How Partners Can Turn AI into Measurable Customer Value, Part Two

AI has enormous potential, but how do sales organizations move beyond experimentation and turn that potential into measurable customer outcomes? In Part Two of this special Sales Game Changers Podcast conversation, host Fred Diamond is joined again by John Carey, SVP of Global Channels at SAS, and Tom Snyder of Funnel Clarity to explore how companies, sales teams, and channel partners can move from AI adoption to successful execution. Building on research funded by SAS and conducted by IDC, John outlines four areas that matter most for AI readiness: planning, building, enabling, and executing. His advice is to start small and strategically: identify one meaningful business problem, make sure the right data is available, define what success looks like, prove the value, and then scale. But the conversation goes beyond AI implementation. John and Tom explore what these changes mean for sales professionals and channel partners. The technology may be evolving rapidly, but one fundamental principle of selling hasn’t changed: understand the customer first. As John explains, sellers need to understand the customer’s pain, identify the real business problem, and determine where they can create meaningful value. If you aren’t driving value, you haven’t earned the right to be part of the conversation. In this episode, you’ll learn: • The four areas organizations should focus on to improve AI readiness • Why AI conversations should begin with a business challenge, not the technology • How sellers can identify the customer problems worth solving • Why measurable outcomes are essential before scaling AI • What it means for data to be truly “AI ready” • Why industry expertise can be more valuable than simply being an AI expert • How channel partners can evolve into trusted advisors and decision coaches • Why understanding the customer’s definition of value remains fundamental to selling • How partner account managers can become strategy and sales coaches • Why AI should augment human expertise rather than replace it John also emphasizes the importance of human value first. Partners don’t need to arrive as AI experts. They need to understand their industry, understand their clients, ask the right questions, and help customers determine what value means to them. AI can then augment that expertise and help turn opportunities into measurable business results. The same principle applies to building strong partner relationships. John challenges sales and partner leaders to continually ask: “What can I do to bring value to this relationship today?” The goal isn’t simply to sell more, it’s to become so connected to the customer or partner’s success that every interaction creates value. For sales professionals, channel leaders, partner account managers, and organizations navigating AI, this episode offers a practical roadmap for turning technology into customer value, and moving from experimentation to execution. Key takeaway: Understand the industry. Understand the client. Understand what value means to them. Then use AI to help deliver that value at scale.