How UPSIDER Doubled Customer Engagement Time with AI-Powered Sales Organization

Transforming Sales with AI at UPSIDER

In today's fast-paced business landscape, optimizing customer engagement is crucial for success. UPSIDER, a Tokyo-based financial platform development company, has made significant strides in this area by establishing an AI-native sales organization right from its inception. Led by CEO Tohru Miyagi, UPSIDER aims to create a global financial platform that supports challengers in the business world, and their latest initiative showcases how AI can more than double the time sales representatives spend engaging with customers.

A Foundation Built on AI

UPSIDER's commitment to integrating AI into its sales process has proven to be a game-changer. The company utilizes an AI-based credit model that visualizes the future potential of businesses, allowing its solutions to be leveraged by over 100,000 companies. Their unique approach emphasizes the foundational question: "What should humans do with the support of AI?" This mindset is core to increasing the efficiency of their sales team.

By focusing on the essential notion that AI should enhance, rather than replace human effort, UPSIDER shifts its newfound time—freed up by automation—into building trust with clients. This innovative approach has redefined how they see sales: no longer merely a transactional process, but one that values long-term relationships.

Data at the Core of Their Success

The pivotal aspect of UPSIDER’s strategy is data quality. They firmly believe that AI's effectiveness hinges on the caliber of data it is trained on. By combining primary information collected through their efforts with supplemental company data from SalesNow, they have cultivated an environment where sales predictions and judgments are more accurate and insightful.

The results of this data-centric approach are striking:

- Core engagement time increased by over 200%: Continuous measurements over two years demonstrated a significant compression of preparatory time, allowing representatives to focus more on customer interaction.
- Reduced prep time for negotiations by over half: Automation has streamlined the preparation process, enabling a seamless transition into discussions.
- Automated recommendations for next prospects: Through integrated systems like Salesforce, sales teams receive tailored prompts on whom to approach next, enhanced by data from both UPSIDER’s own resources and SalesNow.

Building Relationships Through Time Invested

UPSIDER's commitment to rebuilding trust within the sales framework has been compelling. Within just three months of collaboration with the Mizuho Financial Group, they engaged with 30 branches across Japan, effectively promoting partner sales based on trust. This strategic partnership illustrates the impact that dedicated relationship-building can have on sales performance and client loyalty.

As quoted by Yosuke Yoneda, VP of Growth at UPSIDER, "The time generated by AI should truly be invested in building trust among people. This is our philosophy. With AI streamlining our operations, our core engagement time has increased, and we are dedicated to using that time wisely. SalesNow serves as the foundation for our decision-making based on quality data."

This highlights the trend towards a data-driven sales model, where organizations must prioritize building a data infrastructure that AI can rely on to generate valuable insights and assist in the decision-making process. UPSIDER’s growth trajectory emphasizes that for companies in the AI era, understanding and trusting their data is paramount.

The Significance of SalesNow

SalesNow, the brainchild of SalesNow Inc., is described as an AI-driven corporate data infrastructure that shapes efficient sales organizations. With access to Japan's largest business database, covering nearly 14 million records, it eliminates inefficient data collection processes. Sales teams can now make intuitive, data-backed decisions leading to refined sales activities tailored to customer needs.

In summary, UPSIDER's imaginative use of AI to streamline operations while enhancing the human side of sales demonstrates an innovative approach to modern business practices. It underscores a shift in focus from mere transactions to deeper customer relationships, establishing a robust foundation for continued growth and success in their industry.

For further insights into UPSIDER's success and their use of AI in their sales organization, refer to the detailed case study available here.