Get in on the chatbot conversation: artificial intelligence and the role of machine learning

Right now, the AI conversation can take two possible paths.

Either scary, thinking about Terminators knocking down your door yelling "kill all humans"

Or hopeful, talking about all the computer science, neuroscience, psychology, and other conceptual academic applications of artificial intelligence.

Here's a third way to look at it: practical and helpful.

Why is (almost) nobody talking about how AI is, to put it mildly, the best online sales rep any ecom brand can hire?

Conversational AI solutions are capable of creating a customer experience so uniquely great, that some human agents should take some notes and learn how it should be done.

And look, we're not the biggest fans of technical speak blogs either, where programmers geek out for 50 paragraphs about things only they can understand.

But hear us out, they're really onto something, those coding wizards. Knowing a bit about the behind-the-scenes of AI chatbots is a great idea.

Why? Because once you connect all the tech jargon with the actual jaw-dropping results AI-powered chatbots can get you, you'll be the first to ask "Where have you been all my life, oh chatbots?"

So please, kick off your shoes, open that bag of chips, and sit down, because you're about to see that AI is by no means some far-away scary academic novelty, conversational AI chatbots can in a very real sense, be your next employee of the month.

AI-powered chatbots are taking ecom sales by storm

Ok, let's get real here.

It's true that Internet and e-commerce trends change by the minute, but some things NEVER change.

For example, what do people that buy over the internet always want? They always wanted it and always will. No, it's not a trick question, they want lower prices and fast delivery.

Kind of obvious when you think about it, right?

But for the longest time, technology hadn't caught on so that brands could offer the speed and smart buying that they can now.

And now brands, this question is for you, what do you want?

I'll answer for you, don't worry.

Every business owner wants solutions that save time and (make) money. Something that will get rid of repetitive tasks that clutter calendars, making it impossible to focus on what really matters:

• Designing and scaling our businesses
• Sitting in that creative state unbothered
• And spending quality time with loved ones.

Enter conversational AI tools.

At this point I can hear you asking "Hold on, how does all of this translate to the e-commerce space?"

I'll break it down for you. Conversational artificial intelligence will:

• Make customers feel like they've been taking care of like VIPS
• Save resources by stepping in and getting to each customer inquiry instantly without needing a small army of sales reps
• Truly be everywhere, all at once (get it?) not only on DMs on Facebook Messenger and Instagram but also comments, stories, emails, SMS, website and so much more.

AI lets chatbots deliver experiences that are meaningful, authentic, instant, scalable, and, most importantly, contextual to the current needs of potential customers.

Experiences that will lead them faster to checkout, handle all objections and keep them coming back for more.

How do they do it?

Let's get something out of the way.

Right now the stars of the show are AI-powered bots, which develop answers on the fly simulating perfect human speech when talking to your customers, making up unique As to your customers' Qs

This is cutting-edge conversational AI technology, and should not be confused with selective or rule-based chatbots, which we've talked about before and can definitely bring sales home, but are not to be confused with the AI side of the aisle.

What makes these smart bots unique? Are they like virtual assistants?

You could say it's the same tech but for a different purpose.

They work using a generative conversation model, which means they learn by listening.

Yeah, you heard that right partner.

What that entails is that the developers have to start by educating these bots with questions and answers they feed them manually at first, but once the bot starts interacting with customers, each conversation added to the bots' database will make it even smarter.

And how can they understand anything at all? Four concepts you need to grasp here:

• Machine learning, lets bots continuously improve themselves with experience.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP), Natural Language Generation (NLG), and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) help analyze user input, generate responses, and reinforce old responses so they're better for next time.

What does that mean for the business side of things?

That the more the chatbot works for you, the smarter it gets and the less maintenance it needs.

And from a marketing point of view, you get a goldmine with all the insights that bot data can show to your ad team, which of course can also help the bot improve and sell better.

Conversational AI and the Importance of unique conversations

Be straight with me.

You've heard of chatbots before this blog post, right?

Rigid things, limited to a few options you can tap on and potentially some hit-or-miss keywords that trigger additional info.

The AI sprinkles we just described in detail allow for any user input, said in any context to be "understood" by chatbots, which cancels out this obsolete view.

This conversational AI tool changes everything, right?

No longer rigid, no longer limited and each conversation is unique.

You're delivering personalized conversation to 5,000 plus users and their grandmothers, at the same time.

But do you know what that really means for your brand?

Please make no mistake, this is not just a "nice-to-have" doodad, this is sales paradigm shifting.

Because conversational AI adds that missing touch that allows users to interact in natural conversation without getting stuck.

It keeps the conversation going and makes a faster beeline to checkout.

Oh, and did we mention that half the world's population uses Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM, and WhatsApp as their primary means of communication?

People use them to reach out to their favorite brands and expect to be met with immediacy.

And did we mention these bots can automatically reach out to users that interact with stories, posts, influencers working with your brand, ads and so much more?

So congratulations, now you can have 5,000 plus conversations at the same time, make them all unique, and drive all these potential customers to checkout while you take a nap.

You're welcome for that extra beauty sleep you'll be getting, by the way, you lucky duck.

The Verdict: the future of sales is chatbot-shaped

Key takeaways from this blog?

You need to get an AI chatbot ASAP

Machine learning allows them to get better every time they have a conversation with a potential customer, and with time, they need less and less maintenance.

Plus, NLP, NLG and NLU make them capable of having unique conversations with each lead, saying goodbye to those rigid bots of the past that made your customers stuck on their way to checkout.

These AI chatbots make every customer feel like a VIP, save resources, and tap into the incredible potential of Instagram DM and Facebook Messenger AI chatbot funnels.

Do you hear that?

Ka-ching!

It's all the money you could be making by jumping in on this goldmine, trust us, you don't even need a pickaxe, the gold is right there and up for grabs!

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