Is Artificial Intelligence truly a transformative lever for sales, or is it still, at least in part, a myth? This was the central question addressed during the event organized by the Commercial Excellence Lab of SDA Bocconi, which brought together companies, managers, and partners to discuss the role of AI in sales processes and its tangible impact on performance.

In the first part of the event, Paolo Guenzi, Director of the CEL, presented the results of a study conducted on 223 managers across different industries, aimed at analyzing the level of adoption, satisfaction, and perceived importance of Artificial Intelligence solutions throughout the entire sales process and in decisions related to sales force management.

Findings from international research on the topic highlight a landscape that is still evolving: while the potential of AI is widely recognized — with the possibility of automating up to 20–30% of sales activities and a broadly expected increase in its use in the coming years — adoption remains limited, with only 21% of companies having fully implemented AI solutions in sales. Moreover, a significant gap exists between expectations and outcomes: 45% of managers believe that the integration of Artificial Intelligence has not yet delivered the expected results in the commercial context.

The CEL study also identifies the main barriers to AI adoption in sales organizations in Italy, namely a lack of skills and limited awareness of available solutions. Prospecting, recruiting, and training/coaching emerge as priority areas: here, AI solutions are perceived as highly impactful, yet they are still underutilized and associated with relatively low satisfaction levels.

The roundtable discussion, moderated by Paolo Guenzi and Paola Caiozzo, Directors of the CEL, further explored these findings, offering a practical perspective on the conditions required to create value through AI in sales. Insights from Matteo Cremaschi (Head of Sales, SAP Customer Experience Management), Bernadette Nubile (Head of Sales Executive & Large Private Sales, Fastweb*Vodafone), and Marco Pierallini (Co-Chief Executive Officer, Akeron) highlighted the need for a systemic approach based on seven key dimensions: data and knowledge base, technology, processes, strategy, people, governance, and skills.

It was emphasized that the current use of general-purpose tools, while useful in improving individual productivity, is not sufficient to generate a true competitive advantage, especially when not integrated with company data and processes. Companies therefore face a broader challenge that goes beyond technology, requiring a rethinking of organizational and decision-making models.

Among the key takeaways, the need to structure and make organizational knowledge accessible emerged as critical, overcoming the limits of unstructured information typical of sales processes. Equally important is the integration of systems such as CRM and AI platforms to ensure data consistency and process alignment, as well as enabling partially autonomous agents to support operational activities. In this context, AI should not be seen as a replacement for the salesperson, nor merely as a support tool, but as a fundamental shift in processes and organizational models—aimed at improving decision-making, accelerating time-to-market, and enhancing not only efficiency but, above all, effectiveness, while keeping the human contribution central, especially in relational and strategic activities.

The event thus provided an opportunity to bridge research and managerial practice, helping organizations understand how to overcome current challenges and fully unlock the potential of AI in sales.

Through the dialogue between academia and practitioners, SDA Bocconi reaffirms its role in supporting companies in interpreting ongoing transformations and translating them into concrete strategies and actions for growth.

SDA Bocconi School of Managament