Looking into 2024: How partners can prepare for increased customer interest in AI and Automation

Swing a stick and you are likely to hit a new AI company, with a handful of customers, and a ton of technical debt. Partners are going to be challenged to select the right horse for the race and not be confused by the shiny new toy under the Christmas tree.

Here is some advice from an individual that has been in the CX, Contact Center, and Unified Communication space for over 22 years.

When considering AI companies, ensure they pass the eyeball and sniff test

Make sure to review the following with each company:

• How long have they been in business?
• Does their leadership have a successful track record?
• Can they deliver on product promises or are they vaporware?
• Is their solution in live-fire production with notable and satisfied customers?
• Are they strictly Conversational AI, Generative AI, or a combination thereof?
• Are they focused on a niche part of the customer journey or are they focused on automation that will impact customer/employee experience across the board?
• Do they provide true ROI (Return on Investment) and a compelling TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)?
• Are they willing to make an investment in their customer to help prove that automation is better than the cost of doing nothing?
• What are their customers saying about them?
• How open and portable is their solution?

As partners mentally digest the massive AI opportunity in front of them it is easy to get mired in the technical jargon that lays out the plumbing & architecture. LLM, NLP, tokens, intents, transformer model, algorithms, compute power, data models, hallucinations, black boxes, and more.

It all can be very daunting and intimidating. My recommendation is to focus on desired business outcomes. What problem are we trying to fix and why? No problem…no project…and no BUDGET. If there is a business challenge, there is almost always a technical solution and savings to be had on the other side.

Predictions for 2024

• AI and Automation opportunities will double from 2023 as partners become more comfortable leading the AI conversation.
• Point solutions will have their day in the sun as customers fall in and out of love with their CCaaS or on-premises providers (once they master the automation piece, your customers can take their solution with them, rather than having to build from scratch if they change vendors).
• FOMO (fear of missing out), improved revenue, better CSAT, positive impact on CX (customer experience), and reduced labor costs will all be drivers in businesses making the AI/Automation decision.
• Economic conditions will improve as election season approaches and don’t be surprised if you see some market consolidation.

Contact your partner representative today or email partnerprograms@intelepeer.com today to learn how IntelePeer’s AI-powered Communications Automation Platform (CAP) can transform your customers’ business and accelerate your sales strategy in the new year.