGenerative AI removes some of this administrative burden and empowers sellers with new data-driven insights. With a simple prompt, Microsoft\u202f365 Copilot for Sales can summarize past communications, highlight potential areas of concern for the customer, and assist the seller with crafting personalized&nbsp;messaging.&nbsp;&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nGathering information across multiple data sources typically takes hours. With Copilot for Sales, information is not only right at the seller\u2019s fingertips, but it\u2019s also summarized and broken down into key, actionable insights. This data helps sellers go into meetings feeling more confident and approach companies with customized solutions that support their specific business&nbsp;goals.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nFor example, Intralox, a global leader in conveyance solution technologies, is streamlining its selling processes and empowering sales teams with insights that elevate the customer experience. By using Copilot\u2019s AI-powered communication tools and embedded access to Microsoft Dynamics\u202f365 Customer Service, sellers can now focus on the most critical accounts and opportunities. \u201cCopilot [for Sales] enhances customer relationships and increases customer value by streamlining communication and making interactions more intuitive and meaningful,\u201d says Andrew Koehler, Commercial Systems and Operations Manager at&nbsp;Intralox.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAt Microsoft, we are harnessing Copilot in our daily workflows to prioritize tasks, gather customer data to inform our approach, and prepare for\u00a0meetings.\u00a0\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nhttps:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=Ft4Nw0AMmQ4\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nReimagining business processes with&nbsp;AI&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nOne of the most exciting shifts we\u2019re seeing is how sales teams use generative AI to work more efficiently and effectively. Sellers\u2014like many workers\u2014move between multiple applications throughout the day, from communication products like Microsoft Teams to customer relationship management (CRM) apps such as Dynamics\u202f365. Copilot works across applications, helping sellers remain in the flow of their work by providing access to CRM data and customer insights from the communication tools they use the&nbsp;most.&nbsp;&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nThe impact is significant. In one business group, sellers using Copilot generate 9.4% more revenue per seller and achieve 20% higher close rates. Sales opportunities are also up 5%. Imagine these numbers in a multibillion-dollar business with thousands of&nbsp;sellers!&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAI-driven assistants like Sales Chat and Sales Agent complement Copilot for sales tasks. Our sellers interact with Sales Chat using natural language to compile data, answer questions, and help generate customer analytics within minutes. Sales Agent takes actions and automates repetitive workflows, completing administrative functions that previously fell to our sales&nbsp;teams.&nbsp;&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nMike DeSilver, Vice President of Customer Success, at Microsoft Americas, explains how our teams are using Copilot and agents to automate tasks and uncover new insights in this\u00a0video.\u00a0\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nhttps:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=XjRauFcSS7Y\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nUnlocking the full potential of&nbsp;AI&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAI adoption is accelerating. In fact, 24% of leaders report that their companies have already deployed AI. However, to fully realize the return on investment, dedicated training and skilling is&nbsp;key.&nbsp;\\n\\n\\n\\nAI requires a different skill set. With our sellers, we use tools such as learning paths, contests, team champs, and more to help them build the skills that are key to driving successful adoption. 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We believe we should be the first to adopt and prove the transformative power of AI through tangible, meaningful results. With our own AI journey guiding us, we can share insights and benefits to support our&nbsp;customers.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nAs COO of Microsoft Americas, I have seen firsthand how generative AI is revolutionizing sales. My sales enablement and operations team leverages AI to empower sellers, identify market opportunities, optimize processes, and more. With this technology at the core of our own sales efforts, Microsoft sellers are engaging customers more strategically and accelerating business&nbsp;outcomes. \n\n\n\nEmpowering sellers with AI\n\n\n\nAI offers sellers a competitive advantage. In sales, building personal relationships with customers is key to understanding their needs and identifying opportunities to deliver value. However, repetitive tasks consume a significant amount of time. In fact, our research shows that 70% of sellers\u2019 time is spent on administrative and non-selling&nbsp;duties.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nGenerative AI removes some of this administrative burden and empowers sellers with new data-driven insights. With a simple prompt, Microsoft\u202f365 Copilot for Sales can summarize past communications, highlight potential areas of concern for the customer, and assist the seller with crafting personalized&nbsp;messaging.&nbsp;&nbsp;\n\n\n\nGathering information across multiple data sources typically takes hours. With Copilot for Sales, information is not only right at the seller\u2019s fingertips, but it\u2019s also summarized and broken down into key, actionable insights. This data helps sellers go into meetings feeling more confident and approach companies with customized solutions that support their specific business&nbsp;goals.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nFor example, Intralox, a global leader in conveyance solution technologies, is streamlining its selling processes and empowering sales teams with insights that elevate the customer experience. By using Copilot\u2019s AI-powered communication tools and embedded access to Microsoft Dynamics\u202f365 Customer Service, sellers can now focus on the most critical accounts and opportunities. \u201cCopilot [for Sales] enhances customer relationships and increases customer value by streamlining communication and making interactions more intuitive and meaningful,\u201d says Andrew Koehler, Commercial Systems and Operations Manager at&nbsp;Intralox.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nAt Microsoft, we are harnessing Copilot in our daily workflows to prioritize tasks, gather customer data to inform our approach, and prepare for\u00a0meetings.\u00a0\n\n\n\n\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ft4Nw0AMmQ4\n\n\n\n\nReimagining business processes with&nbsp;AI&nbsp;\n\n\n\nOne of the most exciting shifts we\u2019re seeing is how sales teams use generative AI to work more efficiently and effectively. Sellers\u2014like many workers\u2014move between multiple applications throughout the day, from communication products like Microsoft Teams to customer relationship management (CRM) apps such as Dynamics\u202f365. Copilot works across applications, helping sellers remain in the flow of their work by providing access to CRM data and customer insights from the communication tools they use the&nbsp;most.&nbsp;&nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe impact is significant. In one business group, sellers using Copilot generate 9.4% more revenue per seller and achieve 20% higher close rates. Sales opportunities are also up 5%. Imagine these numbers in a multibillion-dollar business with thousands of&nbsp;sellers!&nbsp;\n\n\n\nAI-driven assistants like Sales Chat and Sales Agent complement Copilot for sales tasks. Our sellers interact with Sales Chat using natural language to compile data, answer questions, and help generate customer analytics within minutes. 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We make it a priority to promote a culture of curiosity and experimentation that helps employees with mastering AI basics, building habits, and uncovering practical, role-based&nbsp;applications. &nbsp;\n\n\n\nThese efforts are working. Every week, I monitor utilization rates across the Americas with the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard. As AI adoption has grown, so have the benefits. On one team, sellers are averaging four hours per week in time savings. What could you do with another four hours in your week? Now imagine this time savings across your entire&nbsp;company.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re at the beginning of this journey, you don\u2019t need to start from scratch. Take advantage of the templates for adoption and training that we use ourselves to skill&nbsp;sellers.&nbsp;\n\n\n\nBending the innovation curve with&nbsp;AI&nbsp;\n\n\n\nEmbracing an AI-first strategy is about more than adopting cutting-edge technology. 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