Artificial intelligence tools provide many B2B marketing skills that brands need today to reach and engage buyers in the digital space. Popular uses for AI include:

• Anticipating buyer decisions beforehand
• Calculating the probability of a purchase
• Strengthening brand loyalty with customization
• Saving cost with automation and optimization
• Unlocking opportunities to generate new revenue

But there might be something holding many B2B teams back. 

What B2B Marketing Skills Matter Most in AI?

No matter how beneficial AI is, it still represents low-hanging fruit for B2B marketers. Yet less than half of B2B firms take partial or full advantage of AI solutions, missing out on a valuable, modern resource. And the reason? Lack of knowledge and skills to get ahead with its implementation.Is your team prepared with these five B2B marketing skills?

1 – Be Adamant about Profit

Don’t use AI if you aren’t sure what value it brings to your business. Clearly understand your goals for AI and the benefits you’re aiming for. For instance, say you want to save time and money to deliver extended conversations with B2B leads. Many delegate the tasks to AI-enabled tools like chatbots. Implementing an AI algorithm costs less up-front and replaces the human touch at appropriate points.

2 – Be Comfortable with Data

To reap greater benefits from AI, marketers must be comfortable with analyzing big data and thinking in terms of data. Understand how your organization captures data, how to interpret outputs, and define meaningful actions. In short, data literacy is vital for B2B marketers. AI doesn’t work with zero human intervention. The tool is only as smart as it’s coded to be. The ultimate decisions will always be up to humans, depending on how well you analyze the data it offers. 

3 – Be Careful with Data Security

While AI technology has undeniably brought numerous advantages to B2B companies, it has also invited security threats. So learning security practices should also be a priority for your B2B marketing skills. If you’re unable to protect buyer’s information, it could damage your reputation and business. Take proper measures to ensure your data is secure and that any data partners you work with practice good data management and safety. 

4 – Be Open to Failures

Lastly, one of the most important B2B marketing skills is – be ready to fail! Yes. Don’t be afraid to try something new. And don’t be afraid to give it some time. Implementing AI is like creating a website with pleasing design and informative content. You have it all, but success won’t come on the day of launch. You may have to wait for months, while constantly optimizing pages for traffic. Similarly, each AI implementation is an experiment that may fail. The secret is to stay tolerant and curious until you succeed. Each failure gives an invaluable lesson, which can be turned into a strength.

5 – Be Picky About Data

If you plan to integrate an AI tool, prepare your data first, so the system can consume, analyze and learn from the data, and produce results. You’ll want to check your data quality regularly, and be on the lookout for good quality sources.

Boost Your Knowledge About AI and B2B Marketing

AI is here to stay, so don’t shy away from it. Get the on-demand version to learn about AI and B2B from our April 2021 Summit: “Accelerating Revenue with Artificial Intelligence.”