B2B sales teams prefer clean data over AI assistants

Firmable has published research showing that most B2B sales professionals would choose accurate prospect data over an AI sales assistant. The survey also found that respondents believe nearly a third of CRM data is flawed.

The study of 222 B2B sales professionals found that 75% would prefer perfect prospect data to what was described as the best AI sales assistant on the market. Respondents estimated that 32% of the contact and account data in their customer relationship management systems is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.

The findings point to a tension in sales teams as AI tools spread across prospecting and outreach. While many businesses are adopting AI in sales, the survey suggests staff still place greater value on the quality of the underlying information.

The strongest results came from what Firmable defined as hyper-growth teams: those at businesses that expanded by at least 30% over the past year. Among those respondents, 29% said AI had significantly improved sales results during the past year, compared with 11% at businesses growing by less than 30%.

Confidence in AI use was also higher among the faster-growing group. Seven in 10 respondents from hyper-growth teams said their team used AI more effectively than competitors.

AI use

Despite the attention around AI in sales, usage remains concentrated in a narrow set of tasks. The most common application identified in the research was drafting outreach emails or messages, cited by 45% of respondents.

Far fewer said they used AI for lead scoring or prioritisation. Just 23% reported using the technology in that area, even though deciding which prospects to target directly affects how sales teams spend their time.

The figures suggest that adoption alone may not explain the gap between faster-growing sales organisations and their peers. Instead, the survey links stronger results to a combination of cleaner data, more deliberate AI use and more structured working practices.

Data quality

Concerns about data quality run through the findings. If nearly a third of CRM records are unreliable, sales teams risk building prospecting, prioritisation and outreach on incomplete or outdated information.

The issue becomes more significant when AI tools are introduced into those processes. Systems used to draft messages, rank leads or suggest actions depend on the quality of the data they receive.

Respondents also indicated that high-growth teams take a more formal approach to prospecting before outreach begins. Some 41% of hyper-growth teams said they conduct structured prospect research before making contact, compared with 32% of other teams.

Time spent selling

The research found broader operational differences between the faster-growing teams and the rest of the market. Hyper-growth teams spend a median of 65% of their working week actively selling, while other teams spend a median of 53%.

The remaining time is spent on administration, research and data entry. That gap suggests faster-growing teams are either reducing non-selling work or organising it more efficiently.

Follow-up habits also differ. Hyper-growth teams make a median of four follow-up attempts before abandoning a prospect, compared with three among other sales teams.

Participants placed considerable emphasis on process and routine over effort alone. Some 83% said their team could grow faster by improving habits rather than simply working harder, while 80% said their best-performing representatives follow consistent daily routines.

Two-thirds of respondents, or 67%, said inconsistent processes hold their team back more than a lack of effort. When asked what separates top-performing sales representatives, 95% pointed to factors other than raw talent.

Better habits and consistency were the most common explanation, selected by 31% of respondents. Better relationships followed at 28%.

Measures of success

Teams also differed in how they judge performance. Quota attainment was the main measure of success for 40% of respondents in hyper-growth teams, compared with 31% among other teams.

Taken together, the findings suggest the sales teams reporting the strongest growth are not relying on AI alone. They are more likely to combine cleaner information, structured prospect research, repeatable routines and more time spent in direct selling activity.

Firmable surveyed 222 B2B sales professionals, from frontline sales representatives to senior sales leaders, and defined hyper-growth teams as those working at businesses that had grown by at least 30% over the previous year.