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Every tech company seems to be making bold promises about AI, what does that actually look like in practice?
In a recent webinar, 6sense executives Adam Kaiser (VP of Growth and Brand Marketing) and Mac Conn (VP of Commercial Sales) shared practical insights for building an AI strategy in the year ahead. Skirting the usual hype-based AI chat, they focus on realistic applications that are delivering results today — and offer a clear-eyed view of where AI can fit into modern sales and marketing organizations.
Check out the highlights below and watch the full conversation here.
Understanding AI in Today’s Sales & Marketing
“Generative AI has gone mainstream faster than anyone expected,” Adam says. “When my father is using ChatGPT to create holiday stories for his grandkids, you know we’ve hit a tipping point.”
While generative AI grabs headlines, it’s just one piece of the AI puzzle for sales and marketing teams. Adam and Mac highlighted how predictive analytics and machine learning continue playing crucial roles in understanding buyer behavior and automating repetitive tasks.
A key distinction emerged between AI copilots and agents. Copilots assist humans with tasks like email writing and decision making while keeping the human “in the driver’s seat.” Agents, on the other hand, work autonomously with specific goals — think automated lead follow-up or account research. This distinction matters because it helps teams determine where AI can augment human capabilities versus handling entire processes independently.
Successful AI implementation isn’t just about the technology. It requires careful consideration of data privacy, ethics, and integration with existing tools. As Adam notes, “AI is only as good as the data you feed it.”
Key Sales Applications
The role of an account executive has expanded significantly in recent years, giving rise to what Mac calls the “full stack AE” — sellers who don’t just work opportunities but must also source them.
This expanded responsibility makes AI tools particularly valuable. For instance, 6sense’s sales team uses AI to dig deeper into the Dark Funnel™, identifying and prioritizing accounts showing genuine buying interest.
“About 84% of research happens before anyone wants to talk to a seller,” Mac says. “Using AI to understand which accounts are truly in-market gives you that leg up.” Instead of randomly prospecting, teams can focus on accounts showing meaningful research and buying behavior.
But, finding the right accounts is only half the battle. Mac highlights how AI has transformed the account research process, providing sellers with a comprehensive view of each account from sources like:
- CRM data
- Intent signals
- Web visits
- Technographic data
The real game changer comes in applying these insights. Using what Mac calls the “80/20 rule,” AI handles 80% of the email creation process by generating personalized content based on account research, while sellers focus on the crucial 20% — adding their unique insights and personal touches to make the messages truly resonate. A process that previously took hours (researching accounts, drafting messages, preparing outreach) can now be accomplished in a fraction of the time.
Marketing Impact & Automation
While sales teams are finding new efficiencies with AI, marketing departments are seeing equally impressive results, particularly with inbound lead management. Adam touched on a compelling shift in how 6sense handles webinar follow-ups, event responses, and nurture campaigns using AI automation.
The most dramatic impact? Inbound lead response times.
“The research used to say you had five minutes to respond to an inbound lead,” Adam says. “Now it’s even shorter.”
To address this, 6sense uses AI that responds to demo requests within seconds, intelligently engages with the prospect, and seamlessly loops in the sales team when appropriate.
For outbound marketing, 6sense’s approach combines AI-identified intent signals with automated personalization at scale. The system:
- Identifies in-market accounts
- Enriches contact data
- Crafts customized messages based on prospect behavior
…all while maintaining a human review process to ensure quality and relevance.
Getting Started with AI
When it comes to implementing AI in your organization, Mac says it’s important to “slow down to speed up.” Rather than trying to transform everything at once, identify specific, measurable opportunities where AI can make an immediate impact.
“Take the time to plan and figure out where the time suck is within the organization,” Mac advises. “Pick two or three things you want to double down on and focus on for a couple quarters. Then prove out the success.”
