The Importance of Infusing Humanity into Direct Sales Training in an Era of AI and Automation

There are various applications of AI for distributor business-building in direct selling. AI-powered voice cloning, for instance, generates lifelike speech and customizable voices, and can narrate distributor training text such as policies and procedures. AI also plays a valuable role when it comes to direct sales training and learning, offering a helping hand.

The Direct Sales Generational Engagement Study from Bridgehead Collective and the Center for Generational Kinetics found that being assigned a trusted mentor or guide in the business for regular help, answers and support is important among younger generations (younger Millennials and Gen Z). It was also noted that, among members of these generations, the term “trusted guide” was found to be the most compelling way to reference an “upline” or “sponsor.”

They also want these interactions to happen in person, as opposed to online (although 1:1 video chat is still considered to be “in person”).

Mentorship, On-demand

One of the biggest challenges today is that not every distributor has an upline. Given the global nature of direct selling and the widespread distributed workplace at large, connecting in-person for mentorship and support may not always be practical.

Here is where AI enters the picture. The ultimate copilot, Rallyware’s AI Sales Coach offers constant support to distributors at every stage of their journey, no matter where they are in the process (in the onboarding stage, or 5 years into their business-building journey). Offering on-demand mentorship, the coach provides instant answers from queries related to product specifics or advice on how to reconnect with old prospects.

On the flip side, the sales coach provides HQ with the ability to streamline content creation by easily creating video scripts, direct sales training content, and more, based on data and assets provided by the company.

Simplifying and streamlining the distributor journey

As Ryan Thompson, President of ACTIVZ noted in a recent Rallyware roundtable, “Automation should simplify the required amount of touches that people need to do…if it serves to simplify the process, then it is probably the right decision.”

Simplifying and streamlining distributors’ search for sales training materials? Check.
Helping a new distributor craft a follow-up email to their first customer? Check.
Assisting a beauty company come up with a creative format to showcase their new line of lip products? Check.

With an AI Sales Coach, direct selling organizations can maintain a motivated and engaged distributor base, and ensure effective business-building across a distributed sales force.

Empowering distributors to concentrate on customer relationships

With AI playing a supporting role, distributors are free to concentrate on some of the more critical aspects in their business, such as building and nurturing relationships with customers. How can we best maximize their time so they can focus on what matters the most?

Providing a space for conversations and connections to flourish

Finding the perfect balance involves incorporating AI while preserving the aspect of connections and interactions. For instance, Rallyware’s messages and communities play a vital role in keeping distributors engaged within the community and connected with their uplines (if they do have one). Although distributors may be working solo, there is comfort in having a community of others traveling down similar paths, a space to exchange challenges, share solutions and navigate obstacles together. In fact, research from UG/Peterson found that, for 53% of individuals, the desire to be part of a supportive group/ community was listed as a reason for entering the gig economy.

Moreover, incentives and recognition programs celebrate the successes, allowing users to visualize their progress and compare their performance against each other with custom, points-based leaderboards.

So, when introducing AI into your direct selling organization, it is important to also provide a space where these interactions (and even some friendly competition) can thrive – to have the best of both worlds, the human and the machine.

Modernize your Director Sales Training Approach with AI

Mentorship is a key component in direct selling, an industry where personal development has always been the ‘X Factor.’ “I think one of the highest-value, under-promoted parts of what we do in this channel is give people access to mentors, to a peer group of positivity,” Blake Mallen, Host of the Direct Selling SHIFT podcast, emphasized. “It taught me the value and the impact of a mind shift, and how a single shift at the right time from the right person, in the right moment can radically change everything.”

Assisting distributors with just-in-case problems with resources and tactics that are tailored to their specific context, Rallyware’s AI-powered Sales Coach helps each distributor feel that there’s always support and someone behind them. The ultimate copilot, and the intelligent mentor of today.

Schedule your demo to see how you can leverage AI to enhance efficiency within your organization and direct sales training, and see great results!