The excitement over AI remains intense due to the inevitability that it will fundamentally transform businesses, both large and small, at multiple levels. The potential of the technology certainly warrants this enthusiasm.
Like bees to honey, technology providers are wired to be attracted to the latest and greatest innovations. Developers see the potential of these technological advances and envision a variety of applications they expect will solve the myriad business problems companies are experiencing. Many of these AI-centered services are created with the enterprise in mind, anticipating that large organizations have the desire and resources to integrate AI services into their infrastructure themselves.
Unfortunately, technology providers that are enamored with enterprises tend to overlook the SMB sector, which has the same need for AI tools, but often lacks the technical skills and budgets to adopt them. The key for resellers and providers is to package AI technology in a manner that is understandable, easy to implement, and aligned with SMB business processes.
Partners that serve the SMB sector know that selling “vision” is a difficult proposition. Paradigm shifts like AI can be intimidating to SMBs, often requiring substantial time and investment without clear bottom-line benefits. The key to channel success is not to focus on the technology, but to sell the outcomes. Instead of offering amorphous GenAI services, channels will find much more success by selling Conversational AI capabilities that leverage voice communication to automate essential, yet time-consuming, business processes such as order fulfillment, customer service, and accounting.
Digitizing Voice
Conversational AI is a specialized form of artificial intelligence that uses machine learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to carry out actions based on its understanding of spoken prompts and commands. At its core, it transforms human conversation into a digital format—interpreting language, understanding context, and recognizing intent.
That’s the academic definition. In practice, Conversational AI harnesses the familiarity and immediacy of voice. It delivers “smart contact” by digitizing human speech and grasping the nuances of natural language. The result is more fluid, human-like conversation that makes it easier for businesses to connect with their audiences.
The combination of voice and AI is powerful. By integrating technologies like Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Text-to-Speech (TTS), Conversational AI doesn’t just listen and respond—it understands and speaks. This fusion enables dynamic, natural-sounding exchanges that improve customer experience and streamline communication.
Satisfying Customer Pain Points
SMBs are primed to receive substantial benefits from implementing Conversational AI tools into their business processes. By focusing on the key benefits these solutions deliver, partners can reinforce how Conversational AI is capable of satisfying core business objectives. These are the positive outcomes SMBs crave, and should serve as the centerpiece of every sales conversation:
- Increased Operational Efficiencies – Conversational AI automates repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on higher-value activities that drive innovation and growth.
- Improved Accuracy – Leveraging Conversational AI will not only free up staff for more important tasks, but it also mitigates human error, improving operational performance.
- Reduced Operating Costs – Conversational AI helps SMBs optimize lean staffs by increasing overall business efficiency. By automating workflows and reducing the burden on staff, it increases efficiency while lowering operational expenses.
- Delighted Customers – Because Conversational AI expedites responsiveness and time to delivery, customer service is improved. The robust nature of the technology enhances the user experience while streamlining business processes.
Revenue Opportunities for Channels
Conversational AI solutions open up valuable new income opportunities for channels, enabling resellers to tap into stable, predictable income models with attractive margins that are more profitable than selling commoditized platforms and services. Those channels with resources can create their own branded Conversational AI services that they can sell to other businesses, and even vendors, generating substantial income. Most importantly, selling Conversational AI services allows resellers to maintain relevance in a rapidly changing marketplace. By offering these solutions, partners become indispensable assets to their customers, enabling them to strengthen business relationships in an era when customer churn is increasingly common.
Conclusion
Technology developers will continue to look for new ways for AI to transform business processes—and they should remain ambitious and innovative. But there is a practical side as well. To best meet the immediate, pragmatic needs of small and mid-sized customers, providers need to deliver AI solutions that are easy to understand, easy to implement, and easy to use. The logical place to start is by selling Conversational AI tools that automate natural language and efficiently satisfy the very real needs of SMBs.
Edited by
Erik Linask
