The Future of AI in Sales: Insights from Gong’s CEO and Co-Founder Amit Bendov

The Future of AI in Sales: Insights from Gong’s CEO and Co-Founder Amit
Bendov

Amit Bendov, CEO and Co-Founder of Gong, discusses the transformative potential
of AI in sales and the journey of scaling Gong to a multi-billion-dollar company.

The Genesis of Gong

In 2015, as AI began outperforming humans in chess and medical diagnoses, Amit
Bendov pondered whether AI could also understand customers better than
salespeople. This question sparked the creation of Gong, an innovative platform
designed to capture customer conversations, derive insights, and drive action.
Despite initial scepticism and funding challenges, Gong's vision has since become a
reality.

The Role of AI in Sales Over the Next Two Years

Amit envisions a future where AI significantly reduces the administrative burden on
sales representatives. Currently, sales reps spend about 75% of their time on non-
selling tasks like filling out forms and attending internal meetings. AI aims to halve
this time, allowing reps to focus more on customer interactions.

Additionally, AI might lead to a convergence of sales roles. The current specialization

in SaaS—where roles like SDRs, CSMs, and AEs are distinct—could evolve into
more unified positions. By equipping salespeople with AI tools, they could handle a
broader range of tasks, improving efficiency and customer experience.

The Potential for AI to Transform Sales Roles

Amit is confident that AI will fundamentally reshape sales roles. While it won’t
eliminate jobs, it will transform them. For example, sales executives could potentially manage the entire sales lifecycle with AI, from prospecting to closing deals and handling onboarding. This shift would enhance customer relationships by ensuring continuity from sale to service, and it could enable sales reps to handle larger quotas with greater efficiency.

Managing Expectations for AI

Despite rapid advancements, AI is not a cure-all. Its capabilities, while impressive,
are not yet perfect. For instance, AI excels at generating text from input but lacks the
ability to reason and plan like humans. Businesses must balance optimism with
realistic expectations about what AI can achieve in the near term.

The AI Budget Landscape

At Gong, the AI budget typically comes from existing funds allocated for sales
functions. However, large enterprises often have dedicated budgets to experiment
with AI solutions. The focus should be on demonstrating tangible business value,
such as increased productivity and cost savings, rather than selling AI for AI’s sake.

The Evolution of B2B SaaS

The B2B SaaS landscape has shifted significantly from last year to the summer of
2024. The previous year saw companies rationalizing budgets and cutting costs, but the current trend shows a return to growth. While the growth rates vary, companies are increasingly investing in tools that enhance efficiency and drive revenue.

Balancing Consolidation and Innovation

Gong’s journey from a single-product company to a multi-product platform illustrates the dual forces of consolidation and innovation. Despite pressures to streamline, there’s also a push to continually innovate and create new categories. Gong’s strategy involves building a robust core product and then expanding with additional high-quality offerings.

Key Lessons from Gong’s Multi-Product Strategy

1. Focus on Quality: Start with a single product and perfect it before expanding. Each new product should meet the same high standards.
2. Clear Communication: Articulate the unique benefits of your products compared to established competitors. Set realistic expectations with customers.
3. Embrace Competition: View competitors as opportunities to improve. Healthy
competition drives innovation and growth.

Looking Ahead

The current market conditions require more scrutiny and accountability in sales.
Purchases are more deliberate, and companies are buying exactly what they need.
This environment demands rigorous tracking of KPIs and a focus on delivering real
value to customers.

Despite the challenges, there is optimism for the future. Gong is witnessing positive
trends, with customers expanding their usage. Founders must remain hopeful and
adaptive, ready to seize opportunities as the market continues to evolve.