Can ChatGPT Help Get More Sales Meetings? Maybe. Here's How

Technology is transforming the work world one more time. This time, the charge is led by AI and Natural Language Processing — or NLP.

IBM describes NLP this way: NLP combines computational linguistics — rule-based modeling of human language — with statistical, machine learning, and deep learning models. Together, these technologies enable computers to process human language in the form of text or voice data and to 'understand’ its full meaning, complete with the speaker or writer’s intent and sentiment.

ChatGPT is one of the best-known free AI systems and can be accessed at chat.openai.com. This system can help sales pros in many ways, including writing emails to get customer meetings.

Here’s how it works. To give it a try, go to the ChatGPT website. In the “Send a Message” box, write a prompt, which is a query providing ChatGPT with enough information to create an email. Click the arrow, and the system semi-instantly generates copy for an email.

Detailed prompts lead to better emails, so here are seven tips to improve output:

1. Provide relevant context and state objectives. For example, tell the system the email's purpose is to get a meeting with a new lead.
2. Provide information about what you sell, how you can help, and anything relevant about the buyer’s title and company.
3. Clearly state you want to create an email.
4. Tell ChatGPT what you want the writing “tone” to be, for instance, “friendly, helpful, professional.”
5. State the number of words or include descriptors like “short.”
6. State your call to action.
7. Keep your explanatory sentences short, direct, and grammatically correct — bad grammar can affect output.

A Generative Test-Drive

Let’s look at an example. Suppose I was a salesperson at a printing company with direct mail expertise, and I wanted to create an email asking for a meeting with a marketing director at an insurance company to talk about how I could help them with their upcoming campaigns.

Incorporating the tips, my prompt would look like this:

A salesperson wants to schedule an introductory meeting with a marketing director at an insurance company. The goal for the meeting is to schedule an appointment to discuss how the salesperson at the printing company can help the marketing director with their upcoming direct mail marketing campaigns. The printing company has in-depth expertise in direct mail and matched mailing, including data, formats, and postal regulations. By partnering with the printing company, marketers can save postage costs and improve response rates. 

Based on this information, write an email in a friendly, professional tone. The email should be 125 words or less and three paragraphs long. The call to action is to request a meeting to discuss upcoming direct mail campaigns.

I input the prompt into ChatGPT and it generated this email text in response:

Subject: Enhance Your Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns with Unique Expertise

Hello [Marketing Director's Name],

Hope this email finds you well. I'm reaching out from [Printing Company's Name], a leader in direct mail and matched mailing solutions. We believe we can add great value to your upcoming direct mail campaigns.

Our expertise in data, formats, and postal regulations can help [Insurance Company's Name] reduce postage costs and boost response rates. It's not just about saving, but strategically connecting with your audience.

Could we schedule a meeting at your earliest convenience to discuss this in more detail? I believe it could be mutually beneficial to explore how our services can support your objectives.

Best Regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Contact Information]

How Did it Perform?

Is this email effective enough to get a meeting? Maybe, maybe not. However, when you want to send an email to a lead, it is an easy way to get started.

Billionaire entrepreneur and TV personality Mark Cuban said, "Artificial Intelligence, deep learning, machine learning — whatever you’re doing, if you don’t understand it — learn it. Because otherwise, you’re going to be a dinosaur within three years."

You may not be extinct in sales, but you could be at a disadvantage in the marketplace if you don’t learn how AI can help you today.