90% of sales teams use AI agents - but half of them have the same data problem (www.zdnet.com)

A recent Salesforce report reveals that 90% of sales teams currently use or plan to adopt AI agents within two years, highlighting their critical role in meeting evolving business demands. Among surveyed professionals, 94% of sales leaders recognize the importance of these agents in enhancing productivity, sales planning, and customer retention. However, there's a significant challenge: half of these teams struggle with data quality issues, including manual errors and duplicated information, which impede their AI initiatives. As sales reps are overwhelmed with non-selling tasks, AI agents are increasingly viewed as essential tools to streamline processes and engage customers more effectively. The report indicates a pressing need for better data management and technology consolidation. With two-thirds of sales teams relying on multiple standalone tools, the consequent data silos make it difficult to leverage valuable insights, limiting the effectiveness of AI applications. To address these challenges, more than 80% of teams without a unified sales platform are looking to consolidate their technology stacks. This trend not only aims to enhance data quality but also seeks to empower sales professionals to maximize output and meet rising customer expectations in a more efficient manner.