Overcoming the Changing Demographics of Specialty Chemical Experts

Are your specialty chemical experts closing in on retirement?

Like it or not, this is a trend that chemical sales organizations can no longer ignore.

The shift in demographics within the chemical manufacturing industry has been an elephant in the room for the better part of a decade. The rate at which “experts” are aging out continues to increase. While new team members are added to the front lines, far too many sales organizations are struggling to pass the baton of expertise.

New sales reps might have the technical skills to sell a product, but losing years of product knowledge, customer preferences, and experience is a major challenge.

For years, options on how to combat this trend have been limited. Companies either had to rehire former experts as expensive consultants or risk all of that knowledge falling by the wayside.

But a new challenger has entered the ring.

With Generative AI, this challenge is swiftly evolving into an opportunity. By harnessing the power of cutting-edge technology, specialty chemical distributors are now equipped with a powerful tool to combat knowledge loss and ensure continuity in operations.

GenAI is not only filling the gaps left by departing experts, it's revolutionizing the way sales teams access, preserve, and utilize knowledge. Here’s how.

Fighting Corporate Knowledge Loss with GenAI

Seeing the champions of your sales team retire is bittersweet. You are happy for them and wish them the best. However, you understand that an invaluable company asset is walking out the door.

As the adage goes — you simply “can’t replace experience.”

We won’t claim that replacing a team member who has decades of experience with enterprise customers is easy. It is a tough pill to swallow.

That being said, generative AI is changing the game when it comes to corporate knowledge loss for specialty chemical distributors. With these tools, retention of knowledge centers on solutions rather than any given individual on the team.

How It Works

Imagine the following scenario.

A chemical sales expert attends a client meeting and discusses solutions to address an EPA rule that is about to roll out. During the conversation, it was uncovered that an existing product would violate the new regulations. 

The sales expert knows that product X will be a promising substitution to help the client fall within EPA guidelines without impacting production.

Traditionally, this information might stay confined to the individual rep's notebook or memory. However, with GenAI in specialty chemicals, that data becomes a valuable asset for the entire sales organization.

Rather than staying on a forgotten page in a stack of notebooks, the system utilizes its advanced natural language processing capabilities to categorize, analyze, and organize the data. This process transforms raw data into actionable intelligence, ready to be accessed by anyone within the company.

By centralizing knowledge and making it easily accessible to everyone, regardless of their location, role, or level of experience, GenAI fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation.

But GenAI doesn't stop there. Its algorithms continuously refine the information, identifying patterns, trends, and insights that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. 

This proactive approach to knowledge management ensures that the sales team is always armed with the most up-to-date and relevant information, while also tapping into the collective experience of more seasoned experts as they near retirement.

The result — less knowledge loss, better-equipped sales reps, and happier customers.

Transform Your Technical Sales Process With Expert Knowledge Capture

The aging of the workforce is not just a demographic trend — it's a strategic challenge that demands innovative solutions.

Nesh’s Expert Knowledge Capture is designed to empower new sales reps by turbocharging your existing tech stack, allowing them to hit the ground running and make meaningful contributions from day one. By providing access to the expertise of their predecessors, this tool accelerates the learning curve, enabling new team members to navigate complex sales scenarios with confidence and competence.

Behind the seamless functionality and advanced algorithms of Nesh’s GenAI platform lies a crucial element that fuels its success: expert knowledge.

Just because a person leaves your organization doesn’t mean their contributions have to end.

Best practices, proven strategies, and a nuanced understanding of market dynamics move to a central location. In the specialty chemical industry, this type of access to Expert Knowledge Capture is the future.

As new team members enter the fold, they can interact with current experts and the experts of the past through AI-powered avatars. With a simple search query, they gain access to expert-level information and insights to help deliver exceptional technical service.

Despite the changing demographics, it is possible to transform every member of your team into a specialty chemical expert. Whether providing technical assistance, suggesting alternative products or solutions to address a new need, or looking for competitor insights, Nesh equips you to tap into expert knowledge 24/7.

Make Every Sales Rep a Specialty Chemical Expert With Nesh

Replacing veteran sales experts is no small task. They bring immense value to your organization. With Nesh, their value extends well beyond their final sale. Integrating tools like Subject Matter Avatars into your sales process not only leads to more informed conversations, but happier customers.

Nesh’s goal is simple — to provide cutting-edge solutions to technical sales leaders so they can drive learning and contribute to organizational growth. Our Expert Knowledge Capture tools are built for modern sales forces looking to gain a competitive edge.

To get a closer look at our GenAI solutions designed for specialty chemical experts, connect with the Nesh team and get a demo today.