Do reps who use AI sell more? What the research shows

Key takeaways

• In a Gartner survey of 1,026 B2B sellers, published in September 2024, sellers who effectively partnered with AI tools were 3.7 times more likely to meet quota than sellers who did not.
• The same survey found 72% of sellers felt overwhelmed by the number of skills their job requires and 50% by the amount of technology. Sellers who felt overwhelmed were 45% less likely to make quota.
• In Salesforce's 2026 State of Sales report, sellers expected AI to cut the time they spend researching prospects by about a third.
• In a large controlled experiment, adding AI to the sales process raised sales by as much as 16.3%, mostly because more buyers said yes.

Aesthetics reps sell devices, injectables, topicals, skincare and exosome products. Whatever is in the bag, the question about AI is the same: does it help a rep sell more? The research says the reps who use it well are well ahead of the reps who don't.

Are reps who use AI more likely to hit quota?

Yes. Gartner surveyed 1,026 B2B sellers in early 2024 and found that sellers who effectively partner with AI tools were 3.7 times more likely to meet quota than sellers who did not.

Health care sales shows the same pattern. Researchers at East Carolina University and Kansas State University surveyed more than 160 reps at a health care company that used AI in its sales process. Reps who used it reported higher sales effectiveness and sales performance, and spent less time on admin work.

Why do some reps get more out of AI than others?

They keep it simple. In the same Gartner survey, 72% of sellers said they were overwhelmed by the number of skills their job requires, and 50% by the amount of technology. Those sellers were 45% less likely to make quota.

Prospect Finder helps make it easy for reps. A rep can start a territory search on their phone and pick it back up on their desktop later. Searches for qualified top prospects come back scored and ranked in seconds. Opening any practice runs a custom AI assessment, tailored to the rep's product and that practice, with a full pre-call plan in under a minute, with competitive intel at the top, detailed information on who to reach out to and outreach ready to send. The hours that used to go into research go back into selling, which is what moves quota and commissions. Book a demo for your own territory.

Where does AI save a rep the most time?

In research. In Salesforce's 2026 State of Sales report, sellers expected AI to cut the time they spend researching prospects by 34% and the time they spend writing emails by 36%.

The research savings matter more. An email takes a few minutes. Finding out which practices in a territory are worth a visit, what treatments each one offers, which devices and product lines it already carries and who makes the buying decision can take hours per account. That work also decides how the meeting goes.

Does AI raise sales, or just activity?

Sales. In a large controlled experiment led in part by Columbia Business School, adding AI to the sales process raised sales by as much as 16.3%. Most of the gain came from more buyers saying yes, not from bigger deals, and returns and customer ratings didn't get worse.

What to do with this

• Use AI for research first. Email help saves minutes. Research help saves hours and changes the meeting.
• Keep your tools to a few. Overwhelmed sellers were 45% less likely to make quota. Pick tools that take work off your plate.
• Know every practice before you visit. What it offers, what it already carries and where your product fits.
• Judge AI by your numbers. Track whether your meetings turn into customers, not how many emails you send.