Nesh CTO Colin Harman considers the state of GenAI in 2025 and what specific use cases could bring to the chemical industry.
Sales AI
August 29, 2024
Marketing and sales teams in the chemical manufacturing industry face several unique challenges. Not only are specialty chemical products highly complex, but sales reps must have deep technical knowledge about products and manufacturing processes to effectively support customers.
A lack of chemical product insights leads to barriers between sales teams and other departments, frequently hindering communication between technical sales reps and valuable customers.
Fortunately, information technology now addresses the common issues of fragmented sales and marketing teams. Generative AI is specifically powerful in that it acts as a resource for complex product information, enhances cross-department collaboration, and streamlines overall processes for greater efficiency.
At Nesh, we help technical sales professionals in the chemical sector overcome these common collaboration and sales enablement challenges. Here are some of the ways your team can tackle the setbacks that persist in marketing and sales using AI.
One of the ongoing obstacles chemical sales professionals face is inconsistent messaging between different departments. A seasoned sales rep might rely on outdated sales enablement materials to inform their customer conversations. A recently ramped sales rep might have the latest sales enablement materials but use the wrong messaging to position the product for a customer with a specific set of requirements.
As customers begin testing or using the product, conflicting information can leave customers confused — or worse — untrusting of the company’s product portfolio.
Technical sales reps need quick access to accurate, up-to-date product information, technical data sheets, and safety data sheets in the chemical manufacturing process. For this use case, generative AI serves as a virtual technical advisor and single source of truth so that sales reps have the correct product details and messaging at hand.
With a genAI system that delivers uniform messaging across teams, customer interactions become more consistently well-informed. In return, the company reduces time wasted searching for the correct information, and marketing is assured that sales reps are using sales enablement materials as intended.
Imagine a technical sales rep at a polymer manufacturing company who needs the latest specifications on heat-resistant properties for a new thermoplastic. Using a generative AI platform like Nesh, they quickly retrieve specific, summarized product data and positioning to instantly respond to a repeated client's technical question. This rapid response can make the difference between winning or losing a contract and maintaining trust with customers.
With the many complex applications of chemical products, sales and marketing teams must be able to grasp and communicate these complexities to customers in a way that makes sense.
At a minimum, they need to know how to properly articulate and position a product’s value to customers. This is a difficult skill to not only develop but also maintain with seasoned experts phasing out of the industry and the knowledge gap grows. Because the chemical industry is projected to grow 3-4% annually beginning in 2025, sales teams have a lot to catch up on as more and more experts retire.
The sheer volume of technical information in chemical sales makes it difficult to locate, disseminate, and explain relevant information in the moments product knowledge is needed most. To prevent misunderstandings and missed opportunities, sales reps need access to the crucial knowledge and expertise that former or retired experts once readily shared within the company.
Generative AI solutions compile and dynamically transform essential information about products and processes into helpful formats for sales teams to harness during customer inquiries.
Marketing and sales teams too often operate independently, leading to ineffective growth strategies and less-than-optimal information sharing. Both teams need a streamlined approach that maximizes growth opportunities, minimizes redundancy, and supports each department's flow of operations.
Generative AI in chemical manufacturing can improve the implementation of cross-departmental growth strategies and the flow of information in several ways.
By implementing the right AI tools for marketing, companies can also keep track of promotional materials throughout the sales process, providing valuable feedback for content and messaging optimization. This data-driven approach encourages marketing efforts to align with sales outcomes and customer needs.
One of the biggest advantages of AI is its ability to enhance sales support. Sales reps benefit from streamlined routine sales processes instead of spending valuable time searching for complex information. Now, they can focus on building relationships and closing deals.
Sales representatives engage more effectively with customers, armed with the most up-to-date and relevant content.
AI-powered assistance also accelerates your sales cycle. Chemical manufacturing is a fast-paced industry where the ability to provide quick, expert responses can make or break a sales call. Furthermore, by automating many information-gathering tasks, AI serves as a subject matter expert, enabling sales and marketing professionals to quickly pivot, overcoming complex problems with confidence. Sales reps become trusted advisors and build long-term relationships with key customer stakeholders who depend on their expertise.
The integration of AI with content management and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems further aligns marketing and sales. In the case of Nesh, the platform ingests, analyzes, and categorizes a variety of content including technical data sheets, marketing materials, product portfolios, and sales collateral.
This streamlined approach to sales collateral delivery saves time because all content is properly indexed for easy retrieval. Additionally, context-aware content delivery systems proactively suggest relevant materials to sales representatives based on specific sales situations or customer interactions.
Companies using AI for marketing and sales are now at a huge advantage. By embracing these technologies, your chemical manufacturing operation can solidify its audience messaging, enhance customer interactions, improve the effectiveness of cross-department strategies, and ultimately drive growth.
With the technical nature and complex products involved in chemicals, genAI serves as a tool to humanize marketing and sales communications. Early adopters are already gaining a significant competitive edge, setting new standards for marketing and sales performance in this sector.
Want to learn how AI can enhance your company’s marketing and sales processes? Discover how Nesh's AI-powered platform can help your teams overcome challenges and drive success. Schedule a demo with us today to see how Nesh can transform your marketing and sales operations.
Want to learn more about GenAI use cases for the chemical industry? Check out the fact sheet, The Future of Chemical Sales: 6 GenAI Use Cases.
Nesh CTO Colin Harman considers the state of GenAI in 2025 and what specific use cases could bring to the chemical industry.
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