Otter.ai has unveiled OtterPilot for Sales. A new AI assistant that takes its transcription solution and integrates it with your CRM application. The new AI assistance uses generative AI to extract the key information from within sales calls. It then creates relevant notes that are added to call records within CRM. These can then be used to initiate tasks.
At launch, OtterPilot for Sales supports an integration with Salesforce for Enterprise customers. Within a few weeks, Otter.ai will release a further integration for HubSpot. When asked, Otter.ai did not reveal any further integrations on the roadmap. Initially, there is an entry on the Salesforce AppExchange, which is in progress, according to Otter.ai.
The application was developed to solve sales reps’ challenges when taking sales calls. Much of their time was spent taking or transferring notes to their CRM solution during the call. OtterPilot for sales addresses this challenge. Early adopter Laura Brown, VP of Sales at Aiden Technologies, believes the solution gave her sales reps 33% time savings.
Sam Liang, co-founder and CEO of Otter.ai, commented, “We know that sales teams are challenged in today’s environment to drive more revenue with fewer resources. OtterPilot for Sales is built with this in mind – so that sales organisations can benefit from AI to streamline their workflow, close more deals, and increase revenue.”
What is OtterPilot for Sales?
OtterPilot for Sales acts as an AI assistant that uses the output from the Otter Transcription full notes of a call to identify the key points. These are then extracted from the detailed transcription and added as sales insights for that customer into Salesforce.
For example, it might highlight key criteria such as budget, authority, needs and the timeline for the customer’s project. This information is automatically added to the task information for a Sales call within Salesforce in a bulleted list.
Users can then leverage the AI built into OtterPilot for sales to generate a follow-up email for the call. This element does not seem to integrate directly with Salesforce but merely uses generative AI to highlight a typical response.
Within Salesforce, the items do not appear to automatically create actions within the CRM for the Sales rep to action; it provides an extracted summary of the call. In itself, though, this is extremely useful as it cuts down on manual entry. The sales rep still has the full and accurate call transcript.
Otter.ai highlights the following features of the new solution:
- Automated Sales Call Notes – Every call is transcribed, and the key points are extracted and automatically added to the CRM call record, initially Salesforce. Where the AI misses key points, users can quickly cut and paste them in.
- AI-powered Sales Insights – OtterPilot will initially extract call information, including Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline (BANT). It isn’t clear whether Otter will presumably enhance this over time with further insights.
- Otter AI Chat – The whole team can use Otter chat to collaborate during calls, which allows customer questions to be answered quickly. It also can create follow-up emails and summarise customer sentiment from the call. This latter feature was not expanded on in the information received by Enterprise Times.
- Centrally Organised Customer Call Notes for Sales Ops to access, or where teams work on individual accounts, every conversation is available in full. Team leaders can also review calls, using the extracted notes to identify whether the key information was extracted, helping with coaching.
Teams using OtterPilot for Sales can see when colleagues are on a call or which calls have been completed. Teams can use the Otter browser interface or mobile app for OtterPilot for Sales. The mobile app empowers sales teams when away from the desk, reducing wasted time spent during travelling. This is especially useful for sales reps making calls while travelling between meetings even whilst walking. They know that key points from the call will be captured and can be followed up by colleagues if required.
Greg Holmes, Otter advisor and former CRO at Zoom who took the company to IPO in 2019, said. “Otter’s innovation in AI and its exceptional ability to capture, understand, and harness the power of conversations no matter where or how they take place gives it a distinctive edge in the sales space. OtterPilot for Sales will use this AI edge to empower entire sales teams to fine-tune their strategies with data-backed insights, foster deeper client relationships, and close deals with unmatched speed.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
OtterPilot for Sales is a logical next step for Otter.ai to extend its footprint into other domains. The ability to transcribe calls is extremely useful (Enterprise Times is a client of Otter). The ability to capture details of a call on the move is especially useful. While the chat feature is nice, it may add another collaboration tool that firms will not wish to adopt; teams using Salesforce will likely use Chatter or Slack.
For those customers already using Slack, Otter.ai already has integration into that collaboration platform. Though it does not appear that SalesPilot for Sales is yet part of the integration. The Otter.ai integration with Slack, launched last month, enables Slack users to share a link to the Otter notes in a Slack channel. During the meeting, listeners can highlight notes from the call and assign tasks to participants. At the end of the meeting, Otter will create Slack tasks for each highlight. It will then create a call summary within the Slack channel.
Overall, this is a useful addition to Otter.ai, but future releases could make this even more powerful, and a deeper integration into Salesforce might offer greater value. For example, could Otter capture actions for the Sales rep and create the relevant actions with Salesforce for the Sales Rep to confirm, assign and initiate?
