LinkedIn recently published its annual list of “Skills on the Rise in Business Development,” highlighting the 10 fastest-growing skills that business development professionals are doubling down on to get ahead in the workplace.
Not surprisingly, “process optimization” is at the top of the list (no. 1), along with “relationship management” (no. 4) — two classic use cases organizations have traditionally sought to support with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for the past 30 years.
Also topping this year’s list are “AI literacy” (no. 3) and “Responsible AI implementation” (no. 6) — recognition that AI is now seen as a key element in today’s sales reps’ arsenal and as an essential means to supercharge workflows.
Coincidentally, the nexus of CRM and AI is when things start getting real — as in, offering organizations real performance and real value. We’ve entered a new era: one defined by the possibilities of precision selling, where AI transforms CRM from a system of record into a system of proactive sales guidance.
And for distributors, it couldn’t come at a better time.
Precision and Context: Helping Sales Teams Perform with Purpose
Industrial distributors face significant challenges, including pricing and supply chain disruption and intense competition. AI-powered CRM can help sales teams with their incredibly difficult jobs, helping them move from reacting to customers and markets, to running their days and weeks with specificity and purpose.
By consuming order data, customer activity and deal performance across similar accounts, AI can go beyond dashboards, arming sales teams with actionable guidance to answer questions such as:
- “Which opportunities give me the best chance of hitting my quarter?”
- “Which customers have reduced their reorders?”
- “Which sales reps need coaching and support this week?”
As a result: teams now spend their time proactively — where it matters most, with a clear understanding of their customer base, prospects and opportunity pipeline.
A sales rep can now prompt the AI assistant, “How should I prepare for this meeting?” and instantly receive a playbook of recommended steps based on what’s worked in similar deals. Managers can ask, “Which deals need attention this week?” and see exactly where to focus their support or coaching.
This enables precision in understanding the few actions that truly move the needle, along with the necessary transparency and clear context behind every AI recommendation, so teams know why the action was recommended.
According to a McKinsey report, companies using AI in sales see up to 15% revenue growth and double-digit ROI improvements. But the true transformation comes from consistency, by turning a winning sales performance into a repeatable, data-driven discipline for all.
Precision Selling: The Intelligent Guidance System
The CRM of the past required constant data input; the CRM of the now delivers constant intelligent prescriptive guidance.
Precision selling is the realization of this evolution. It’s CRM reimagined as a performance partner — one that interprets signals from across the business and guides sellers toward the highest-value strategies and tactics.
For complex, account-based industries like distribution, this is especially relevant. AI-powered sales technology is especially powerful for selling in a world characterized by complex product catalogs and distribution channels, long buying cycles and deep customer relationships.
Precision selling enables organizations to:
- See clearly: AI connects data from ERP, service systems and customer interactions to show where the biggest risks and opportunities lie.
- Act consistently: Proven patterns from the best-performing reps are transformed into AI-guided playbooks that scale across the team.
- Sell confidently: Every seller and manager now knows what to do next and why, creating predictable performance and improved outcomes.
The sales technology of the past has failed distributors by overwhelming them with dashboards and shiny dials instead of guiding them toward real results. Precision selling changes the game – delivering clarity, consistency and confidence – empowering teams to reach their highest potential.
By removing guesswork and administrative burden, AI gives sales reps greater confidence and purpose in their work – and the time to listen, advise and build trust – the critical things that build relationships, improve the customer journey and drive long-term loyalty.
David Roberts is the president and CEO of SugarAI.
This column originally appeared as part of the 2026 Guide to the Modern Sales Organization in the March/April issue of Industrial Distribution magazine. Sign up here to subscribe to ID’s Today in Industrial Distribution daily newsletter.
