New survey reveals AI literacy is now a perceived requirement for successful revenue-generating teams

Seismic, the global leader in enablement, today released the findings of its new Generation Enablement Report: Driving Strategic Change with the Power of AI. More than 600 full-time managers and senior leaders in sales, enablement, marketing and customer success roles within the United States were surveyed to understand AI’s role on the rising influence and expectations of enablement teams. The findings reveal both the opportunities and challenges AI presents as Go-to-Market (GTM) leaders are asked to enhance technological capabilities, increase revenue, and future-proof their teams.

According to the study, GTM leaders are preparing to increase their technology investment by nearly 25% by 2025, despite lingering skepticism about AI. In fact, 90% of respondents cited AI advancements as a key driver of this investment. This surge is primarily fueled by new AI features that enable organizations to gain deeper insights into the return on their investment (ROI), with 88% highlighting the ability to clearly demonstrate the impact of enablement as a factor driving this investment.

“Enablement teams have become increasingly influential, driving strategic change and leveraging AI to optimize their processes and initiatives within their organizations – earning them a seat at the table with their GTM leadership and C-suite,” said Paige O’Neill, Chief Marketing Officer, Seismic. “The data is clear: if businesses are not looking to enablement technology to shorten the buying cycle and keep pace with customer expectations, they will be left behind. Thriving in today’s dynamic market requires agility and adaptability, which enablement leaders are delivering in spades thanks to AI-powered technology like Seismic.”

“This data certainly confirms the vision of enablement becoming a more strategic function,” said Romain Brun, Director of Business Operations, CybelAngel. “AI decreases time on tactical and time-consuming tasks for enablement professionals to focus more on being strategic partners for the business. With technology evolving and blending different functions of enablement, enablement investments are now seen by leadership as a comprehensive and strategic driver for results across the entire organization.”

Additional key findings include:

AI literacy is now a requirement

• A majority of GTM leaders (77%) agree that AI will transform their industry within the next five years. As a result, companies are focusing on developing AI literacy across their teams, with 4 out of 5 organizations saying they have prioritized AI literacy for their employee base.
• Many GTM leaders have already launched AI-focused training programs, with 77% implementing them for current employees and 70% offering them to new hires. Notably, Chief Marketing Officers have a head start on AI training, with 84% upskilling their existing employees and new hires (95%).
• Additionally, over half of respondents have introduced custom AI training programs tailored to generational learning preferences. The clear need for AI education highlights that training and coaching programs will be just as critical to success as the AI technology itself.

Adoption challenges today, transformation tomorrow

• Nearly half (43%) of respondents identified financial constraints as a key barrier to implementing AI-powered solutions, an 8% increase from last year, driven by current economic conditions.
• Another key factor that poses challenges is generational differences in leadership. Over half (58%) of respondents shared that these generational differences make it difficult to secure buy-in for new technologies.
• What's more: 61% revealed the term "AI" carries a stigma, leading almost half (45%) to avoid using the term in official communications, even when AI solutions are being used.

Continued usage will bring undeniable benefits

• A whopping 89% of GTM leaders believe that integrating AI into their strategies will drive a 29% increase in revenue over the next five years – an incremental jump in both answers year-over-year.
• Despite the obstacles, optimism prevails, with 90% of respondents predicting increased acceptance of AI across all generations within the next five years. And 91% expect this reliance to continue growing over the next year.

For more information about ‘Generation Enablement Report: Driving Strategic Change with the Power of AI’, visit the Seismic Blog or download the full report here.

METHODOLOGY

Seismic conducted the ‘Generation Enablement Report: Driving Strategic Change with the Power of AI’ online between July 24 and August 12, 2024. It reflects the opinions of 600 full-time employees in a sales, marketing, enablement, or customer success role at the management level or above in the United States. It was conducted at 95% confidence with a +/- 4% margin of error.

About Seismic

Seismic is the global leader in enablement, helping organizations engage customers, enable teams, and ignite revenue growth. The Seismic Enablement Cloud™ is the most powerful, unified enablement platform that equips customer-facing teams with the right skills, content, tools, and insights to grow and win. From the world’s largest enterprises to startups and small businesses, more than 2,000 organizations around the globe trust Seismic for their enablement needs. Seismic is headquartered in San Diego with offices across North America, Europe, and Australia.

To learn more, visit Seismic.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

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