Sales edition
AI agents can prepare customer communications and carry out tasks. But people still need to check their work. Trust remains a human responsibility.
OpenAI agents can carry out customer work, not just prepare it
ChatGPT gets agents that can reschedule meetings and carry out tasks. For sellers, the key question is: who acts on your behalf?
On 29 September, OpenAI announced more than twenty new products. These include ‘dots’, AI agents that keep running in ChatGPT. An agent is an AI helper that takes steps on its own. It can reschedule meetings, book flights or change code on someone’s behalf. OpenAI also announced ChatGPT Space. This is a shared workspace where teams, ChatGPT and agents work together. For sellers, the change is clear. AI can do more than draft an email or give advice. An agent can take action itself. This can free up time for customer conversations. But agree in advance what the agent can and cannot do. The source does not say when the products will be available. It also does not say what they will cost. Ask yourself this week: which actions for customers can an agent carry out on its own in your organisation? An agent receives an instruction and then takes steps itself. So it does more than suggest text. For example, it can reschedule a meeting. ChatGPT Space is the shared place for this. Team members and agents work together there on projects. There is also the Decisions API. An API is a link that lets software communicate with other software. This API is designed to let AI handle small, repeated decisions. This makes AI more than a standalone helper. It becomes part of the work process. More independence can reduce manual work. At the same time, clear limits become more important. A message sent to the wrong person can immediately affect a customer relationship. The source mentions concerns about how well independent AI can be controlled. But it gives no specific safety measures. It also does not give a date for the Netherlands. So do not give an agent broad access to customer communications straight away. First decide which tasks it can do on its own. And decide which tasks must always be checked by a seller.
Background for subscribersThe reports show that AI can do more and more sales work. For example, it can prepare quotes, handle routine questions and take steps in a customer process. But what it can do, and what it produces, varies by product. So check customer data and AI results. Agree which actions a seller must always approve. Also check unexpected payment requests through a second channel. This can save time without losing control of customer communications and agreements.
Gemini can reuse your regular sales instructions
Google is rolling out ‘skills’ worldwide in Gemini chat. A skill is a saved set of instructions for a task that comes up often. You can create a skill from a conversation. Later, type a matching request and Gemini will use those instructions automatically. Google gives reports, emails and quotes as examples. This could help with work that starts in much the same way each week. But saved instructions do not automatically include the latest agreement with a customer. So check the result. Add what you know about the customer yourself. Create 1 skill for a regular sales task this week. Check every result. A skill saves instructions that you would otherwise type again and again. Gemini recognises a matching request and uses the instructions again. This helps you get started faster on a task that comes up often. The source does not say that skills automatically have access to customer data or past agreements. Saved instructions can make work more consistent. But they do not make a message personal by themselves. So check quotes and customer emails. According to the source, skills replace the earlier Gems. The source gives no details about customer data or business access. So start with a task whose result you can check yourself.
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