New research from McKinsey highlights how generative AI is beginning to transform the B2B sales landscape, offering clear use cases that promise to boost pipeline, productivity and profitability.
While adoption is still in its early stages, with just under a fifth of B2B decision-makers currently implementing gen AI tools, momentum is growing as companies look for more efficient ways to navigate complex sales cycles.
The report identifies seven core use cases that span the full deal cycle. From identifying the next-best opportunity and recommending the next-best action, to meeting preparation, RFP responses and dynamic pricing, gen AI is helping sellers become faster, smarter and more targeted in their outreach. Sales teams can also leverage gen AI as a research assistant and performance coach, enabling data-driven conversations and more personalised development.
Several case studies in the report show material results from gen AI deployment. A distributor that used AI to analyse construction permits and personalise outreach saw a $1 billion uplift in pipeline, while a telecoms provider used an AI-powered coaching engine to improve customer satisfaction and reduce training costs by 20%. These examples illustrate the immediate value gen AI can deliver in real-world settings.
Beyond these early wins, the report stresses the importance of building a long-term gen AI strategy rooted in business priorities, with clearly defined use cases. It also warns against over-relying on off-the-shelf solutions or treating AI adoption as a one-off implementation. Instead, successful organisations are balancing short-term impact with long-term capability-building—investing in data infrastructure, upskilling teams and embedding AI into the commercial tech stack.
Critically, McKinsey underlines the need to keep sellers at the centre of any AI rollout. Sales tools must be intuitive, actionable and trustworthy to ensure adoption. And without strong change management and continuous feedback loops, even the most powerful gen AI solution will fail to deliver sustainable impact.
While generative AI is helping sellers work more efficiently, the next frontier may lie in agentic AI—tools that not only recommend but also act. As autonomous agents mature, they could handle routine sales activities from end to end, freeing up human teams to focus on complex, high-value engagements.
For B2B leaders looking to future-proof their go-to-market strategy, gen AI offers a powerful lever for growth—but only if it’s backed by clarity of purpose, user-centred design and a commitment to scale.
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